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Watch: Jack Hughes delivers USA first Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980, team honors Johnny Gaudreau
Team USA defeated Canada, 2-1, in Sunday's gold medal game.
Four days after his brother, Quinn, served as the hero for the USA men’s ice hockey team, Jack Hughes scored the goal that gave the team its first Olympic gold medal since 1980.
Hughes scored the game-winning goal for Team USA in its 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in Sunday’s gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The goal came just under two minutes into overtime, with the USA taking advantage of an odd-man rush in the three-on-three battle.
Zach Werenski helped set up Hughes for the game-winner, dishing him the puck as the Devils’ center scored on a one-timer past Canada goalie Jordan Binnington.
During the celebration, Team USA honored the late Johnny Gaudreau. Multiple members of the team skated around the ice holding his jersey before inviting two of Gaudreau’s kids, Noa and Johnny Jr., onto the ice to take part in the team picture with their gold medals.
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Gaudreau, who was a star at Boston College, and his brother, Matthew, tragically died when they were allegedly struck by a driver while riding their bicycles in August 2024. Prior to his death, Gaudreau was one of the top American-born players in the NHL, likely putting him on track to be a part of Team USA for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The first goalscorer in Team USA’s win has ties to Massachusetts. Matt Boldy, a Millis native and former Boston College player, scored to put Team USA up, 1-0, in the first period.
Boldy’s mother, Jen, is a bartender at the Catman Cafe in Mansfield. While Boldy’s mom was in Italy to watch her son, the Catman Cafe erupted in excitement when Boldy scored the goal to put Team USA up, 1-0.
A pair of Bruins stars also won gold medals with Team USA’s win. Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy and goalie Jeremy Swayman will return to Boston with a gold medal. McAvoy was one of the two alternate captains for Team USA, while Swayman only played in one game as he started in one of the team’s preliminary round matchups.
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With their gold medal win, McAvoy and Swayman are the first two active Bruins players to win an Olympic gold medal since Patrice Bergeron helped Canada take home gold at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Former Bruins star Brad Marchand nearly followed in Bergeron’s footsteps as he was a part of the silver medal-winning Canadian squad.
The 2026 Winter Olympics were the first Winter Olympics in which NHL players were able to participate in since 2014. This also marks the first time that Team USA has won an Olympic gold medal with NHL players. Of course, Team USA largely consisted of college players when it memorably won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics, upsetting the Soviet Union en route to its gold medal win.
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