Gold, Vegas edition
The United States is back on top in men’s hockey, and the Golden Knights were part of the finish.
Team USA beat Canada 2-1 in overtime Sunday at Milano Cortina 2026. Jack Hughes scored 1:41 into three-on-three overtime, so the Americans claimed their first men’s Olympic gold since 1980.
For Vegas fans, the medals split cleanly. Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin earned gold for the United States. Meanwhile, Mark Stone and Shea Theodore took silver with Canada.
One each, then tension
The Americans struck first at 6:00 of the opening period. Matt Boldy finished a play set up by Auston Matthews and Quinn Hughes.
Canada answered at 18:16 of the second period. Cale Makar tied it 1-1 on a shot set up by Devon Toews. After that, the game tightened and chances dried up.
The third period stayed scoreless. As a result, the final went to sudden-death overtime.
Hellebuyck holds the line
Canada owned the shot volume, so Connor Hellebuyck had to be sharp all night. He finished with 41 saves on 42 shots, and he erased long stretches of pressure to keep the U.S. alive.
Jordan Binnington made 26 saves on 28 shots for Canada. However, three-on-three created space, and the U.S. finally cashed one.
Knights on both sides
Eichel recorded three shots and did not score. Hanifin also finished without a point, but both ended the tournament with gold.
For Canada, Stone put a shot on goal. Theodore took a hooking penalty in the first period, and special teams started to shape the flow.
In the end, Hughes scored the winner and the Americans celebrated. Then Vegas skaters left Milan on both sides of the podium. Gold for Eichel and Hanifin, silver for Stone and Theodore.
Related stories
Golden Knights Blitz Kings Early, Enter Olympic Break on Top
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
