The United States ended their long wait for an Olympic men's ice hockey gold with a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in a thrilling final, with Jack Hughes' winning goal delivering their third title and first since 1980.
The triumph comes exactly 46 years to the day of the famous U.S. 'Miracle on Ice' victory over the Soviet Union on the way to their last gold at the Games in Lake Placid.
Almost inevitably, it came down to three-on-three play where Hughes collected a pass from Zach Werenski and coolly fired into the net one minute and 41 seconds into the extra period.
The goal resulted in gloves, helmets and sticks flying over the ice as his teammates ran to smother the American hero.
Billed as the showpiece match the ice hockey world wanted to see following the return of NHL players to the Games after a 12-year absence, the North American rivals did not disappoint, serving up a nerve-jangling classic.
Matt Boldy put the U.S. ahead after six minutes with the Americans' first shot of the game and Canada levelled through Cale Makar to set up a nail-biting final period, after U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 40 saves over the 60 minutes.
Follow all the action with our Winter Olympics live blog below
Winter Olympics live
- USA score sudden-death overtime goal to beat Canada in men's ice hockey final
- USA win men's ice hockey gold for first time since the 'Miracle on Ice' in 1980
- Jack Hughes scores winning goal after Canada dominated regular play in final
- Donald Trump reacts after USA beat Canada to win Olympic gold in ice hockey
The special meaning behind the USA’s golden moment
18:02 , James ToneyIt wasn’t a miracle, but for Canada it comes close to a national calamity.
Jack Hughes’ overtime winner settled this bad-tempered, neighbourly dispute as the United States won Olympic hockey gold for the first time in nearly half a century.
Back in 1980, it was Herb Brooks’ ragtag college kids who beat the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War in the ‘Miracle on Ice’ in Lake Placid.
This time it was a stacked team of multi-millionaire NHL all-stars that left Canada shattered and shell-shocked, US goaltender Connor Hellebuyck standing resolute to repel all but one of the 42 shots fired in his direction.
Just moments after the win, Brady Tkachuk came onto the ice with the US jersey of Johnny Gaudreau, who would almost certainly have been part of this team but was hit and killed by a suspected drunk driver two years ago.
Gaudreau’s number 13 jersey has been hanging in the United States locker room since the start of the tournament and members of his family were watching at the Milano Santaguila.
“This win is for him and them,” said Tkachuk.
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USA players receive their gold medals
16:47 , Jamie Braidwood
The national anthem plays as the USA team receive their gold medals
16:29 , Jamie BraidwoodA proud moment for the USA team as they receive their gold medals and watch as the American flag is lifted towards the rafters while the national anthem is played.
Donald Trump reacts to USA's victory over Canada
16:25 , Jamie BraidwoodDonald Trump has reacted to the USA’s dramatic victory over Canada in the Olympics ice hockey gold medal match.
Posting on his Truth social, the US president said: “Congratulations to our great U.S.A. Ice Hockey team. THEY WON THE GOLD. WOW! President DONALD J. TRUMP”.
He added: “WHAT A GAME!!! President DJT”.
USA finish the Winter Olympics second on medal table
16:21 , Jamie BraidwoodAfter two final gold medals in the men’s and women’s ice hockey finals, the United States finish the Winter Olympic second in the table - behind Norway.
USA pay tribute to Gaudreau brothers after winning gold
16:13 , Jamie BraidwoodAfter winning the gold medal, the USA players skated around the ice holding up the jerseys of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
Johnny Gaudreau would likely have been on the USA team that played at the Winter Olympics, but he and his brother were killed in August 2024 when they were struck by an SUV while cycling.
Their numbers have been retired in their honour.
Canada suffer toughest of defeats to rivals USA
16:09 , Jamie BraidwoodThis is the first time Canada have lost the gold medal match at the Winter Olympics since Lillehammer 1994.
Player of the match? Hellebuyck keeps USA alive
16:06 , Jamie BraidwoodCanada had 42 shots to the USA’s 28.
But goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck said ‘not today’.
He was outstanding.
