For the first time in 46 years, the United States won gold at the Winter Olympics. Their 2-1 overtime victory over Canada marked their first gold medal since the Miracle on Ice in 1980.
Jack Hughes beat Jordan Binnington off a great pass from Zach Werenski after a physical play on Nathan MacKinnon opened up enough space to make the winning goal happen. Connor Hellebuyck shined for Team U.S.A. making 41 saves including a generational save on Devon Toews.
Overall, the hockey at the Winter Olympics in 2026 was really good. It had its share of memorable moments. The picture of Jack Hughes smiling after being high sticked and losing his tooth will go down as one of the most iconic photos in Team U.S.A. history.
We’ll see what the ratings say in the coming days. But do not be surprised if the gold medal game was one of the most viewed hockey games of all time.
But now it’s time to get back to work in the NHL. With the Winter Olympics now over, we turn our attention to the coming week and the resumption of the NHL season. Let’s get you ready for the weeks to come.
Monday is a travel day for the Olympians as they will make their way home from Italy. What will be interesting to watch immediately is the impact of the winter storm in the northeastern part of the United States.
On the NBC broadcast Sunday, it was shared that members will Team U.S.A. will now fly to Miami before connecting to wherever they need to go. The original plan was for players to fly to New York.
However, with some forecasts calling for anywhere from 15-30 inches of snow, it made sense to have a flight to another destination.
Because games start back on Wednesday this week, most players would be expected back with their teams by Tuesday for team practices. That shouldn’t be an issue for most of the players.
But what will be one of the stories to watch are players with teams in the blizzard. Will members of the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins be able to get back right away? The Devils host the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night. The Flyers have a game in Washington against the Capitals that night as well.
For everyone else, it’ll be up to them to get ready as the condensed season will resume with games coming fast and furious in a sprint for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We are tracking four storylines as the NHL season resumes. And you might not have to wait very long to hear about the impact of that.
Monday marks an important day in the NHL calendar. It’s the first full day after the Olympic Trade Freeze was lifted. Don’t be surprised if a couple of trades are announced to go along with that.