For the first time since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980, Team USA stands on top of the Olympic men’s ice hockey podium. The wait ended in Milan, where a new generation delivered on the biggest stage against its oldest rival.
Jack Hughes scored in overtime to beat Canada and secure the gold at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The goal ended a 46-year drought and added a defining chapter to one of international hockey’s fiercest rivalries.
Jack Hughes Downs Canada in Overtime in Milan
The gold medal game at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena lived up to the billing. Team USA entered the contest as slight +110 underdogs according to Lucky Rebel Sports Book, with the total goals falling well below the 5.5 goals mark as the teams battled to a 1-1 tie through regulation.
At 1:41 of overtime, Jack Hughes took a cross-ice feed in stride and beat Jordan Binnington through the five-hole, sealing a 2-1 win and triggering a pileup of Team USA skaters in the corner.
Matt Boldy opened the scoring at 6:00 of the first period, breaking free and finishing past Binnington to give the United States an early 1-0 lead. Canada answered late in the second when Cale Makar walked into space and wired the tying goal at 18:16, setting up a tense final frame.
Connor Hellebuyck turned that third period into his personal showcase. He stopped all 14 Canadian shots in the final 20 minutes of regulation, including multiple looks from in tight, to push the game to sudden death. The Winnipeg Jets goaltender finished with 41 saves, controlling rebounds and tracking traffic to steady the Americans whenever momentum tilted.
Binnington stopped 26 shots and gave Canada a chance to repeat its Olympic dominance, but the game—and the tournament—tilted on Hughes’ winner in three-on-three overtime. The Devils’ star cut through the slot with speed and composure, turning a sliver of space into one of the most important goals in USA Hockey history.
The victory added a third men’s Olympic gold for the United States and marked the first time an NHL-loaded American roster toppled Canada in an Olympic gold medal game. It also snapped Canada’s long run of perfection in elimination games in the NHL and reshaped the narrative of a rivalry that has often tilted north of the border in high-stakes settings.
Rivals Return to NHL Duty and Stanley Cup Chase
With the Olympic tournament complete, many of the stars involved now return to their NHL clubs and an NHL season that already carries its own set of expectations. The rivalry between American and Canadian players will resume in league arenas, including in the Stanley Cup race that runs through the spring of 2026.
The Colorado Avalanche enter the post-Olympic stretch as a leading Stanley Cup favorite at major sportsbooks, reflecting both their regular-season form and the weight of public money. Sportsbooks have positioned Colorado at or near the top of Stanley Cup odds boards, with short prices that underscore how strongly the market views their championship chances.
That context adds a different layer to the USA–Canada Olympic storyline. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and other Canadian standouts will move from national team heartbreak to trying to deliver a title in Colorado. Jack Hughes and his American teammates will chase their own NHL goals, but their Olympic triumph will linger over any future playoff meeting that features key figures from Milan.
Every USA vs Canada Olympic Showdown
The 2026 gold medal game was only the latest meeting in a modern Olympic rivalry that has produced defining moments on both sides. Since NHL players first appeared at the Games in 1998, the United States and Canada have met several times with significant stakes.
1998 — Group Stage: Canada 4, USA 1
Nagano was the first Olympics with full NHL participation, and Canada made an early statement in the group stage against the Americans. Rob Zamuner opened the scoring at 16:30 of the first period, and Canada added to its lead with a short-handed goal from Keith Primeau at 13:37 of the second that deflated the United States.
Joe Sakic recorded a goal and two assists, driving a Canadian attack that controlled the game and never allowed the USA to mount a serious push. Patrick Roy turned aside 30 shots with a calm performance in net, yielding only a Brett Hull goal at 14:04 of the third as Canada closed out a 4-1 win.
Despite the lopsided result, neither team left Nagano with a medal. The United States fell 4-1 to the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. Canada lost to the same Czech team in a dramatic shootout in the semifinals and then dropped the bronze medal game 3-2 to Finland.
