The United States men’s ice hockey team secured its first Olympic gold medal since the legendary 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team, defeating Canada 2-1 in a thrilling overtime finale at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. Taking place exactly 46 years after the Lake Placid triumph, the victory was sealed 1:41 into the 3-on-3 overtime period when Jack Hughes buried a feed from Zach Werenski.
Speaking just days later, Matthew Tkachuk went into detail about potential team reunions, claiming that the group would be “linked together forever.” Tkachuk suggested that there already exists an unbreakable bond in the team.
“Already a few reunion dates planned for this summer. This group will be linked together forever,” he said, claiming that Chris Chelios even offered up his California beach house, per a post on X by Florida Panthers reporter Katie Engleson.
That is completely understandable considering the sheer tournament Team USA ended up having. And while Hughes provided the final heroics, goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was the undisputed backbone.
Facing a relentless Canadian attack that generated a 33-18 shot advantage over the final two periods, the reigning NHL MVP stopped 41 of 42 shots. The U.S. defense, which successfully killed off a critical 5-on-3 Canadian power play in the second period, also marked a major shift in the rivalry between the two teams.
For years, the U.S. had struggled to overcome Canada in critical matchups, including heartbreaks at the 2002 and 2010 Olympics, as well as the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. Of course, before the reunions can take place, Team USA was invited to Washington, D.C. by US President Donald Trump.
The celebration featured a highly unconventional White House spread, with the President catering stacks of McDonald's double cheeseburgers for the athletes. The team arrived in Washington, D.C. aboard Air Force One directly from their celebrations at a Miami nightclub, squeezing in the presidential visit just before the NHL regular season officially resumed on Wednesday, per Yahoo Sports.
