America Is Back: Team USA Sweeps Canada to Take Home Gold in Milan

Matt Vespa | February 22, 2026 11:25 AM

They’ve achieved it—completing a sweep in Milan. Team USA secured gold medals in both women’s and men’s hockey. It has been 46 years since our team last won gold following the Miracle on Ice against the Soviets in 1980 at Lake Placid, New York. This time in Milan, the USA men's hockey team defeated longtime rival Canada in an epic game. US goalie Connor Hellebuyck delivered an outstanding performance against a fiercely aggressive Canadian team that applied intense pressure throughout.

Connor Hellebuyck - Secretary of Defense pic.twitter.com/a4D34s9fha
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Canada outshot the Americans 41-26, applying intense pressure throughout the second and third periods. American player Matt Boldy opened the scoring with a 1-0 lead, but Canada’s Cale Makar equalized in the second, which was expected since Hellebuyck was besieged. The Canadian forecheck was exceptional, with moments when they looked poised to pull away. There was a moment where it was five-on-three after two penalties on the US, but America's special teams held firm, capping off a 100 percent penalty kill rate during these games.

During overtime, which features three-on-three play for 20 minutes, Jack Hughes scored the game-winning golden goal, beating Canada 2-1, concluding what was a beautiful hockey game.