The U.S. men's national ice hockey team defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime to win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, on February 22, 2026. Jack Hughes scored the winning goal in overtime against Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington.

The victory marked the first U.S. men's Olympic ice hockey gold since 1980, ending a 46-year drought. Hughes, a 24-year-old center for the NHL's New Jersey Devils who was selected first overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, celebrated the win with patriotic comments immediately after the game.

"This is all about our country right now. I love the USA. I love my teammates. It’s unbelievable. The U.S. are a hockey brotherhood. It’s so strong and we had so much support from ex-players. I’m so proud to be American today," Hughes said.

Team members Dylan Larkin, captain of the Detroit Red Wings, and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets discussed the victory, a tribute to the late Johnny Gaudreau and the upcoming White House visit. Gaudreau, a U.S. national team player, died in a cycling accident on August 29, 2024.

During locker room celebrations, FBI Director Kash Patel placed President Donald Trump on speakerphone. Trump invited the team to his State of the Union address scheduled for Tuesday night. "I’ll tell you what. I just told my people two minutes ago... we’re giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night," Trump said. One player responded, "We’re in."

Trump offered military transport: "We’ll get Kash, and we’ll get the military to get you guys over. You won’t have to worry about the weather or landing."

On Monday night outside the E11EVEN nightclub in Miami, Hughes addressed potential criticism. "Everything is so political. We’re athletes. We’re so proud to represent the U.S. and when you get the chance to go to the White House, meet the president... No matter what your views are, we’re super excited to go to the White House and just be part of that," he said.

Sources

1. International Olympic Committee, "Milano Cortina 2026", accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/
2. Wikipedia, "Ice hockey at the Olympic Games", accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_Olympic_Games#Men
3. NHL.com, "Jack Hughes - New Jersey Devils - Center", accessed October 2024, https://www.nhl.com/devils/player/jack-hughes-8480020
4. NHL.com, "Johnny Gaudreau, 1983-2024", August 29, 2024, https://www.nhl.com/news/johnny-gaudreau-1983-2024
5. ESPN, "Johnny Gaudreau, former Calgary Flame and U.S. Olympian, dies at 31", August 29, 2024, https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/40846590/johnny-gaudreau-former-calgary-flame-us-olympian-dies-31