On Sunday morning, the Team USA hockey team won its first gold medal in 46 years with a thrilling victory over the Canadian National Team at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. It was a back and forth contest throughout in front of a vicacious crowd, but ultimately, the American team ended up getting the victory thanks to an overtime goal from star Jack Hughes.
After the game, Team USA star Matthew Tkachuk, who is a player for the Florida Panthers of the NHL, had a special message for his home country.
“The United States of America, the greatest country in the world, deserves this because we’ve been knocking at the door for a long time and we’ve got the game of hockey right now and I’m so honoured to be a part of this team,” he said, per Ryan Rishaug of TSN on X, formerly Twitter.
Indeed, it's been a long time coming for Team USA hockey, which had last won a gold medal with 1980's iconic “Miracle on Ice” against the Soviet Union, prior to Sunday's triumph over Canada.
In many ways, the win is evidence of just how far the sport of hockey has come in the United States in recent years, with more and more stars of the NHL hailing from the US.
Meanwhile, the American team had a special moment after the game by bringing out the children of the late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau out onto the ice to celebrate with them. Gaudreau, then a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, was tragically killed by a drunk driver in 2024, and the American team made sure to honor his memory and family with their celebration on Sunday.
The team will now look forward to the closing ceremony of the Milan Olympics, which will take place later in the day on Sunday.