A family affair for the USA in winning Olympic gold
16:01 , Jamie BraidwoodJack Hughes scored the winning goal for the USA in their first gold medal match since 1980.
His brother, Quinn Hughes, is also on the team and scored the winning goal against Sweden in the quarter-finals, also in overtime!
Scenes of jubilation as USA defeat Canada
15:58 , Jamie BraidwoodIt took just one minute, 41 seconds into the 3-on-3 overtime for the winning goal to be scored.
Jack Hughes provided the clarity and calmness to finish the chance as the USA flooded forward.
USA WIN THE GOLD MEDAL AT THE OLYMPICS!
15:56 , Jamie BraidwoodIt’s the USA’s first men’s ice hockey gold since the 1980 ‘Miracle on Ice’.
Their players flood onto the ice - hugging and cheering - while the Canadian team look stunned on the sidelines.
GOAL! USA 2-1 Canada
15:53 , Jamie BraidwoodUSA HAVE DONE IT! IN OVERTIME!
A FIRST OLYMPIC GOLD SINCE 1980!
GOAL FROM JACK HUGHES!
USA 1-1 Canada
15:52 , Jamie BraidwoodHuge save from Canada goalkeeper Binnington to deny Hughes - a big left glove!
Then Canada had a chance at the other end but USA manage to keep it out before requiring Hellebuyck.
UNDERWAY! USA 1-1 Canada
15:50 , Jamie BraidwoodBack underway. Next goal wins. It could be over in seconds!
OVERTIME! USA 1-1 Canada
15:48 , Jamie BraidwoodCanada defeated the United States on overtime at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, thanks to Sidney Crosby’s winning goal.
But this is the first time in Olympics history that a 3-on-3 overtime will decide the gold medal match.
Next goal wins: we’re about to find out who gets it!
The players are back out on the ice.
It's overtime! What happens next?
15:35 , Jamie BraidwoodNext goal wins.
But it’s 3-on-3 for the next 20 minutes.
If no one scores, there will be another 20 minutes!
FULL TIME! USA 1-1 Canada
15:32 , Jamie BraidwoodWe’ve reached the end of regulation time in the gold medal match!
We’re heading to overtime!
POWER PLAY! USA 1-1 Canada
15:30 , Jamie BraidwoodMacklin Celebrini thinks he has scored after the pull-back, but it’s cleared! Nathan MacKinnon then goes close and Celebrini can’t get the rebound.
So USA survive as well. We’re back to 5-on-5.
1:02 remaining in P3
USA 1-1 Canada
15:28 , Jamie BraidwoodJack Hughes, who took the penalty call when caught by Sam Bennett, now commits the foul, bringing USA down to four as well!
So the power play is cancelled, with 49 seconds of four-on-four until Canada return to their full strength.
3:23 remaining in P3
POWER PLAY! USA 1-1 Canada
15:25 , Jamie BraidwoodThe puck is loose in front of the net but USA can’t force it home as the four men of the Canada team look to hang on!
4:32 remaining in P3
POWER PLAY! USA 1-1 Canada
15:23 , Jamie BraidwoodCanada’s Sam Bennett is penalised for a high stick... he will be serving four minutes in the bin after catching the USA’s Jack Hughes with his stuck under the visor - it did not look intentional!
A huge moment.
6:34 remaining in P3
USA 1-1 Canada
15:19 , Jamie BraidwoodHow has this not gone in! The goal shakes with the number of bodied in front of the net, but Canada can’t force the touch to beat Hellebuyck.
Another furious passage - but we are still searching for the go-ahead goal!
7:34 remaining in P3
USA 1-1 Canada
15:17 , Jamie BraidwoodTwo close calls, one at either end, in a minute! First, Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon brushed the side of the net from close range. Then, the USA had an opportunity in front of a packed goal, but Canada scrambled it away.
9:35 remaining in P3
USA 1-1 Canada
15:10 , Jamie BraidwoodChance! A huge opening for the 19-year-old Canada star Macklin Celebrini as he races through on goal - but once again Hellebuyck stands tall and strong to deny him.
Canada have now had more than twice as many shots as the USA, 35 to 17.
