The U.S. men’s hockey team and skier Eileen Gu won gold during the final day of competition at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Sunday (February 22).
Jack Hughes scored 1:41 seconds into 3-on-3 sudden death overtime to give the Americans a win over arch rival Canada and their first gold medal in Olympic play since the ‘Miracle on Ice’ team at the 1980 Lake Placid Games. Jack’s brother Quinn was responsible for Team USA’s game-winning overtime goal in the quarterfinals two games prior.
Team USA jumped out to an early lead with Matt Boldy scoring six minutes into the game with a goal assisted by Auston Matthews and Quinn Hughes. Canada’s Cale Makar answered with a second period goal assisted by Devon Toews, who was later stopped by Team USA goaltender Connor Hellebuyck on a would-be go ahead goal in the third period.
Hughes, 24, was called for a penalty with less than four minutes in regulation, with Team USA fending off the Canadian power play just before time expired. The Americans defeated Canada despite a 42-28 shots on goal disparity, with Hellebuyck recording 41 saves.
The 2026 Milan Cortina Games marked the first time Team USA won gold for both men’s and women’s hockey at the same Winter Olympics event.
U.S.-born freestyle skier Eileen Gu, who opted to represent her mother’s native China, won gold in the halfpipe, successfully defending her championship from the 2022 Beijing Games, having already taken silver in the big air and slopestyle. Gu, 22, the most decorated women’s freeskier ever, having now won three gold and three silver medals in Olympic play, revealed that she was notified that her grandmother died right after gold medal victory.
“I just found out that my grandma passed away,” Gu said. “She was a really big part of my life growing up and someone I looked up to immensely. She was a fighter. And I think what’s so interesting is that a lot of people just cruise through life, but she was a steamship.
“This woman commanded life, and she grabbed it by the reins and she made it what she wanted it to be. And she inspired me so much.”
Norway led all countries with both 41 total and 18 gold medals, followed by the United States with 33 total and 12 gold medals and the Netherlands with 20 total and 10 gold medals.
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