Jack Hughes, Connor Hellebuyck lift U.S. to Olympic hockey gold in overtime thriller
jack hughes scored the overtime golden goal as the United States defeated Canada 2-1 to win the men's ice hockey gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, delivering the nation's first Olympic men's hockey gold since 1980. The finish — and the surrounding moments — mattered not only for the result but for the narratives that followed: a goaltender standing tall, a team honoring a lost teammate, and a high-profile political reaction.
Jack Hughes' golden goal and tournament ledger
Jack Hughes finished the tournament with 4 goals, 7 points and a +8 rating, capped by the golden goal that decided the final. He scored early in overtime to break a 1-1 tie and secure a 2-1 victory for Team USA. Images and social posts captured Hughes sporting cracked teeth after the play, and the moment was widely celebrated as a defining Olympic performance.
Connor Hellebuyck's performance
Connor Hellebuyck was a backbone for the Americans throughout the Olympics and was especially critical in the gold-medal game. Hellebuyck stopped 40 shots in the final and made several key saves late in regulation that kept the game tied and sent it to overtime. Observers characterized his work in net as one of the game’s lasting memories.
How the game unfolded
- First period: Matt Boldy opened the scoring for the United States, splitting two Canadian defenders and getting a shot past Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington.
- Second period: Cale Makar tied the game for Canada in the second period.
- Third period: Neither side scored in the third; late Canadian chances were denied by Hellebuyck.
- Overtime: Jack Hughes scored the winner early in overtime to complete a 2-1 victory.
The match took place in Milan, Italy, during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics and ended a 46-year drought for U. S. men’s Olympic hockey gold.
Team tribute to Johnny Gaudreau
The American team used the moment to honor the late Johnny Gaudreau. Team members carried Gaudreau’s jersey onto the ice and took a lap while the captain Auston Matthews, alternate Matthew Tkachuk and defenceman Zach Werenski held up Gaudreau’s sweater during the celebration; Werenski had played alongside Gaudreau on the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team also brought Johnny Gaudreau’s children onto the ice for the team photo, a visible gesture of remembrance during the medal ceremony lap.
Reaction and political context
President Donald Trump reacted on social media, posting congratulations to the U. S. team with emphatic lines including: "Congratulations to our great U. S. A. Ice Hockey team. THEY WON THE GOLD. WOW!" and "WHAT A GAME!!!" followed by "LOTS OF WINNING!!!" The president had recently been seen dancing after speaking at a rally at Coosa Steel Corporation in Rome, Georgia, on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. Commentary noted that the president’s earlier political prodding of Canada had helped reignite the rivalry between the two nations — a rivalry that traces back through recent events such as last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off.
Notes beyond the final
Social posts and commentary called the victory an American milestone in best-on-best Olympic hockey and framed it as the top moment of the tournament. Alongside the gold-medal celebration, other discussion touched on club-level concerns: a separate thread noted that the New Jersey Devils have been one of the league’s biggest disappointments but that positives remain beneath the surface, and argued the Devils need to get younger and more skilled while asking who the team could target to accomplish that. The Team Canada coach also addressed the format, saying he would not use the 3-on-3 overtime as an excuse for the loss but added that taking four players off the ice made the hockey "not hockey anymore. "
With the win secured by Jack Hughes’s overtime strike and backed by a 40-save performance from Connor Hellebuyck, Team USA left Milan with gold, a public tribute to Johnny Gaudreau and a set of moments that will be revisited through the Olympics and beyond.
