Jack Hughes' overtime goal lifts U.S. to Olympic hockey gold
jack hughes scored the winning goal early in overtime as the United States defeated Canada 2-1 to win the men's ice hockey gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 22, 2026 — the country's first Olympic men's hockey gold in 46 years.
Jack Hughes scores golden goal early in overtime
Jack Hughes, wearing No. 86, finished the game with the overtime shot that got past Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington and sealed a 2-1 victory for Team USA on Feb. 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. Social posts hailed the play as "America's golden moment in overtime, " and another called one key save earlier in the night "one Helle-buyck of a stop. "
How the game unfolded
Matt Boldy opened the scoring for the Americans in the first period when he split two Canadian defenders and beat Binnington. Cale Makar tied the game in the second period, and neither side scored in the third. Hughes finished the game in early overtime, giving the United States a 2-1 win.
Hellebuyck’s night and the defensive effort
American goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 40 shots in the gold-medal game and made several key saves on Canada's late chances. Hellebuyck had been impressive throughout the Olympics, and his performance in this game was one of the defining reasons the U. S. reached overtime to give jack hughes the chance for the golden goal.
Player performance and tournament numbers
Jack Hughes finished the tournament with four goals, seven points and a +8 rating, and he scored the Golden Goal for America in the final. The victory marked the United States' first Olympic men's hockey gold since the 1980 Miracle on Ice; commentators noted it had been 46 years since the last U. S. men's hockey gold medal.
Tributes, reactions and rivalry
The Americans carried the late Johnny Gaudreau's jersey onto the ice after the win, with captain Auston Matthews, alternate Matthew Tkachuk and defenceman Zach Werenski holding up Gaudreau's sweater while taking a lap. The team also brought Johnny Gaudreau's kids onto the ice for the team photo. President Donald Trump reacted on Truth Social, writing, "Congratulations to our great U. S. A. Ice Hockey team. THEY WON THE GOLD. WOW!" and adding, "WHAT A GAME!!!" and "LOTS OF WINNING!!!"
Comments on the format and other notes
Team Canada coach Jon Cooper said he was not using the 3-on-3 overtime as an excuse for losing the gold-medal game, but he added that taking four players off the ice made the hockey "not hockey anymore. " Observers also noted that the U. S. win interrupted Canada's recent dominance in best-on-best international hockey.
Local aftermath and next steps
Photographs showed the gold medal after the men's ice hockey gold-medal game in Milan on Feb. 22, 2026. Team USA's victory will be remembered for the overtime finish and the postgame tributes to Gaudreau; the roster and staff are scheduled to complete medal ceremonies and team-related obligations following the game, and recovery and celebrations are under way.
Additional commentary in the aftermath included critical notes about the New Jersey Devils franchise: "The Devils have been one of the league’s biggest disappointments — but there are still several positives beneath the surface, " and a separate line urging roster change, "The New Jersey Devils need to get younger and more skilled. Who could they target to do so?"
