Jack Hughes scores in OT, Team USA wins Olympic gold medal game against Canada

MILAN -- The United States has a new Golden Generation.

Jack Hughes is the poster boy after he scored one of the most dramatic goals in Olympic hockey history, 1:41 into overtime to give Team USA a 2-1 win against Team Canada in the gold medal game of the men's hockey tournament at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 at Santaguilia Arena on Sunday.

The goal, off a pass from Zach Werenski during 3-on-3 play, slid through the five-hole of Canada goalie Jordan Binnington and delivered the much-awaited gold medal for this American squad, placing it on the same pedestal as the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team. The win came on the 46th anniversary of the improbable 4-3 victory against the Soviet Union during the medal round in Lake Placid, New York.

“I can't even believe this,” said Hughes, smiling despite losing a few teeth when he was high-sticked earlier in the game. “I mean, it's such an unbelievable game, USA-Canada. That's such a good game. They have so many great players. We're a great team.

“That's exactly how we wanted it to go. We wanted to go through Canada and beat them. It’s an unbelievable win for the Americans.”

GAMECENTER SUMMARY: United States-Canada

Canada had not lost an Olympic game involving NHL players since the 2010 Vancouver Games, when the Americans defeated the Canadians in round-robin play. Canada got revenge in overtime of that tournament, winning on a Golden Goal by Sidney Crosby. Four years later, it defeated Sweden for gold.

Pandemonium broke out after the Hughes’ goal; the players leaping onto the ice in waves, tossing equipment into the sky, bearhugging the New Jersey Devils forward along the wall in front of the penalty box.

The Team USA goal song, “Free Bird,” played in the background, fighting with the “USA, USA,” chants from the crowd.

“There is no better feeling in the world,” said U.S. defenseman Charlie McAvoy, wrapped in an American flag. “This is that. I can’t wait to see the footage of what happened after we scored because it was a complete blackout, who I was hugging, where I was going.

“It was just euphoria, man. I can’t even explain what I was feeling. Just pure joy.”

Hughes was in the spotlight afterwards, but the victory was built on the back of goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who made 41 saves, many of the highlight-reel variety, especially during a 19-8 advantage by Canada in the second period.

“Oh my gosh, they will be talking about this performance for generations,” U.S. forward Matthew Tkachuk said of Hellebuyck. “It was an all-time performance from a superstar at his position. It’ll go down as one of the best performances of all-time, right up there with Jimmy Craig (Team USA goalie in 1980). If we don’t have him, we don’t win.”

The biggest save of the game came in the opening minutes of the third period. Defenseman Devon Toews was in the slot, the puck on his stick, looking at an empty net. As he shot, Hellebuyck stretched his stick behind him in a final act of desperation and the puck struck it, skittering away from the net.

“I haven’t even seen it, but if he saved it, it’s a great save” Toews said after the game. “Honestly, I don’t know how Mitch [Marner] put it on my tape. I just felt it there and tried to shovel it in and it didn’t go in. We had five or six of those kind of looks tonight, and we just couldn’t put it in.”

Hellebuyck said, “It’s not the first stick save of my career, but it is the biggest stick save of my career. “When I’m rolling back and the puck is not in the net, it is just an overwhelming feeling of, ‘I got this.’”

Cale Makar scored, and Binnington made 26 saves for Canada, which played without Crosby, its captain, for a second straight game because of a lower-body injury he sustained in the quarterfinals against Team Czechia.

“It was pretty close,” Crosby said. “Ultimately, I wasn’t able to go out there and do what I needed to do in order to help the team. At that point you have to make a decision that’s best for the group. It’s not an easy one, but that’s hockey.”

Makar tied at 1-1 at 18:16 of the second period with a snap shott hat picked the far corner.

Connor McDavid, the leading scorer in the tournament, had a breakaway in the first period but was denied by Hellebuyck. Nathan MacKinnon had a Grade-A chance at an open net in the third but missed.

WATCH: Men's Hockey Highlights from the Olympic Winter Games

Canada had defeated the USA each time they met in a tournament-deciding game since the 1996 World Cup Final, including an overtime victory in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship last season.

“I look at this game, and I am so proud of what went on,” Canada coach Jon Cooper said. “I’m proud of our country, proud of our players, proud of our team. In the end, you are going to read the book that USA won the gold in Olympic hockey and Canada won the silver, but in the grand scheme of things, the big winner was ice hockey. I think that is what we should all take out of this.”

Matt Boldy gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead at 6:00 of the first, flipping the puck between Makar and Toews before gaining position on the latter and deked to his backhand before pushing the puck past Binnington.

Hellebuyck helped force overtime by stopping all 14 shots he faced in the third.

“I’m just so lucky to be a part of this generation right now of USA Hockey,” McAvoy said. So many generations before us, unbelievable players, the guys we looked up to, they didn’t get it done. They paved the way for us, but they weren’t able to get it done.

“We’ve been thinking about those guys. They’ve been in the locker room telling us, ‘It’s your guys’ turn, get it done.’ And we got it done, man. It just feels so surreal right now.”

NOTES: Hughes joined Crosby (2010) as the only players to score in overtime of an Olympic gold medal game with NHL participation. … Boldy’s goal was the fastest to start a gold medal game in an Olympics with NHL players; Tony Amonte (U.S.) scored at 8:49 against Canada in 2002. … Ryan Miller stopped 42 shots in a round-robin game against Canada in 2010, the only American goalie with more saves than Hellebuyck in an Olympics with NHL players. … Canada’s 19 shots in the second were the most by one team in a period during a gold medal game; it had 17 in the second against the U.S. in 2002.