2002 — Gold Medal Game: Canada 5, USA 2
Salt Lake City delivered the first Olympic gold medal showdown between the two countries in the NHL era. Canada entered under immense pressure to end a 50-year Olympic title drought, while the host United States sought to complete a run fueled by home ice and a confident veteran core.
Tony Amonte struck first at 8:49 of the opening period to give the USA a 1-0 lead and ignite the crowd. Paul Kariya equalized, and Jarome Iginla put Canada ahead 2-1, but Brian Rafalski tied the game late in the second, giving the Americans a lifeline.
From there, Canada took control. Sakic scored the go-ahead goal at 18:19 of the second period, a strike that shifted the momentum decisively. Iginla added his second of the night in the third, and Sakic sealed the 5-2 win with an empty-netter at 18:40. Canada ended its half-century wait for gold on American soil, while the USA settled for silver.
2010 — Group Stage: USA 5, Canada 3
Eight years later in Vancouver, the roles reversed in the preliminary round. In front of a Canadian home crowd, Brian Rafalski stunned the arena by scoring just 41 seconds into the game. The defenseman struck again at 9:15, pushing the USA out to an early cushion and putting Canada on the back foot.
Canada responded, but Ryan Miller’s performance in net defined the night. He made 42 saves and managed the game with poise, turning aside high-danger chances as Canada pushed to erase the deficit. With the Canadians pressing late, Ryan Kesler’s empty-net goal at 19:15 of the third period sealed a 5-3 U.S. win and handed Canada a rare preliminary-round defeat on home ice.
2010 — Gold Medal Game: Canada 3, USA 2 (OT)
The two teams met again in the Vancouver gold medal game, this time with the host nation seeking redemption. Jonathan Toews gave Canada a 1-0 lead at 12:50 of the first, and Corey Perry extended the advantage at 7:13 of the second, putting the Canadians firmly in control.
Ryan Kesler cut the deficit to 2-1 at 12:44 of the second to keep the United States within striking distance. Canada held that lead deep into the third, but with Ryan Miller pulled for an extra skater in the final minute, Zach Parise found the tying goal with just 24 seconds remaining, silencing the building and forcing overtime.
In sudden death, Jarome Iginla fed Sidney Crosby in the slot, and Crosby buried the winner at 7:40. The “Golden Goal” delivered Canada a 3-2 victory, sent the home crowd into celebration, and handed the United States another agonizing silver medal result.
2014 — Semifinal: Canada 1, USA 0
The rivalry resumed in Sochi in a low-scoring semifinal that showcased defensive structure and elite goaltending. Jamie Benn scored the only goal of the game at 1:41 of the second period, redirecting a pass that sliced through the American coverage and stood up as the winner.
Carey Price turned in a composed 31-save shutout, controlling rebounds and limiting second opportunities as the United States pressed for an equalizer. At the other end, Jonathan Quick made 36 saves to keep the Americans within one, but the tying goal never came. Canada advanced to the final and defeated Sweden 3-0 for gold, while the USA lost 5-0 to Finland in the bronze medal game and finished off the podium.
A New Chapter in Milano Cortina
That 1:41 mark in Sochi took on new significance in Milan, where Hughes scored his overtime winner at the same time stamp—twelve years later and in the opposite direction. The parallel offered a neat symmetry in a rivalry defined by thin margins and big moments.
For Canada, Milano Cortina 2026 adds a rare Olympic defeat with NHL players involved and shifts some of the emotional weight that once sat squarely on American shoulders. For the United States, Hughes’ goal answers Crosby’s Golden Goal in its own way and anchors a new era built on NHL stars who have now delivered in national colors.
The broader record still shows Canada with more Olympic men’s hockey gold medals and a historical edge in this matchup. Yet with the drought snapped and a gold won directly against Canada, the United States has finally produced its own modern Golden Goal—and rewritten the balance of this Olympic showdown.
