Jackson Lacombe: U.S. Men’s Hockey Team Lands in Miami After Overtime Gold Over Canada
jackson lacombe The U. S. men’s hockey team touched down in South Florida on Monday, arriving at Miami International Airport after beating Canada in an overtime Olympic final in Milan, Italy. The return was marked immediately by a ceremonial water salute and sets up a Monday-night celebration in Miami.
Miami International Airport arrival and water salute
The Olympic champions’ flight was greeted at Miami International Airport and, while taxiing to the gate, received a water salute. Team members were moved straight from the plane into the city’s celebration schedule, with only limited time to rest before the evening plans.
Jack Hughes' 3-on-3 overtime winner and in-game injuries
Jack Hughes scored 1: 41 into 3-on-3 overtime off a pass from Zach Werenski to secure the victory, sending teammates into a raucous on-ice celebration as Canada’s entire team watched from the bench. Hughes lost some teeth to a high-stick during the game; despite that injury he delivered the decisive goal that ended the match in overtime.
E11EVEN Miami set to host championship celebration
Following the gold-medal win, the team’s scheduled celebration will take place at E11EVEN Miami on Monday night. The club has been ranked the No. 1 nightclub in the United States and No. 6 globally, and has previously hosted championship and high-profile parties for the Florida Panthers after their back-to-back Stanley Cup victories, Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, the Indiana Hoosiers after their College Football National Championship, and F1 champions Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
NBC: broadcast averaged 20. 7 million viewers across networks
NBC announced that the Olympic men’s hockey gold-medal game between the U. S. and Canada averaged 20. 7 million viewers across NBC, Peacock and USA Network. On NBC and Peacock alone, the average live audience between 8: 15 a. m. and 11 a. m. ET was 18. 6 million viewers, and the broadcast peaked at 26 million viewers on NBC and Peacock at the moment of Jack Hughes’ overtime winner.
Wider Olympics audience and Team USA’s record
The 2026 men’s final becomes the second-most watched hockey game ever on NBC, behind only the 2010 men’s gold-medal game between the same countries, which drew 27. 6 million viewers when Canada prevailed in overtime. The Milan Cortina Games drew strong, sustained audiences: said Team USA’s run to a national-record 12 gold medals averaged 23. 5 million U. S. viewers, the network averaged about 26. 7 million viewers on Thursday — its largest Winter Games weekday audience since 2014 — and all 15 days of the Games topped 20 million viewers.
U. S. women’s final, Megan Keller and viewership milestones
Television interest extended beyond the men’s final. The U. S. women’s 2-1 overtime victory over Canada drew an average of 5. 3 million viewers on USA Network and Peacock and peaked at 7. 7 million viewers in overtime before Megan Keller’s winning goal; the network called that the most-watched women’s hockey game on record. That result gave the U. S. women their third Olympic gold — each time against Canada — and their first since the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang.
What makes this notable is the convergence of an on-ice dramatic finish and a concentrated off-ice celebration: an overtime winner that produced a live television peak of 26 million viewers coincided with an immediate, high-profile arrival and party itinerary in Miami, solidifying the game’s impact both in arenas and in broadcast metrics.
Updated Feb. 23, 2026 at 4: 56 p. m. ET. Jackson Lacombe — unclear in the provided context.
