USA beat Canada in overtime thriller to win Winter Olympics hockey gold with Jack Hughes the hero

Jack Hughes scored the golden goal for the United States in a sensational overtime 2-1 victory against Canada to clinch gold at the Winter Olympics in Italy.

Hughes scored 1:41 into overtime to spark pandemonium in Italy and all across the United States, winning the country’s first gold in hockey since the ‘Miracle on Ice’ in 1980.

‘This is all about our country right now,’ an emotional Hughes said seconds after his goal. ‘I’m so proud to be American right now. I love my country, I love my teammates. 

‘That’s American hockey right there. That’s a great Canadian team but this means so much. We are such a team. The USA brotherhood in this team is so strong. I cannot believe this. It could have gone either way tonight.’

Hughes will go down in history as the man who won it but the USA would have lost this game if it wasn’t for an extraordinary perfromance by goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who saved 41 of the 42 shots fired at him.

‘He was our best player tonight by a mile,’ Hughes said, and there won’t be anyone who disagrees. 

It had been a dream start for the Americans. Matt Boldy put the US ahead exactly six minutes into the game with his team’s first shot of the gold medal showdown.

He got the puck from Auston Matthews, batted it to himself off his stick blade to maneuver between Canadian defensemen Devon Toews and Cale Makar and slid a backhand past goalie Jordan Binnington. 

In the second quarter, the momentum shifted and Canada started to take control of the game. They got the scores level with Cale Makar beating Connor Hellebuyck, the Canada pressure finally paying off with 1:44 left on the clock in the second period.

But the USA were desperately unlucky not to get back into the lead just a minute later.

A thundrours hit from Brock Faber hit the right and left post before rebounding out from the Canadian goal. It was desperately unlucky for the Americans, and very fortunate for Canada goalie Jordan Binnington.

The teams then brawled as the second period came to an end with the scores level, setting up a gripping do-or-die final quarter.

‘They did play on top of us, they got one and it’s a 1-1 game,’ USA’s Dylan Larkin said to NBC in the interval after the end of the second period. 

‘What is there to say? 20 minutes, give it all you have. There’s nothing to save for it. Let’s make it a special period.’

But after 60 minutes of regulation time, the teams could not be split. Sudden death overtime it was. 

Canada were dealt a blow before the game had even started when it emerged Sidney Crosby was not healthy enough to compete.

The decision had been made on Saturday night, with Crosby and head coach Cooper discussing what was best for the team overall. Crosby’s teammates were also told the news before they went to bed.

But the news didn’t deflate the many Canadians inside the Milano Santagiulia arena – they very much seemed to outnumber the American supporters in Italy for the game.

The US team were loudly booed when they headed out onto the ice to warm up before being met with booming chants of ‘Let’s Go, Canada!’.

The family of the late Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were in the stands supporting the United States, though. Johnny’s son, Johnny Jr, was celebrating his second birthday on Sunday.

Gaudreau’s jersey was also hanging up in the team locker room before the game. Ex-NHL player Johnny and his brother died when they were struck by an SUV while cycling in New Jersey in August 2024, the day before their sister’s wedding.

This was the third gold medal meeting between the USA and Canada, with Canada winning the last two.

The game was also held 46 years to the day since the ‘Miracle on Ice’, when Team USA beat the Soviet Union 4-3 in the middle of the Cold War. They went on to beat Finland 4-2 in the gold medal game.

And now, they have another historic win to celebrate.