Team USA wins first gold in men’s hockey since 1980

Team USA won the gold medal in men’s hockey for the first time in 46 years, and for the first time ever the program won both men’s and women’s hockey gold medals in the same year.

In the game against Canada, the game was completed after 3-on-3 overtime. The U.S. led 1-0 for much of the game thanks to an early serve from Matt Boldy, but Canada’s tying goal became inevitable as time wound down.

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Canada’s depth showed up in dominant form both before and after Karl Makar’s eventual equalizer. With six and a half minutes left in the third quarter, the U.S. team did not have another offensive zone confrontation, and the U.S. team ultimately led 41-27.

Jack Hughes lifted a high stick late in the game, apparently breaking several of his teeth. But he made up for the weight loss with a gold medal that now hangs around his neck – immortalized along with that winning goal.

Goaltender Connor Helleback kept Team USA alive. He stopped drives from superstars Connor McDavid and MacLean Celebrini, shut out Canada on five-on-three and late power plays, and made an absolutely impossible save on Devin Toews late on.

“Hellebeke’s game was unbelievable,” Hughes said in a postgame interview that aired on USA Network. “He was our best player tonight. Unbelievable game. The play our team played was unreal.”

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This type of performance flips the narrative around Hellebuyck, who has been criticized for playing below his ability in big moments. Canada’s Jordan Binnington, on the other hand, has been praised for his calm, collected nature in big games, but the eventual game-winning goal was one he could have saved.

The final score of 2-1 mirrored Thursday’s women’s victory, which also ended in overtime. It was a complete 180 for a U.S. team that had lost in the Four Nations final a year and two days earlier (also in overtime).

Of course, this makes them want this even more.

After the game, the team posed for a group photo on the ice, showing off their gold medals and holding Team USA’s Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey, along with Gaudreau’s two young children to acknowledge that he would have been on the team had he and his brother, Matthew, not been killed by an injured driver two years ago.

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Brock Nelson becomes a third-generation Olympic gold medalist with Team USA’s victory. In fact, every gold medal Team USA has won has had a family member: His grandfather and great-uncle were on the 1960 team, and his uncle was on the 1980 team.

Utah Mammoths captain Clayton Keller led Team USA to its first World Championship gold medal in 92 years last spring and now adds an Olympic gold medal to his collection. His exclusion from the Four Nations roster forced him to prove why he belonged.