The 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games have officially come to a close in dramatic fashion as the sport of hockey delivered two incredible final games. I have opinions and thoughts on both so let’s dive in:

Women’s: USA 2 v. Canada 1 (OT)

The US women delivered one of the most dominant gold medal/championship runs in the history of sports. Outscoring opponents 33-2, with 5 straight shutouts. Fast, physical, skilled and young this team was a true joy to watch. Caroline Harvey (Salem, NH) deserves all the shine as tournament MVP as she was unbelievable all tournament long generating offense from the backend. Her skating and puck moving ability was noticeable all tournament long, making her a one woman breakout. Still in college at the Wisconsin, Harvey along with Laila Edwards, Emma McNaughton and Kirsten Simms will look to capture a 3rd NCAA title when they return to campus in Madison. 7 members of this team are still NCAA athletes, others include Abbey Murphey (Minnesota), Joy Dunne (Ohio State), and Tessa Janecke (Penn State). This bodes incredibly well for the PWHL and the future of this league having a new generation of truly game changing players to enter the league in the near future. Talent and excitement is what carries leagues and sports, as we’ve seen numerous examples of this across basketball with Jordan, James and Clark, football with Brady, and Mahomes, baseball with Ohtani, and now hockey with Crosby, Knight, McDavid and now Keller, Harvey and Frankel.

I was so thrilled to see the women got the full shine they deserved having played a few days before the men’s final. This gold medal game was phenomenal and deserved to be celebrated and respected like it was. The USA team was a much more skilled, and fast team than Canada and it was on full display in their preliminary round game, but in the gold medal game the USA’s youthfulness showed, as their nervousness was evident and Canada’s composure and experience was the difference early. After being unbeatable for her prior 4 starts Aerin Frankel (Boston Fleet) was beat shorthanded on a 2-1 where Kristin O’Neill scored to give Canada the lead early in the second. Frankel went on to provide the necessary incredible saves down the stretch to keep it a one goal deficit. With just 2:04 remaining in the game and the goalie pulled, Laila Edwards fired a shot from the point that found the stick of 5-time Olympian, and US goals and points record holder, Hillary Knight in the slot who tipped the puck over the shoulder of Desbiens to tie the game. It had to be Knight. After years of watching Marie Phillip-Poulin provide the most clutch goals in this rivalry’s history, it was a moment meant for Knight, and she delivered. 3 on 3 overtime, though controversial is excellent entertainment. Every second is pins and needles, edge of your seat stuff, no time for deep breaths. Taylor Heise appeared to be regrouping behind the USA net before sending a 3 line pass up ice to Megan Keller. Keller with no support walks in 1-1 against a Canadian defender, fakes a move to the outside before jumping back inside leaving her opponent in the dust before lifting a backhand past Desbiens right pad. A tremendous individual effort, a sweet move and a golden finish. Nothing else needs to be said.

Men’s: USA 2 v. Canada 1 (OT)

Hockey is uniquely positioned to provide the most entertaining international games to US sports fans due to the fact it is an international sport (unlike football), there is great parody across several countries (unlike basketball), it is wildly fast and entertaining (unlike baseball) and the United States are a relevant, championship contenders each and every year (unlike soccer). I think everyone in the sports world realized exactly that on Sunday morning. In what quite possibly could’ve been the greatest game I have ever watched live (not just hockey, that’s a given), this game was everything we always dreamed it would be. All the stakes, all the talent, all the speed, all the physicality, it was the best performance the sport of hockey could have put on for the world’s sports fans. While arguably being the most exciting and entertaining sport to watch both live and on TV, hockey has always been the 4th major sport amongst US sports watching audience. It doesn’t carry the same fanfare as football, or the same drama or personalities as basketball, and doesn’t standalone in a full season like baseball dominates the Summer. It’s high barrier to entry (cost, ice time, etc.) makes it challenging for people to get involved or truly take deep interest in the sport, but when it has it’s chances to deliver on the big stage, it almost always does. On the 46th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice, Team USA took to the ice in the Olympics this time with the best of the best rather than some college kids from Minnesota and Boston (“yeah, that’ll work…” spoiler: it did). NHL players returned to the Olympics this year for the first time since 2014, and gave every indication they intend on playing in every Olympics going forward.

