February 22, 2026. Forty-six years to the day since a group of American college kids beat the Soviet Union in Lake Placid and gave the sport one of its permanent memories. The date carried weight before the puck even dropped in Milano Cortina, and by the time it was over, it carried more. The United States beat Canada 2-1 in overtime to win its 3rd Olympic gold medal in men’s ice hockey, and doing so required a goaltender playing at an absurd level, a forward who buried the right chance at the right moment, and a Canadian roster missing the player it needed most.
The Road to the Final
The 2026 tournament featured full NHL rosters for the first time since Sochi 2014. On February 2, 2024, the IIHF had announced its agreement with the NHL to send players back to the Olympics, which gave every competing nation access to its best talent. That agreement set the stage for a tournament stacked with professional-grade hockey on every sheet of ice.
The Americans reached the final after a 6-2 semifinal win over Slovakia, a comfortable result that kept legs fresh heading into the championship. Canada’s path was harder. They came from behind to beat Finland 3-2 in their semifinal, rallying without their captain Sidney Crosby, who had suffered a lower-body injury in the quarterfinal against Czechia and was ruled out for the rest of the tournament. Canada won anyway, which reinforced the assumption that they had enough depth to absorb the loss of any single player.
Where the Sportsbooks Got It Wrong
Canada entered Milano Cortina 2026 as the consensus favorite across every major sportsbook, and most lines reflected that assumption right through to the final. Bettors who tracked betting odds on Canada, pre-tournament spreads on the U.S., and series props tied to Sweden and Finland all saw Canadian lines shorten further after their semifinal comeback against the Finns. Crosby’s injury before the final barely moved the number.
The gold medal game closed with the U.S. listed as a clear underdog, which made the 2-1 overtime result one of the more costly outcomes for books in recent Olympic hockey memory.
Connor Hellebuyck Was the Entire Foundation
Any honest retelling of this tournament has to start and end with Connor Hellebuyck. His numbers across the full tournament were 131 saves on 137 shots, good for a 95.62% save percentage. In the gold medal game alone, he stopped 41 of 42 shots. Canada generated offense all night, cycling through their power play, creating second and third chances in front of the net, and Hellebuyck kept finding the puck. He was the primary reason the game stayed within reach long enough for the Americans to win it.
A 1st Period Lead and a Canadian Answer
Matt Boldy opened the scoring in the 1st period, giving the U.S. an early lead that changed the texture of the game. Canada had to push forward with more urgency, which opened up ice for American forwards on the counterattack but also put sustained pressure on Hellebuyck.
Cale Makar tied the game in the 2nd period. Makar, one of the best defensemen alive, found space and converted. From that point forward the game locked into a tight, tense structure where neither side could pull ahead. The 3rd period ended 1-1, and the game moved to 3-on-3 overtime.
Hughes at 1:41
Overtime in Olympic hockey under 3-on-3 rules opens the ice up considerably. Fewer bodies, more room, more risk. At 1:41 of the extra period, a sequence started with Hellebuyck himself. He made a save, controlled the puck, and sent a pass to Zach Werenski. Werenski moved it up to Jack Hughes, who carried it into the offensive zone and slipped the puck between the pads of Jordan Binnington. A goaltender assist to a defenseman to a forward, and the gold medal was decided.
Hughes scored the goal, but the play’s origin at Hellebuyck’s end made it fitting. The best American player in the tournament touched the puck on the sequence that ended it.
Crosby’s Absence and McDavid’s Recognition
Canada losing Crosby before the final remains one of the defining details of this tournament. He went down in the quarterfinal round and never returned. Connor McDavid, despite playing on the losing side in the final, was named tournament MVP, an award that recognized his production across all games even though the last one did not go his way. According to Olympics.com and NHL.com, McDavid’s body of work through the tournament was the most productive of any skater on either side.
A Tribute on the Ice
After the final horn, Auston Matthews, Zach Werenski, and Matthew Tkachuk held up the sweater of the late Johnny Gaudreau during the celebration. Gaudreau, who died before the tournament, had been a teammate and close friend to several players on the American roster. The moment was personal, and it was visible to everyone watching.
What Stays From Milano Cortina
The U.S. now holds 3 Olympic gold medals in men’s hockey. The 1st came in 1960, the 2nd in 1980, and the 3rd arrived 46 years after the Miracle on Ice, on the exact same calendar date. Hellebuyck’s tournament will be studied for years by goaltending coaches. Hughes will carry the overtime winner for the rest of his career. And the American program, which had waited decades between its golden moments, added another one in Italy.
