The United States secured gold medals for men’s and women’s hockey for the first time in Olympic history. The United States is fourth team ever to win both hockey medals at a single Olympic Games.
Both the USA teams battled Canada’s for gold. The team’s final wins were very similar: both went into overtime and resulted in 2-1 victories over Canada. The women’s game totaled 7.7 million views, the most in women’s hockey history.
The United States Men’s Hockey team now has three Olympic gold medals after the Milan Olympics, while the Canadian men’s team still holds nine. The United States’ other two medals were obtained in the 1960 and 1980 Winter Olympics. Their 2026 win was exactly 46 years to the day that the men’s team beat the Soviet Union, on Feb. 22, 1980.
The men’s game remained tight throughout. Matt Boldy scored the first goal for the United States in the first period. Canada tied the game 1-1 when Cale Makar scored with 1:44 remaining in the second period, sending the game to overtime.
The teams played three-on-three in overtime. Three minutes into the extra period, American Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal against Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington. U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck saved 41 of the 42 shots taken on him. He finished the tournament with a .956 save percentage and was named Best Goaltender and selected to the Media All-Star Team. Now, he is set to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Trump for his excellent performance at this years games.
The United States Women’s Hockey team also has three Olympic gold medals after these Olympic Games. Their other two medals were acquired in 1998 and 2018. Throughout the 2026 Olympic Games, USA only conceded two goals, and they scored on their opponents 33 times. They did not lose any games during the Olympics, becoming the first team to do so since the 1998 Olympics.
After the women’s loss to Canada in the 2022 Games, the team’s leaders decided to reevaluate their roster going into 2026, prioritizing younger talent with some veterans mixed in. Their strategy was a success, according to CBS Sports, and the match was nothing but enthralling.
The game was 1-0 Canada for most of the game after Canada’s Kristen O’Neill’s second-period goal. In the final 2 minutes and 4 seconds of the game, the United States took their goalkeeper out of the game, and Hilary Knight scored to tie the game 1-1. They also went into the 3-versus-3 overtime after a 1-1 regulation time tie. The game winner was scored by Boston Fleet player Megan Keller, bringing a satisfying victory to the United States.
The teams now have their sights set on training for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.