The game started fast and stayed fast as the first several minutes was full of back and forth play from both the US and Canada. Looking back its shocking how early the US got on the board, but just six minutes in Matt Boldy split the defensive pairing in the world (Cale Makar and Devon Toews), and slipped a backhand behind the sliding Jordan Binnington to give the US the early lead. The rest of the first period was full of big hits, and scoring chances, but remained 1-0 after 1. Canada came out in the second period with a vengeance dominating play for much of the period. The Canadians possessed the puck and moved with such pace that the Americans could only hope to chip it out of their end and change. Canada came in waves all period long, getting chance after chance before Cale Makar snapped a perfectly placed shot by Connor Hellebuyck’s blocker to tie the game with less than two minutes left in the 2nd. Canada picked up right where they left off continuing to generate scoring chances and dominate possession throughout the 3rd, but Hellebuyck showcased the greatest goaltending display I have ever seen and simply would not be beat. Devon Toews stood in the crease with what appeared to be an open net, before Hellebuyck reached back with the paddle of his stick to just deflect it wide. Charlie McAvoy jumped behind Hellebuyck to provide a save of his own and deny Sam Bennett the go ahead marker. Nathan MacKinnon the NHL’s leading scorer missed an open side of the net just wide, Mackline Celebrini, the youngest on team Canada by 5 years, yet a dominant force all tournament, missed several times from high danger areas including on a breakaway. Jack Hughes lost a few teeth on a Bennett high stick, and provided his own high stick minutes later. It was a 20 minute period that felt like a lifetime, the score remained tied heading to overtime. Olympic overtime is 3 on 3, and while it’s unusual for big games to be decided on less than 5 on 5, it’s an incredibly exciting product to watch. Canada’s first line out was the trio of what many will call the best players in the world, McDavid, MacKinnon and Makar. The US answered with Matthews, Boldy and Quinn Hughes. From the drop of the puck it was full game on. Lots of open ice, the game slowed, the players grew weary of giving up the big chance. After 60 minutes of pure speed, overtime became about patience and possession. The US started moving up ice, when the puck appeared to allude Jack Hughes through the middle, with a chance at turning it over and catching a break Makar lunged for the loose puck only to be beat ever so slightly by Hughes. Hughes dished it off to Zach Werenski who controlled against the on coming MacKinnon before giving it back to Hughes in front. Hughes found the five hole as Binnington came out to challenge and the rest is history.

This was exactly how the US was to win this game. A roster built not only on speed, skill and ability, but one built with grit and with guys that adopted a role. Bill Guerin, the Team USA general manager, took a lot of heat for leaving gifted goal scorers like Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield at home in favor of JT Miller and Vincent Trocheck. But the two NY Rangers put on a masterclass on killing penalties, maintaining a perfect 100% PK record for the tournament including a huge 5-3 kill in this game. Guerin had always talked about building a true team, that this wasn’t solely an All-Star team, and he was right. Canada has the best forward core in the world, and its not particularly close. Celebrini, McDavid, MacKinnon, Marchand, Wilson, Crosby (who unfortunately couldn’t play) and the list goes on. The advantage for the United States was they had a great defensive core, better than Canada’s, and better goaltending. While the Canadians dominated offensively much of this game, the US played to their strength relied on good goaltending and capitalized when they had the chance. Though its only been two days since the gold medal victory, I’m already looking ahead to the next chance we get to watch these two nations battle it out again.

On a final note, as the players celebrated with flags draped across their backs, pointing to family members in the crowd and hugging each other. Werenski, Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk lifted a USA #13 jersey and skated around the rink. Johnny Gaudreau, who undoubtably would’ve been a part of this Olympic roster, was killed via a drunk driver while riding his bike with his brother the night before his sister’s wedding in 2024. Johnny who grew up playing alongside many of these players, and was NHL teammates with Werenski and Matthew Tkachuk, has been so deeply missed by the hockey community, especially Team USA. To see his wife Meredith, and parents there in the crowd in Milan, celebrating this win, and then watching the two eldest of Johnny’s very young kids be lifted into the celebratory team picture and embraced by this team was an incredibly emotional and touching moment to cap to a special day for USA Hockey.