USA beats Canada in OT to win first hockey gold since 1980 'Miracle on Ice'

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Yahoo Sports

Jack Hughes wins it with a rocket shot to give the U.S. just its third-ever gold medal in men's hockey

Jeff EisenbergSenior writer
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 10:16 AM CST

MILAN — This wasn’t a miracle. It was a moment of magic.

Forty-six years to the day after a bunch of unheralded amateurs stunned the heavily favored Soviet Union en route to winning Olympic gold, the U.S. men’s hockey team engineered another epic victory. The Americans won a battle of the sport’s superpowers on Sunday, toppling longtime nemesis Canada 2-1 in overtime to win their country’s first Olympic gold in men’s hockey since the famed 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”

Jack Hughes scored the decisive goal, ripping a shot past Jordan Binnington less than three minutes into 3-versus-3 overtime.

The Americans only forced overtime because Connor Hellebuyck withstood target practice from Canada’s all-world forward corps. Hellebuyck made incredible save after incredible save against constant Canadian pressure, turning away 41 of the 42 shots he faced.

Read more: https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/live/usa-beats-canada-in-ot-to-win-first-hockey-gold-since-1980-miracle-on-ice-121000403.html

[LisaM]

1. Canadians will be bitterly disappointed.

I have been listening to Canadian media all week. This was about far more than hockey to them.

[bottomofthehill]

2. He'll yes, USA

[Wiz Imp]

6. Yuck. As an American, I'm embarrassed by a team that included the 2 scummiest

Hockey players in the world - the Tkachuk brothers. And that doesn't even include their disgusting despicable politics. Sorry, nobody at DU should be proud of a team that included those 2 pieces of shit.

[hardluck]

8. Seriously? And Canada is somehow better?

And Canada has the rat king in Marchand. Sam Bennett hasn’t met a goalie that he hasn’t tried to injure. We don’t even need to get into Tom Wilson.

[maccafan]

3. Do you believe in miracles?

What a day for USA!!

[LisaM]

4. That was when it was basically amateurs vs de facto pros.

They keep making this comparison but it's not really an apt one.

[cstanleytech]

5. I wonder how soon Trump will try to steal one or two medals if not all of them.

[MichMan]

9. A Canadian NHL team has not won the Stanley Cup for 32 years

Montreal in 1993 was the last time.

[LiberalLovinLug]

14. Economics

Canadian teams pay out in American dollars but take in Canadian dollars in revenue. Also higher taxes, weather, pressure from rabid fans, scare off signings

But Canadians still make up the largest block of players from any country in the NHL. So any winner of the Stanley Cup is most likely dominated by Canadians. Fun fact: Of 32 teams, the team with the most Canadian's on it that season won 3 of the last 6 Stanley Cups

Canada outshot USA 2 to 1. Deserved to win, but missed on some glorious chances. This one hurts knowing Trump will crow about it, like he won the game single handedly

But congratulations to the US. Your goalie was a wall. You staved off the Canadian pressure, and persevered.

[MichMan]

16. Wouldn't Canadian players be way more interested in playing for Canadian teams than relocating to the USA?

Seems like the teams in Canada would be able to acquire a lot more talent by virtue of the sheer number of Canadian players. Players would be much more likely to be household names in Canada compared to the US.

Then, given that hockey is Canada's national sport, compared to the US where hockey is much less popular than Football, Baseball and Basketball, it would seem that the Canadian teams would have much higher attendance, media, player endorsements, and sponsor revenues, even if in Canadian dollars.

[PCB66]

18. It is not the number of shots you take that determines the winner

but the number of goals you score.

Hockey at the professional/Olympic level is like major league baseball. On any given day the worst team can beat the best team.

If this had been a five out of nine series the Canadians might have won. Maybe even two out of three. But it is not and they didn't.

USA has be the bragging rights today.

Lets enjoy the USA victory.

[twodogsbarking]

10. Both teams showed some real class and competitve spirit. Very sportsmanlike. Good to see it in the world we live.

I was impressed by this olympics. So much talent.

[tavernier]

11. I was rooting for them both.

I think with maybe a slight thumb on the scales to Canada. I love our northern neighbors.

[efhmc]

12. Where is the acclaim for the women as they win their third gold metal? Typical.

[MichMan]

13. You made the same statement earlier, and were provided multiple links which you ignored an hour before posting this one

https://democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=21039285

https://democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=21039404

[PCB66]

19. The women got their accolades a couple of days ago

Today it is the men's team.

One of the things that makes the game today so sweet is that both the men and women beat the Canuks. That is total domination of the sport in any book.

No different than a few years ago when the Aussies beat the US in swimming in the summer Olympics. Both men and women.

They had bragging rights for awhile.

[Pluvious]

15. Had to watch it live !

It was the fastest hockey game I’ve ever seen,
in the first period it was faster than any NHL game I’ve watched before.

Both teams were evenly matched, but the US goalie was phenomenal today.
In the second period the Canadians were out-shooting the Americans 2 to 1.

The Canadian goalie was excellent too, but on any given day “phenomenal” beats “excellent”
and that was the difference.

[Skittles]

17. OUTSTANDING

[Polybius]

20. Best news I've heard all day!

[mdbl]

21. It would be a much sweeter victory if our country wasn't being run by a bunch of fascist assholes.

With a president who just lives to insult and steal.