USA Breaks 46-Year Drought on Miracle
on Ice Anniversary
Sports Illustrated,
by
Jennifer Streeter
Original Article
Posted By: Hazymac,
2/22/2026 11:41:49 AM
Do you believe in Miracles? While not considered nearly as the underdogs when compared to the 1980 team, the U.S. men's ice hockey team has officially written Olympic history.
46 years ago on Feb. 22, 1980, Team USA defeated the Soviet Union in Lake Placid, New York. But Feb. 22, 2026 saw Jack Hughes play the hero for the Americans. In a reversal of the 2010 Winter Olympics which saw Canada's Sidney Crosby with the Golden Goal, Hughes saw a magical golden goal of his own for Team USA. His overtime goal only 1:41 into OT following a regulation that saw a 1-1 conclusion lifted the U.S. roster to wearing
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Reply 1 - Posted by:
Nimby 2/22/2026 11:54:46 AM (No. 2071832)
So proud of our men’a and women’s teams!! It has taken 46 years to hold the trophy once again
20 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Hazymac 2/22/2026 12:33:51 PM (No. 2071857)
What a game!
Forty-six years ago when the USA did the impossible and beat the Soviet Union in the Olympic semifinals--they beat Sweden in the finals for the gold--I was at my best friend's apartment in Knoxville. After Al Michaels' "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" I walked outside, and people were jumping for joy. At that time, the USA still sent amateurs to the Olympics, and the Russians were considered to be professionals. It was a complete upset that we still celebrate.
Going into this game today, Canada was probably the betting favorite for having future Hall of Famers like Crosby, McDavid, MacKinnon, and Marchand. The rest of that team was probably NHL regulars. The Canadian coach was our own beloved coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jon Cooper.
But the American squad was also solid NHL, including Austan Matthews and the Tkachuk brothers (pronounced ka-CHUK). USA goaltender Connor Hellebuyck had 41 saves on 42 Canadian shots on goal, some near impossible. Afterward, everyone on the team said that the goalie was the real MVP. Canada could easily have scored four or five goals but for the amazing work by Hellebuyck. The first goal, early in the first period by Matt Boldy, was uncanny. Skating toward the goal with two defenders on him, he appeared to gently "chip" the puck over his opponents' sticks, then blast it into the goal. Oh, that was professional.
So I'm sorry for Coach Cooper and Brandon Hagel, but this is the USA's day. Great, great game. Total pressure the whole way through. The USA even managed a 5 on 3 penalty kill late in the last period.
This action is what you watch sports for. If this game is replayed, DVR it.
12 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
DVC 2/22/2026 12:41:33 PM (No. 2071862)
We aren't hockey fans, but we watched the last maybe 30 seconds of that game. That #5 USA skater did a cool pass of the puck right under the nose of a Canadian blocker, pulled around behind the blocker, following the puck she had launched for a few seconds, waiting for it to reach the right spot and BAMM, made the shot on goal.
The goalie tried mightily, but the puck hit her in the mid section and apparently then sort of rolled/bounced over her right thigh pad, just under her right hand/arm pads, kind of fell off of her leg and bounced in. I had to watch it frame by frame about 6 times to figure out how the puck got through what seemed to be a sold block. Amazing shot, and I'm sure that the goalie has stopped a hundred shots "just like that" (not exactly) in the past.
That shot got thru.
The Canadians acted like you had burned down their home rather than like they got a Silver Medal in the Olympics, no mean feat at all. What a bunch of frowny faces, even as the silver medals were put around their necks. I saw ONE Canadian player flash a smile for 1 second as the silver was put over her neck. What a bunch of self entitled pouters. A hell of a lot of athletes are extremely thrilled to get a silver medal, but not these ones.
8 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Dodge Boy 2/22/2026 12:49:00 PM (No. 2071868)
Missed the live game feed because we're still in Kauai.
Wow! Congratulations to Team America! Golden gold. Sounds like Hellebuyck should have been game MVP not Canada's McDavid.
7 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
BeatleJeff 2/22/2026 12:57:31 PM (No. 2071872)
Exciting match. could have gone either way. Glad to see our side pull out the victory.
To correct #2, The US men defeated Finland for the gold in 1980, not Sweden, who lost to the Soviets for the bronze.
And as for the Canadian men, I thought their reaction to their silver medals wasn't as bad as their female counterparts. My impression was that as soon as the medal ceremony was over, the women were going to run to dump their medals into the nearest trash bin.
6 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Hazymac 2/22/2026 1:35:41 PM (No. 2071893)
Thanks to #5 for clearing up my faulty recollection. At least I remembered that beating the Soviets wasn't in the '80 gold medal game.
Today, at 4:30 ET on the USA Network, the Olympic Men's Hockey gold medal game between Canada and the USA will be rebroadcast. There was more pressure in that game than in a Stanley Cup seventh game, maybe much more. You could sense it. The main thing was not to make mistakes. Everyone was tight. As I said above, our goalie played one of the best games I've ever seen, for all the marbles. After the game, Jack Hughes (who scored the winning goal in OT) was almost in tears in joy for his teammates and his country. That was inspiring to see: Olympians who act like Olympians.
Being on a national team is the greatest pressure. Jack Nicklaus, in the closely contested 1969 Ryder Cup, came down to the last hole with a 5-foot putt to keep from (probably) losing the match. The USA would have fallen into a tie with Great Britain and Ireland. Jack said, "This putt wasn't for me. It was for my country. I was terrified." But being Nicklaus, he made that knee knocker. Also, being Nicklaus, the sportsman, he conceded a 3-footer that Tony Jacklin had remaining, for the tie (which meant the USA, defending champions, kept the Cup anyway). My hero.
3 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
billa57 2/22/2026 1:44:52 PM (No. 2071896)
I remember that game. It was a great moral boost for the US. Everybody was depressed with all the failures Jimmy Peanut was racking up. The Soviet Union had just invaded Afghanistan and it was looking like we were next. Later in 1984 "Red Dawn" came out, inspired by the foreign policy weakness of President Carter.
4 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Daisymay 2/22/2026 4:43:12 PM (No. 2071944)
Great Game! Nothing better than watching a Hockey Game! (Lightning Fan, every game)! Today was one for the History Books! Loved the Game which didn't have a lot of Players trying to hurt someone on the opposing Team! Loved Jack Hughes who had the winning Goal, yet, when he was interviewed, he gave all the praise to his Team! Loved the U.S. Goalie! I thought the Goalie for the Lightning was Best there is, but maybe this guy is even One Step above Our Vasilevskiy!
1 person likes this.
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