Relive United States' epic OT win over Canada for Olympic gold

The 2026 Milan Cortina men's hockey tournament concluded with an instant classic Sunday as the United States beat archrivals Canada in overtime for Olympic gold. Relive the action below.

Need to know 📌

• Hughes wins it in OT 🎥
• Hellebuyck's miraculous save 🎥

🚨 GAME-WINNING GOAL: USA 2, Canada 1

JACK HUGHES GOLDEN GOAL IN OVERTIME! The U.S. wins its first Olympic gold medal in men's hockey since the iconic 1980 "Miracle On Ice" team. The Americans pull off double hockey gold at the Milan Cortina Games as the women's team also beat Canada for the championship.

For viewers in United States only:

For viewers in Canada only:

Analysis from 3rd period 📋

Thoughts on Canada:

➡️ Canada threw everything at Hellebuyck in the third. Devon Toews had an open net with the puck on his stick a few feet from the goal line and was denied by a sprawling Hellebuyck. Macklin Celebrini hit a Hellebuyck wall on a breakaway. Nathan MacKinnon missed a yawning cage from the doorstep. A late power play produced multiple slot shots - wide, wide, wide. What a push from Canada.

➡️ Canada is getting ice-tilting shifts from the Brad Marchand-Sam Bennett-Tom Wilson line in this game. The trio of so-called rats was put together in the semifinal against Finland and has not disappointed with everything on the line Sunday. Wilson in particular has been super disruptive in the offensive zone, stealing pucks, helping out on the cycle, and laying bone-crushing hits. - John Matisz

Thoughts on the USA:

➡️ This game is over if not for Hellebuyck. It's been a remarkable performance from the Winnipeg Jets netminder with 40 saves so far. His stops on Toews in the crease with his paddle and on Celebrini's breakaway in the third stand out as game-savers.

➡️ The Americans had a glorious opportunity to pot a go-ahead goal after Bennett's double minor for high-sticking. The penalty kill came through clutch for Team USA; the power play did not. That will be an opportunity the U.S. rues for four years if it doesn't win in overtime.

➡️ Next up is 3-on-3 overtime. Dylan Larkin, J.T. Miller, and Clayton Keller each have three OT goals this NHL season, more than any Canadian player. - Kyle Cushman

End of regulation

And breathe. We're going to overtime after an incredible conclusion to the third period between these two heavyweights. Of course we are.

🟨 PENALTY: USA's Jack Hughes, high-sticking

After drawing a high-sticking penalty moments ago, Jack Hughes is now sent to the box for getting his stick up on Bo Horvat. It's 4-on-4 for 49 seconds and then Canada will be on the power play for 1:11. The Americans kill it off and there's 1:21 left to play in regulation.

🟥 PENALTY: Canada's Sam Bennett, double-minor high-sticking

Bennett is sent to the box after his stick clips Jack Hughes in the face and draws blood. Canada must kill a four-minute man advantage with under seven left to play in regulation in a tie game.

🤔 CHAOS: Nathan MacKinnon misses empty net, refs don't call too many men penalty on U.S.

MacKinnon has a chance at a wide open cage and somehow hits the side of the net. Moments later, the puck ends up near the American bench and clips Jack Hughes' skate mid-change. He opts to play the puck and the referees keep the whistles in their pockets despite the Americans seemingly having seven skaters on ice.

🇺🇸 BIG SAVE: Connor Hellebuyck on Devon Toews

Toews finds a loose puck deep inside the U.S. crease and somehow Hellebuyck barely gets a paddle on it for a potential game-saving stop. Seconds later, Hellebuyck denies Macklin Celebrini on a breakaway. The third period is going to be an instant classic.

For viewers in United States only:

For viewers in Canada only:

3rd period underway

2nd intermission analysis 📋

3 thoughts on Canada:

➡️ Canada significantly outplayed the U.S. in the second period, recording 12 more shots on goal (19-7), including seven more from the inner slot (9-2). All the offensive-zone time finally paid off at 1:44. Bo Horvat won a faceoff, the puck was worked back to the point, Devon Toews went D-to-D to Cale Makar, then Makar skated downhill on Connor Hellebuyck and beat the U.S. netminder cleanly with a snap shot.

➡️ Canada earned a rare five-on-three power play in best-on-best competition midway through the second period after Brandon Hagel and Makar drew penalties in close succession. The star-studded Canadian power play generated a few high-quality looks but ultimately squandered a terrific opportunity to even the score. The failure to convert will haunt Canadian players for years if they go on to lose this game.

➡️ Jon Cooper is a renowned coach for many reasons. One of them: he's unafraid to shake up his lines during the game, especially if the shuffle leads to extra ice time for his top players. With no Sidney Crosby to anchor a second line, Cooper has mixed and matched. Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid have both shared the occasional shift with Mitch Marner and Mark Stone. Marner feeding a streaking McDavid was one of the best scoring chances of the second period. No. 97 ultimately overhandled on the breakaway. - John Matisz

3 thoughts on the USA:

➡️ This is a legacy-altering game for Hellebuyck. He was perfect through 38 minutes with 24 saves until Makar's goal. The reigning NHL MVP has been criticized for his big-game play, considering his .870 save percentage in the playoffs over the past three seasons. That's not the version of Hellebuyck we've seen in Italy.