13:46 remaining in P3
USA 1-1 Canada
15:05 , Jamie BraidwoodClose! Almost a goal for Canada in the opening minute! It was right there for Devon Towes, the net wide open. But he was denied by Connor Hellebuyck, who may be the player of the match if USA wins this.
17:59 remaining in P3
BACK UNDERWAY! USA 1-1 Canada
15:02 , Jamie BraidwoodThe gold medal is 20 minutes of match play away. Can Canada or USA find a match-winning goal?
END OF P2! USA 1-1 Canada
14:49 , Jamie BraidwoodCanada had 19 shots on goal to the USA’s eight in the second period, as well as a double power play. The Americans survived long spells of pressure, but you couldn’t say Cale Makar’s equaliser was not deserved.
This gold medal match is fascinatingly poised going into P3.
END OF P2! USA 1-1 Canada
14:44 , Jamie BraidwoodThere’s loud clunk off the post as USA go close to taking the lead right at the end of P2! The long-range shot hit both the upright and the crossbar, but Canada survive.
And that brings us to the end of P2, but the buzzer sparks another flashpoint right in front of the benches, with more pushing and shoving. Canada’s Brad Marchand is told by the referee to calm down.
GOAL! USA 1-1 Canada
14:40 , Jamie BraidwoodFINALLY! Canada have been peppering the USA goal throughout the match and they eventually break through with Cale Makar!
Canada found space on the right and Makar shot high past the goalkeeper Hellebuyck’s shoulder to level this gold medal match!
It had been coming.
1:30 remaining in P2
USA 1-0 Canada
14:36 , Jamie BraidwoodHere we go! The gloves aren’t quite off but the Tkachuk brothers are involved in a bit of a scuffle with Cale Makar that is quickly settled down after some pushing and shoving by the net.
3:02 remaining in P2
USA 1-0 Canada
14:34 , Jamie BraidwoodCLOSE! Celebrini has a chance right in front of the net but can’t force it past Hellebuyck and the USA defence.
3:55 remaining in P2
USA 1-0 Canada
14:24 , Jamie BraidwoodUSA survive as Canada can’t take advantage of the two-man play! Macklin Celebrini had two chances and Cale Makar also had a sight on goal, but Hellebuyck’s goal remains unbreached.
The American fans are going crazy, almost as good as a goal seeing that out.
8:05 remaining in P2
DOUBLE Power play! USA 1-0 Canada
14:20 , Jamie BraidwoodWow! Now it’s Charlie McAvoy that gets the hooking call! This will be 5-on-3.
10:13 remaining in P2
Power play! USA 1-0 Canada
14:19 , Jamie BraidwoodUSA are down a player as Jake Guentzel is binned for holding. A big chance for Canada.
10:18 remaining in P2
USA 1-0 Canada
14:19 , Jamie BraidwoodOFF THE POST! A good spell of pressure from the USA. Forward JT Miller scrapes the outside of the post with a shot from close range, as the Canadians clear.
ONE-ON-ONE! Then, the break is on and Canada have a golden chance as Connor McDavid races through... but Hellebuyck makes the save!
10:33 remaining in P2
USA 1-0 Canada
14:13 , Jamie BraidwoodTwo saves in quick succession from from the USA goalkeeper Hellebuyck and Boldy just clears the puck away so the USA can make some changes.
The crowd ooos as they is an incident off-the-puck.
Someone has lost their stick! This is frenetic.
13:02 remaining in P2
USA 1-0 Canada
14:10 , Jamie BraidwoodFor the first time since the start of the match, both teams are level of shots on net with nine each. The Americans are starting to have some more dangerous moments.
16:20 remaining in P2
USA 1-0 Canada
14:04 , Jamie BraidwoodCanada’s players sounded pretty satisfied with how they played in P1 but they can’t afford to go two goals down! The players are back on the ice - as they look to maintain this fast and furious gold medal match.
END OF P1! USA 1-0 Canada
13:50 , Jamie BraidwoodCanada survive the power play but trail the USA 1-0 after the opening period of the gold medal match.
They’ve had eight shots on net to the USA’s six, with two of those coming during the power play.
