Overview
- Jack Hughes netted the golden goal 1:41 into 3‑on‑3 overtime after Matt Boldy opened the scoring and Cale Makar tied it late in the second period.
- Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves, including a breakaway stop on Connor McDavid, and backstopped a perfect U.S. penalty kill throughout the tournament.
- Canada finished with silver while captain Sidney Crosby sat out with a lower‑body injury from the quarterfinal, with McDavid wearing the C in his absence.
- The victory ended a 46‑year drought for the U.S., marked the nation’s third men’s Olympic hockey title, and completed an unbeaten run in Milan.
- The gold‑medal game aired on NBC and Peacock with an 8:10 a.m. ET puck drop in Milan, and the win followed the U.S. women’s 2‑1 OT triumph over Canada for a program sweep.