➡️ Many would've considered a 93-second two-man advantage an automatic goal for Team Canada. The perfect U.S. penalty kill - which is now 17-for-17 in the tournament - said otherwise. As good as the American PK has been, they can't give Canada's top-ranked power play more opportunities in this game.

➡️ We saw two big scrums in the final minutes of the period. Neither team can afford an undisciplined penalty. If after-whistle shenanigans ramp up in the third, the officials will eventually start to hand out penalties. The Tkachuks, in particular, need to avoid being drawn into an unnecessary miscue. - Kyle Cushman

🚨 GOAL: Canada 1, USA 1

Makar ties it up with 1:44 remaining in the second period. He's been everywhere in the second stanza after his poor defensive effort in the first led to Boldy's opening tally. The goal comes off a faceoff in the USA zone after an icing. It was a second straight offensive zone faceoff for Canada with Horvat on the dot. In Crosby's absence, he's trusted with that assignment. Makar's Colorado Avalanche teammate Toews credited with the assist.

For viewers in United States only:

For viewers in Canada only:

🟨 PENALTY: USA's Jake Guentzel, holding; Charlie McAvoy, hooking

Guentzel sent to the sin bin for wrapping up Brandon Hagel, his Tampa Bay Lightning teammate in the NHL. Canada earns its first power play. Less than 30 seconds later, McAvoy is also sent to the box for tying up Cale Makar. The U.S. kills both penalties, as Canada fails to capitalize on a two-man advantage for 1:33. Before those penalties, Connor Hellebuyck also managed to stop a Connor McDavid breakaway attempt. Canada has been threatening, but can't solve the American defense or goaltender.

2nd period underway

1st intermission analysis 📋

3 thoughts on Canada:

➡️ The up-and-down Jordan Binnington experience continues. Canada's starter allowed the first shot he faced - a Matt Boldy breakaway backhand - and then settled in, saving the next seven USA shots. Binnington's task Sunday isn't to steal the game, considering all-world netminder Connor Hellebuyck is in the other net. His task is to avoid being the reason Canada loses.

➡️ Canada is worse than the U.S. in the faceoff circle, especially with Sidney Crosby unavailable, and it showed in the first period. The Canadians lost 11 of 29 draws. Nick Suzuki, who's assumed Crosby's role as the second-line center, won only one of four. The gold-medal game is all about winning puck battles.

➡️ Team Canada's roster has far more veterans and far more Stanley Cup rings. But it looked like the nervous team in the early going of the first. The initial five minutes were characterized by sloppy puck management and overthinking sequences in the offensive zone. Led by a thunderous hit from Tom Wilson on Dylan Larkin, Canada snapped out of its funk and played an overall solid first despite trailing. - John Matisz

3 thoughts on the USA:

➡️ "Far too underrated" was a way to describe Boldy before the gold-medal game. Not anymore. The 24-year-old showed off his creativity, hands, and burst on his superb opening goal. He's a legit star and showed it on the biggest stage.

➡️ As expected, it's been a healthy dose of the Jaccob Slavin and Brock Faber pairing when Canada's top line has been on the ice. That duo was incredible defensively at the 4 Nations Face-Off and is drawing the tall task of being the primary defenders against a line featuring three MVP candidates.

➡️ The U.S. had five shots from the inner slot and allowed only one against, according to Hockey Stats. A strong opening 20 minutes defending the net front by the Americans. The blue line is an edge for Team USA, especially with Josh Morrissey unavailable for Canada. - Kyle Cushman

1st period ends

🟨 PENALTY: Canada's Shea Theodore, hooking

USA gets the game's first power play with three minutes left in the first as Theodore is called for hooking after getting his stick carelessly caught in the midsection of Brock Nelson. Canada successfully kills the penalty.

🚨 GOAL: USA 1, Canada 0

Matt Boldy opens the scoring six minutes into the first period. The Wild winger manages to flip the puck into the offensive zone and split Canada's top defensive pairing of Cale Makar and Devon Toews before sliding it past Jordan Binnington's right pad. Assists credited to USA captain Auston Matthews and Quinn Hughes. Canada now concedes first for the third consecutive game.

For viewers in United States only:

For viewers in Canada only:

1st period underway

Pregame notes

Crosby out

Sidney Crosby won't play in the gold-medal game against the United States due to the injury he sustained in the quarterfinal against Czechia. Canada's captain also missed the dramatic semifinal victory over Finland due to the ailment, which is believed to be a lower-body injury.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist was labeled by head coach Jon Cooper as a "game-time decision" going into Sunday's final, but ultimately couldn't recover in time. Cooper said he wouldn't dress Crosby as the 13th forward for the game if he wasn't able to contribute in a meaningful way on the ice.

His teammates said he played a key role in the dressing room during the comeback win against Finland, and it's expected the 38-year-old icon will assume similar responsibilities for the gold-medal contest.

Historic rivals

Canada and the United States have a storied history since NHLers first participated in the Olympics in 1998. The North American rivals have clashed six times at the Games, with Canada holding a 5-1 record. Team USA's lone victory came in the round-robin stage of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Canada defeated the United States in the gold-medal game in 2002 and 2010. Their most recent meeting at the Olympics was in the 2014 semifinal, when Canada won 1-0 before capturing gold in Sochi.

The two countries met in the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off last February, where virtually the same rosters battled in an instant classic that saw Canada win 3-2 in overtime on Connor McDavid's winner.

The U.S. hasn't won Olympic gold in men's hockey since 1980.

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