The United States is the first country to win gold in men's and women's Olympic hockey and Para hockey at the Paralympics in one year. The Para hockey squad beat Canada 6-2 on Sunday.
Team USA continued its golden dynasty in Para hockey at the 2026 Paralympics.
The Americans won a tight, physical matchup over Team Canada 6-2 to go undefeated in Milan and capture their fifth straight Paralympic gold medal in Para hockey. The United States are now the first country in Olympic and Paralympic history to win gold in the men's and women's Olympic tournaments and the Para hockey tournament in the same year.
Team USA captain Josh Pauls, 33, extended his record for most Paralympic gold medals in Para hockey, with five, while alternate captain Declan Farmer added his fourth gold medal in a record-setting tournament for the 28-year-old.
Farmer broke the record for most all-time points at the Paralympics, with 60, and the single-tournament record for most goals (15) and points (26). He was named the MVP, best forwad and media's best player at this event.
The last time the U.S. didn't win Para hockey gold was in Turin, Italy, 20 years ago, when Canada won. In fact, since that loss, the Americans have only lost one game at the Paralympics, which came in round-robin action against Russia in 2014.
This time, the United States were victorious in Italy in front of a full crowd in Milan's Santagiulia Arena. And U.S. defender Jack Wallace was at the forefront of his team's success in the final game, scoring a hat trick.
How The U.S. Won The Para Hockey Gold Medal Game Over Canada
After the Canadians took the first shot of the game and some back-and-forth pressure early on, the Americans took control, taking 10 straight shots and putting pressure on Team Canada goalie Corbin Watson to keep his squad in the game early.
Canada took two penalties in the first frame, giving Team USA even more possession. Although they didn't score on the first power play, they capitalized on the second.
As the Canadians tried to clear the puck out of danger, Wallace caught the puck at the faceoff circle and sniped it in the top left corner past Corbin Watson to open the scoring for the Americans.
Wallace was the best defender at the 2025 World Championships in Buffalo, and he earned the honor again at the Paralympics, with six goals and eight assists for 14 points in five games.
While U.S. goaltender Griffin LaMarre didn't have to face many shots in the first period, he did stop some high-danger chances. His first save was a glove snag, and when the Canadians had a power play late in the first period, he stopped a couple of chances in tight.
Early in the second period, however, Canada broke through.
Farmer headed to the penalty box for the second time in the game. With Canada on the power play, captain Tyler McGregor took possession off the faceoff and shot the puck wide, but the puck bounced off the back wall, off the top of the net and in front of the crease. Dominic Cozzolino took a point-blank shot that required LaMarre to make a stellar stop, but McGregor regained possession, skated around the back of the net and found Liam Hickey in the slot. Hickey wired a shot high glove side past LaMarre to tie the game.
When it looked like momentum turned in Canada's favor, 19-year-old Kayden Beasley capitalized on one of their mistakes.
Canada won a defensive faceoff, but forward Zach Lavin lost the puck, and it trickled into the low slot. Beasley shot right into the zone to pick up the loose puck and beat Watson blocker-side, regaining the Americans' lead.
Wallace added another goal three minutes later. As the Americans cleared the defensive zone, Wallace had a breakaway. Two Canadian defenders chased Wallace down, but he had enough speed to score.
And early in the third period, Wallace received a pass from Pauls at the top of the faceoff circle and lazered a shot past Watson's glove to complete the hat trick.
Hickey added his second goal of the game just 24 seconds later to cut Canada's deficit to two. The 27-year-old forward took his own shot from the top of the faceoff circle, and the puck deflected off Farmer's stick and past LaMarre.
In the final four minutes of the game, Canada got a power play to try to come within one goal of their opponent. Instead, the U.S. all but ended Canada's chances of ending their gold medal drought. Farmer scored in a scramble while shorthanded to take a 5-2 lead.
Canada immediately pulled the goalie on the following faceoff, but although they won it and dropped the puck back, U.S. forward Brody Roybal beat out everyone else and potted a breakaway goal into the empty net for another shorthanded goal.
Just like that, the Americans' drive for five was complete.
Earlier on Sunday, Team China defeated Team Czechia 3-2 in the bronze medal game. This is China's second straight bronze medal in Para hockey after winning the third-place game at home during the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing.
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