Former Canucks Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller have won their first career Olympic gold medals after defeating Canada 2-1 in overtime.
Team USA has won gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics. In a high-pace 2–1 overtime game, it was the U.S. that ultimately came out victorious thanks to Jack Hughes less than two minutes into the extra frame. With the win, former Vancouver Canucks Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller have officially won their first Olympic gold medals.
Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild opened the scoring for both teams, pulling off a smooth move on Devon Toews and Cale Makar to put USA up by one. For over 30 minutes, Boldy’s goal stood as the difference-maker between the two teams despite an onslaught of offensive-zone chances for Canada.
Canada got a sparkling chance when, while on the power play, Cale Makar drew a second penalty to put his team on a 5-on-3 advantage. Ultimately, however, their lethal power play wasn’t quite able to break in effectively enough to provide the team with a good enough scoring chance while up by two players. USA ultimately finished the tournament with a 100% success rate on their penalty kill.
It was Makar who tied things up for Canada late in the second period after former Canucks captain Bo Horvat won the draw. From then on, Canada’s chances came in massive waves, with big opportunities coming for all of Canada’s stars — but at the end of the day, there was one player who made the biggest difference in today’s game.
United States celebrates with teammates after defeating Canada in the men's ice hockey gold medal game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn ImagesDespite hefty minutes for Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, and more, no player was consistently busier throughout the game than Connor Hellebuyck. The goaltender was the biggest piece in Team USA’s win, as after Makar’s goal in the second period, nothing else made it past him. From huge breaks for McDavid and Celebrini in the first to a near open-net chance by Devon Toews, Hellebuyck was strong throughout the game and ultimately won his team the game.
Hughes and Miller were both instrumental throughout their team’s gold-medal effort. Hughes skated in a total of 25:40 minutes and recorded an assist on the opening goal, while Miller was part of a massive penalty kill that successfully neutralized Canada’s power play.
With the 2026 Winter Olympics now wrapped, the NHL season will resume on February 25. The Canucks will face Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets at home at 7:00 pm PT.
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