Matt Boldy’s sensational goal is the difference so far - with tensions between the teams simmering.
Power play! USA 1-0 Canada
13:42 , Jamie BraidwoodCanada’s Shea Theodore is sent to the penalty box for hooking and will be there for two minutes.
A power play coming up for the USA.
2:46 remaining in P1
USA 1-0 Canada
13:36 , Jamie BraidwoodA decent spell from Canada, which saw Connor McDavid set up a chance with an electric turn of speed down the wing, ends in another glove save from the USA goalkeeper Hellebuyck.
4:49 remaining in P1
USA 1-0 Canada
13:33 , Jamie BraidwoodA dangerous move from the USA! They turned defence into attack and stylishly moved the puck from left to right, but they could not find a shot on net despite working themselves into a good position.
6:28 remaining in P1
USA 1-0 Canada
13:30 , Jamie BraidwoodA fifth save from Hellebuyck, this time down low and with his legs. Canada continue to have more of the play and shots on goal, but it’s the USA who lead.
8:42 remaining in P1
GOAL! USA 1-0 Canada
13:21 , Jamie BraidwoodWHAT AN INSANE RUN FROM MATT BOLDY!
Right through the middle, he works his way through and finishes swiftly! The USA lead!
He flicked the puck up into the air as he squeezed past two Canada defenders - amazing skill.
That was also the USA’s first shot on target.
13:50 remaining in P1
USA 0-0 Canada
13:18 , Jamie BraidwoodThe USA’s Connor Hellebuyck has been the busier of the two GKs so far, with three early saves.
15:49 remaining in P1
USA 0-0 Canada
13:14 , Jamie BraidwoodHere we go! Two minutes in, after Canada go close and the puck becomes loose in front of the net, the teams rush towards it and clash. It’s quickly broken up and the actions resumes, but this is clearly very highly charged.
WE ARE UNDERWAY! USA 0-0 Canada
13:12 , Jamie BraidwoodFast and furious from the start, we are underway in the gold medal match as the puck hits the ice. And we’ve made it through the first minute without a fight.
The USA gets its first sight of goal as a shot whistles wide.
USA v Canada
13:09 , Jamie BraidwoodThere are audible boos as the USA team follow Canada onto the ice! I think the majority of supporters in Italy are from Canada.
We are moments from face-off.
The match will be shown on NBC and Peacock in the United States, CBC in Canada and BBC or Discovery+ in the United Kingdom.
Wayne Gretzky 'sad' to see Sidney Crosby ruled out
13:07 , Jamie Braidwood“I feel sad for him, but the players can say, hey, let’s win it for him, let’s rally around him.
You earn respect as a player and he is the most respected player in our locker room. He’s been great for ice hockey worldwide. I feel for him and the fans - they want to see him play. It’s too bad.
“This Canadian team, trust me, does not like the USA team. We’ve got this mantel and we don’t want anyone to take it. And the Americans don’t like the Canadians - it’s as simple as that.”
Is Donald Trump attending the USA v Canada final?
13:02 , Jamie BraidwoodUS president Donald Trump has not travelled to Milan for the ice hockey final between the USA and Canada, despite some reports that he would be making a last-minute trip to Italy.
Wayne Gretzky, Canada’s greatest ever player, is in Milan however, and has given his view on the USA-Canada rivalry.
“It’s going to be great for hockey,” says the Great One. “They don’t like each other, there’s a rivalry. It’s going to be a physical game.”
Is fighting allowed at the Winter Olympics?
12:54 , Jamie BraidwoodThe last time the USA faced Canada, at the 4 Nations games in early 2025, the matches so numerous fist fights on the ice - including one inside nine seconds.
Fighting is not allowed at the Olympics, but that did not stop Canada's Tom Wilson from getting an automatic ejection when he dropped the gloves against France.
US forward J.T. Miller said: "There's no fighting (but) I expect a hard-fought game, the same as it was the last two times we played them.”
Previous men's gold medal winners at Winter Olympics
12:44 , Jamie Braidwood2022 - Finland
2018 - Athletes from Russia
2014 - Canada
2010 - Canada
2006 - Sweden
2002 - Canada
*The USA has 11 medals in total for competition in ice hockey but has not taken home the gold medal since 1980, over 45 years ago. Their only other gold medal came in 1960.
