NHL Hockey 3d Briefing
×Olympic Hockey Glory
Team USA espn.com captured its first Olympic gold medal in men's hockey since the Miracle on Ice in 1980 with a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory over Canada. Jack Hughes espn.com scored the golden goal in 3-on-3 overtime while Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves to secure the historic win. The victory came without Canada's captain Sidney Crosby espn.com, who was ruled out of the gold medal game due to an undisclosed injury.
Bronze Medal Triumph
Finland espn.com claimed bronze with a 6-1 rout of Slovakia, marking their third consecutive Olympic medal with NHL players participating. The Finnish team dominated throughout, building a comfortable lead and controlling the pace against their Slovakian opponents.
Road to Gold
The U.S. team's journey to gold included a dominant 6-2 semifinal victory over Slovakia that set up the championship matchup against Canada. Brady Tkachuk espn.com acknowledged the intense rivalry, stating there's "hatred there" between the two nations. The American squad also honored the memory of Johnny Gaudreau espn.com throughout their Olympic run, wearing special tributes during their games.
Tournament Highlights
The semifinal round saw Canada espn.com survive another one-goal thriller, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win with just 35.2 seconds remaining. The U.S. team's performance in the preliminary rounds, including their victory over Slovakia, demonstrated their readiness for the gold medal challenge. Meanwhile, Jaromir Jagr espn.com hinted at retirement after his 38th professional season in the Czech league, marking the potential end of one of hockey's most storied careers.
As the Olympic tournament concluded, attention turned to the upcoming NCAA men's hockey tournament selection, with teams positioning themselves for the 16-team bracket. The Olympic success has set a high bar for international competition, with Team USA's victory ending a 46-year gold medal drought and establishing new heroes in the sport's history.