By Mallory Mattingly
The USA Men’s hockey team took home the Olympic gold medal on Sunday for the first time since 1980’s “Miracle on Ice” win.
Team USA beat Canada 2-1 in OT to secure the gold. Jack Hughes scored the final goal after toughing it out following getting a stick to the face, which broke some of his teeth.
“This is all about our country right now. I love the USA. I love my teammates. It’s unbelievable,” Hughes told NBC. “The USA Hockey brotherhood, it’s so strong. We had so much support from ex-players, and I’m so proud to be American today.”
This win has been a long-time coming for Team USA as they have been “denied gold medals by Canada in 2002 and 2010. Keith Tkachuk, the father of US brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, had played in that 2002 loss to Canada, and Brady said although he had not heard many stories about the game, ‘basically all I’ve heard is that there’s just a lot of regret if you don’t win.'” per NBC News.
Related: Hockey Player Calls Representing Team USA at Olympics ‘Greatest Honors’
Hughes didn’t take all the credit for himself and shouted out goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who defended 41 of 42 shots taken throughout the game.
“It’s an unbelievable game by Hellebuyck. He was our best player tonight by a mile, unbelievable game, unreal game by our team,” Hughes said. “Just a ballsy, gutsy win. That’s American hockey right there. That’s a great Canadian team, but we’re USA, we’re so proud to be Americans. This night was all for our country.”
Hughes also spoke to reporters about his teeth, something he wasn’t too concerned about.
“I’m lucky I’m from the best country in the world, and we’ve got great dentists there too,” he said, with his frnot tooth completely broken, per PEOPLE. “So I’m lucky I’m American and they’re going to fix me right up.”
Following the game, President Donald Trump called up the winners.
“The players just had the president on, I don’t know what it was, what do you call it? FaceTime? Whatever. In the locker room,” head coach Mike Sullivan told the media. “So he just spoke to the group, expressing how proud he was of the group and congratulating everybody on the win. Obviously this game, in a lot of ways, was an inspiration to our country.”
The team also honored the late Johnny Gaudreau, who would’ve likely been part of the team but was killed by a drunk driver in August 2024.
The team brought Gaudreau’s two young children and his jersey out on the ice afterwards as they celebrated.
“Team USA really went above and beyond. It meant the world,” Gaudreau’s sister, Katie, told Fox News on Monday.
Hughes and the entire USA Men’s hockey team could not be more proud to be Americans than they are right now.
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