Breaking: Canada's injured captain Crosby not in lineup for gold medal game
12:32 , Jamie BraidwoodCanada's captain Sidney Crosby was not in the lineup for Sunday's Olympic men's ice hockey gold medal game against the USA after suffering an injury during the quarter-finals.
Forward Crosby left Canada's quarter-final injured on Wednesday and sat out Friday's semi-final.
Crosby, 38, was the architect behind one of Canada's greatest Olympic moments when he scored the overtime goal against the USA to secure gold on home ice at Vancouver 2010.
Regarded as a national hero in Canada, "Sid the Kid" also led his country to the top of the podium in 2014.
Will Canada's Sidney Crosby be fit to face USA?
12:20 , Jamie BraidwoodCanada completed their semi-final win over Finland without star man Sidney Crosby, who was ruled with a lower body injury. However, Canada coach Jon Cooper suggested Crosby will be back in time for the final.
"We have 48 hours to decide that, but I will tell you he's got a better chance of playing in the gold medal game than he had playing in tonight's game," said Cooper.
The USA had no such problems against Slovakia, easing to a 6-2 win, helped by an impressive first period in which Dylan Larkin opened the scoring with just over four minutes on the clock, and Tage Thompson adding a second just before the break.
NHL teammates become foes with gold on the line
12:10 , Jamie BraidwoodNHL alliances will be ripped apart in relentless pursuit of Olympic gold - for three periods, at least - as Canada and the United States face off in a dream championship game for National Hockey League fans
Nearly 150 players from the NHL came to compete in Milan, with the top-flight league participating in the Games for the first time since 2014, and 50 remain in the hunt for gold as one of the Winter Games' great rivalries is renewed.
"It makes it harder," said Canada forward Sam Reinhart, whose Florida Panthers teammate Matthew Tkachuk is an alternate captain with the United States. "You know how competitive they are, you know how nice it is to have them on your team when the games get the tightest."
All 32 NHL teams were represented on the four semi-final rosters, which included Finland and Slovakia, in the kind of showcase that the league hoped for when it announced two years ago that it would permit its players to compete in Milan.
Reuters
'Beers before breakfast' as Canada prepare for ice hockey final
12:00 , Jamie BraidwoodIt will be beers before breakfast in Canada when some bars will open their taps hours earlier than usual as the nation rallies behind its men's ice hockey team in the gold medal showdown against the United States at the Winter Olympics.
In Canada's most populous province, Ontario, Premier Doug Ford has allowed eligible licensed establishments to begin selling alcohol at 6 a.m. ET (1100 GMT), just over two hours before the puck drops at Milan's Santagiulia arena for the hotly anticipated match between two teams packed with National Hockey League players.
In the western province of British Columbia, Premier David Eby has also given the green light for bars there to open their taps to bleary-eyed hockey fans ahead of traditional breakfast hours.
This game marks the first time since the 2010 Vancouver Games that the neighbouring nations will compete in the men's Olympic ice hockey final. Canada won the 2010 final on Sidney Crosby's overtime goal and successfully defended at the 2014 Sochi Games, which was the last Olympics to feature NHL players.
Reuters
What happened the last time the USA played Canada in a men's ice hockey match
11:40 , Jamie BraidwoodUSA's results to reach gold medal match
11:28 , Jamie BraidwoodGroup stage
February 12: Latvia 1-5 USA
February 14: USA 6-3 Denmark
February 15: USA 5-1 Germany
Quarter-finals
February 18
Sweden 1-2 USA
Semi-finals
February 20
USA 6-2 Slovakia
Zoe Atkin soars to half-pipe bronze to cap Team GB’s best ever Winter Olympics
11:16 , Flo CliffordZoe Atkin capped Team GB’s best ever Winter Olympics with a bronze medal in the freeski half-pipe, to go with three golds and a silver won earlier in the Games.
