MILAN — Jack Hughes ended 46 years of waiting with a single shot 1:41 into overtime, lifting the United States to a 2-1 victory over Canada in the men’s hockey gold medal game at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday.
The goal, Hughes’ fourth of the tournament, set off a wild celebration as the Americans claimed their third Olympic title and first since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.” Unlike that underdog squad, this U.S. team entered as a powerhouse, featuring a roster stacked with NHL stars and an impenetrable goaltender.
Connor Hellebuyck was the backbone of the victory, stopping 41 of 42 shots. His highlight-reel save came in the third period when he got his stick on a Devon Toews shot, and minutes later he denied Macklin Celebrini on a breakaway — the same move he used to stymie Connor McDavid earlier.
Matt Boldy opened the scoring at the 6-minute mark of the first period. Canada’s Cale Makar tied it late in the second, setting the stage for Hughes’ heroics. The U.S. penalty kill was perfect throughout the tournament, going 18 for 18.
The win avenged a loss to Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago and ended Canada’s 16-year reign as the dominant force in international hockey with NHL players. Canada, back-to-back Olympic champions in 2010 and 2014, played without injured captain Sidney Crosby, who left the quarterfinal against Czechia and missed the semifinal.
Connor McDavid, wearing the captain’s “C” in Crosby’s absence, suffered another crushing defeat. He and the Edmonton Oilers have lost to Matthew Tkachuk’s Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons.
The U.S. roster featured 23 players who came through USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, including captain Auston Matthews, the Tkachuk brothers, Jack Eichel, and the Hughes brothers. General manager Bill Guerin’s roster choices faced criticism for leaving four of the top 10 American NHL goal-scorers at home, but the selections proved successful as the U.S. went unbeaten.
