Bloody Mouth, Golden Goal: Jack Hughes Stuns Canada for USA Hockey Win

In the most patriotic moment U.S. hockey has seen since the "Miracle on Ice" in 1980, Jack Hughes scored the golden goal in overtime, taking the win over rival Canada during the 2026 Winter Olympics. Draped with an American flag, a gold medal, and a half-toothless smile, even Hughes' face was red, white, and blue (literally).

Bleeding from a high-stick late in the third period and missing at least one front tooth (which he said he saw fall on the ice), Jack Hughes took a cross-ice feed from Zach Werenski 1:41 into 3-on-3 overtime Sunday night and ripped a wrister five-hole past Jordan Binnington to give Team USA a 2-1 gold medal victory over Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics — the country's first Olympic gold in men's hockey since the famed Miracle on Ice at Lake Placid in 1980.

Oh, and it happened on the 46th anniversary of that miracle, to the day.

How the Game Unfolded

Matt Boldy gave the Americans a 1-0 lead six minutes in, sliding the puck through Binnington's legs after slipping between two Canadian defensemen. Canada spent most of the next two periods trying to claw it back — outshooting the US 19-8 in the second alone — but couldn't solve Connor Hellebuyck. The Jets goaltender stopped 41 of 42 shots, including a third-period paddle save on Devon Toews that will live in Olympic highlight reels for decades. Cale Makar finally beat him late in the second to tie it 1-1, and the two teams traded near-misses through a nerve-shredding third period.

Then came overtime. Three-on-three. The next goal would win gold.

Werenski wrestled the puck from MacKinnon along the boards and fired a cross-ice pass to an open Hughes in the left circle. Hughes didn't hesitate. The shot beat Binnington cleanly. The arena erupted. And Jack Hughes — bloody mouth, missing teeth, arms raised — became the face of American hockey.

The New 'Miracle on Ice'

The comparisons to 1980 are irresistible — same anniversary, same opponent, same result. But the Americans were quick to distinguish this moment from that one. The 1980 team was a group of college kids given almost no chance against the dominant Soviet machine. These Americans came to Milan as a legitimate superpower, a roster packed with NHL All-Stars who entered the tournament, as Hughes himself put it, with a "gold or bust" mentality.

"This wasn't a miracle," one broadcast reporter noted from rinkside. "It was a moment of magic." Team USA finished the tournament a perfect 6-0, outscoring opponents 26-9.

"I hope this will inspire kids to put this jersey on someday," said Dylan Larkin after the final buzzer. "What we just did, nothing will ever match this."

For defenseman Charlie McAvoy, the win carried the weight of generations. "So many generations before us — unbelievable players, the guys we looked up to — they didn't get it done," McAvoy said. "They paved the way for us. We've been thinking about those guys. They told us: it's your turn. Get it done. And we got it done."

For Johnny Hockey

Amid all the gold medal jubilation, there was one deeply emotional thread woven through the celebration. After the final buzzer, Werenski and Matthew Tkachuk carried the No. 13 jersey of Johnny Gaudreau — the beloved USA Hockey star killed alongside his brother Matthew in August 2024 — around the ice as the team's tribute to a fallen teammate and friend.

Gaudreau's parents, his widow Meredith, and their children were in the building. It was his son John Jr.'s second birthday. Team USA brought the children out on the ice for the gold medal team photo.

"He was so near and dear to us," said Brady Tkachuk. "We did it for him."