The 23-year-old is the reigning world and X Games champion and had qualified in top spot, but China’s Eileen Gu recovered from a poor qualifying performance to win gold in her best discipline, defending her title from Beijing four years ago.
Atkin was a disappointing ninth in Beijing and withstood the pressure in Livigno Snow Park to seal a first Olympic medal despite a crash on her second run, equalling her older sister Izzy’s slopestyle bronze from Pyeongchang 2018.
Zoe Atkin soars to half-pipe bronze to cap Team GB’s best ever Winter Olympics
Why the rivalry between the USA and Canada has become so heated
11:00 , James ToneyThis will be the eighth time the USA and Canada have clashed for men’s Olympic gold, but the first since 2014, when NHL players last competed.
Trump’s comments about Canada — posting memes about his desire to make it the 51st state and referring to its former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, as a “governor” — lend an unmistakable political edge.
When the sides met at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, it came at the height of a tariff spat between the countries. The United States won in Montreal, but Canada responded in Boston to claim the overall tournament. One contest was only seconds old before a fight ensued; both anthems were loudly jeered and the atmosphere turned sour.
After the final victory, Trudeau posted: “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”
Canada's results to reach gold medal match
10:40 , Jamie BraidwoodGroup stage
February 12: Czech Republic 0-5 Canada
February 13: Switzerland 1-5 Canada
February 15: Canada 10-2 France
Quarter-finals
February 18
Czech Republic 3-4 Canada
Semi-finals
February 21
Canada 3-2 Finland
The unmistakeable political edge attached to the USA and Canada’s blockbuster ice hockey final
10:20 , James Toney in MilanIt is hard to know what hockey-mad Canadians would find less palatable — Donald Trump following through on his rhetoric about annexing their country or losing this weekend’s Olympic men’s hockey final to the United States.
Losing your country or losing a game shouldn't really be a choice but this is Canada, where hockey is the cultural cornerstone.
The sport has long provided an athletic outlet for political tension: the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union and the Miracle on Ice at the 1980 Winter Olympics remain prime examples.
These two teams of NHL team-mates know there is more than gold on the line in Milan before they jet back across the Atlantic to resume their seasons.
When it comes to hockey, these neighbours are anything but neighbourly — and this is the final neutrals have longed for, a Sunday showdown to bring the Games to a fitting close.
The political edge attached to the USA and Canada’s ice hockey final
Men’s Winter Olympics ice hockey schedule
10:10 , Jamie BraidwoodThe past three winners of the gold medal have been Finland, Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) and Canada, in 2014. Four years before that, in 2010, Canada took home the gold once more, after beating the US in the final in Vancouver.
The USA has 11 medals in total for competition in ice hockey but has not taken home the gold medal since 1980, over 45 years ago. Their only other gold medal came in 1960.
But 2026 will mark the first time since 2014 where NHL players have participated in Olympic ice hockey. Historically the NHL and International Olympic Committee have failed to reach an agreement on allowing NHL players to participate. In both 2018 and 2022 this was the case, affecting the USA, Canada and many other countries.
How to watch
The match will be shown on NBC and Peacock in the United States, CBC in Canada and BBC or Discovery+ in the United Kingdom.
Canada vs USA (8.10am ET/1.10pm GMT)
Hello and welcome
10:00 , Jamie BraidwoodThe blue riband event of the Winter Olympics takes place today as the US and Canada face off in the men’s ice hockey gold medal match.
The two teams were the hot favourites to make a highly anticipated final, which is set to be played out amid the backdrop of escalating political tensions between the two countries.
US president Donald Trump was rumoured to be attending in Milan, but Italian outlet Corriere Delle Dea has reported that his travel arrangements have been cancelled.
Canada won Olympic gold on home turf in Vancouver 2010, beating the US for the title, and were last crowned champions in 2014, while the US will be bidding to end a gold medal drought going back to 1980 - the year of the infamous ‘Miracle on Ice’.
Elsewhere on the final day of the Games the men’s four-man bobsleigh medals will be decided, as well as the women’s curling gold medal match and the women’s cross-country skiing 50km mass start, before the curtain comes down on Milano-Cortina 2026 at the Closing Ceremony in Verona.
