Forty-six years to the day that Mike Eruzione’s late goal and the heroics of Jim Craig in goal lifted Team USA hockey to one of the greatest upsets in sports history in a semifinal victory over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, Connor Hellebuyck and Jack Hughes have finally penned another American fairytale at the Olympics.
Team USA is gold medalists for the first time since The Miracle nearly a half-century ago, thanks to New Jersey Devils superstar Jack Hughes’ golden goal less than two minutes into 3-on-3, sudden-death overtime to lift the Stars & Stripes to a 2-1 victory over their fiercest rivals and the sport’s most imposing juggernaut, Canada, 2-1 on Sunday to close out the 2026 Winter Olymipcs in Milan-Cortina.
It was Hughes who started the historic move when he poked the puck away from Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar — a once-in-a-generation defenseman who had scored the lone and game-tying goal for Canada in the second period — at the American blue line. As the puck skittered across the neutral zone and into the Canadian third, USA defenseman Zach Werenski out-muscled Nathan MacKinnon for the puck in the right circle and hit an on-rushing Hughes in stride in the left circle.
With a snap of the wrist, Hughes’ chance whizzed through the five-hole of Canada’s goalie Jordan Binnington to spark the euphoric American celebrations four decades in the making.
This is the first time Team USA has ever won men’s hockey gold with NHL players on the roster. It is also just the third gold ever for the American men at the Olympics, with their first coming in 1960 in Squaw Valley.
Finally, the US has a stake in claiming that this is, in fact, a legitimate rivalry with Canada rather than a one-sided geographic coincidence. Canada had been 4-1 against the Americans with NHLers at the Olympics, including gold-medal-game victories on US soil in Salt Lake City in 2002 and Sidney Crosby’s golden goal in 2010 in Vancouver.
Had it not been for Hellebuyck, who did his very best impression of Craig’s last stand against the Soviets in 1980, Team USA would have never come close to this gold medal on Sunday.
The reigning Vezina and Hart Trophy winner and Winnipeg Jets netminder was unflappable, stopping 41 shots while dispelling any notion that he cannot be a big-game goalie — a reputation that has recently been exacerbated by his struggles in the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, which featured him getting pulled three times during a first-round series with the St. Louis Blues.
That notion has now been completely destroyed, as his heroics single-handedly kept the Americans in it after Minnesota Wild forward Matthew Boldy split Makar and Devon Toews in the first period and deked a backhanded chance past the right pad of Binnington to put the US ahead six minutes into the first period.
Hellebuyck’s signature save came in the third period, when he somehow was able to reach behind him to make a paddle save on Toews, who was in the crease and looking at a yawning goalmouth, to preserve the 1-1 tie. He also had key breakaway saves on two of the most dangerous players on the planet: San Jose Sharks youngster Macklin Celebrini, who led the tournament with five goals, and the transcendental Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers.
“Unbelievable game by Hellebuyck,” Hughes told NBC moments after scoring his golden goal. “He was our best player by a mile.”
Hughes led the local effort for the Americans at the Olympics. The Rangers had three representatives participating in head coach Mike Sullivan, and forwards J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck. Former long-time Islander Brock Nelson, who was traded to the Avalanche at last year’s trade deadline, stapled the USA’s fourth line and had his Olympic moment in the opener when he scored two goals against Latvia.
Nelson continues his family’s tradition of Olympic excellence. His uncle, Dave Christian, was a member of the 1980 team, and his grandfather, Bill Christian, won gold in 1960.
Islanders star center Bo Horvat was the lone local representative on Team Canada, scoring twice in six games.
