Soviets shoot… 5 seconds… saved by Craig… 4 seconds… The United States clear the puck… 3… 2… 1…
“Do you believe in miracles?” announcer Al Michaels shouted in disbelief as the seconds ticked down in the Olympic men’s hockey semifinal match between the United States and the unstoppable Soviet Union.
Michaels, along with 34 million other Americans, were stunned as they watched the stars and stripes take down Goliath 4-3 in Lake Placid, New York.
Exactly 46 years later, a new United States team would defeat Canada 2-1 in an overtime thriller to seal the gold medal for the first time since the 1980 Miracle on Ice.
Led by team captain Auston Matthews, a former number one overall pick in the NHL draft and current player for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the United States Olympic Hockey team was looking to enact redemption after losing in a shootout to Slovakia in the 2022 Beijing Olympic games.
The 2026 Olympic games marked the return of NHL players to the international stage since the 2014 Sochi Olympic games because of factors such as scheduling conflicts and COVID-19.
Forward Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal 101 seconds into overtime, however the true impactful game came from goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck. Throughout three periods and a little bit of overtime Hellebuyck faced 42 shots, only allowing one to find itself in the back of the net.
“[Hellebuyck] was our best player tonight by a mile,” Hughes said. “That’s just a gutsy win. That’s American hockey right there.
For his monumental athletic performance, Hellebuyck was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald J. Trump during his State of the Union on Feb. 24.
Four days earlier on Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team were down by one to Canada with three minutes remaining in the gold medal game. That was until captain Hilary Knight scored a game-tying goal that would send the two rival teams into overtime, where defender Megan Keller scored the golden goal.
This win marked the women’s third Olympic gold medal (1998, 2018). All three gold medal matches were wins against Canada, the most recent being in a shootout in 2018.
Following the game, President Trump invited the women’s hockey team for a future visit to the White House.
In a few weeks, 23 students from The Feather will attend an NHL match between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden during their trip to accept a national award at the CSPA conference. The head coach and four of the United States Olympic National Team players will be featured in the Battle of the Hudson. JT Miller and Vincent Trocheck play together on the Rangers, under Mike Sullivan, while Jack Hughes stars for the Devils.
Feather journalist and FC football captain, Alex Asatrian, ‘27, is very excited to experience the fast-paced, physical brand of hockey in New York.
“I’ve loved hockey for a long time,” Asatrian said. “I don’t play myself, but I’ve gone to games with my dad and grandma, and every time it’s been fun to watch. Hockey is such a difficult sport; its gameplay is similar to soccer, which requires teamwork, its physicality is similar to football, and they have to do it all on skates and ice. I have immense respect for hockey players and I can’t wait for the game.”
Ever since the Miracle on Ice in 1980, the United States has built an intense rivalry with Canadians. This year’s double gold medal makes the States the second nation to ever achieve that accomplishment. The only other country on that list… Canada.
The American rivalry with Canada goes deeper than hockey, rising geopolitical tensions between the states and our neighbors to the North have risen substantially over the past few years.
The goal of the Olympics is to unite nations and settle disputes on the athletic stage rather than through military and political force. The sweep over the Canadians in their own national sport may only increase the bitterness between the two bordering nations.
If you missed these games, the Olympic season is not over yet. The Winter Paralympic games start March 6 in Milan, Italy.
For more from The Feather, visit Feather staff readies for 102nd CSPA conference in New York City or Boys volleyball gears up for season.
Tabitha Peters • Mar 4, 2026 at 8:11 pm
What a time!! Congrats to both teams, go USA! Thank you for writing about this, Ethan. Great way to spread your wings into the writing side of journalism.