USA men's hockey victory caps ... best Winter Olympics ever | Opinion

MILAN – It ended in bedlam.

Hockey sticks, helmets and gloves covered the ice.

The U.S. men’s hockey team celebrated like boys after they beat Canada 2-1 in overtime in the gold medal game in the 2026 Winter Olympics Sunday, Feb. 22. And it was time for everyone to celebrate something bigger.

The victory capped a memorable and electrifying Winter Olympics. Maybe the greatest ever?

OK, so there were a few broken medals. And occasionally it rained. And frankly, the pizza here, it’s overrated.

Sorry, Italy. And thank you, Italy. You were a great host while America won 33 medals, more than at any previous Winter Games. But what made it incredible went beyond the medals.

Such as the heartbreak of Lindsey Vonn and Ilia Malinin. Vonn, who at 41 and with a torn ACL, pointed her skis downhill and said to hell with caution.

Then she crashed 13 seconds into her run, shattering her leg and her dreams and maybe a little bit of us.

And Malinin, the self-proclaimed "Quad God," unraveling during the men’s skating competition. Then openly discussing the vise-like pressure, something that had been building for months.

It wasn’t all about Americans. There was utter dominance of Norway’s cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. He won six golds, breaking the record for most gold medals won at a single Winter Olympics.

It hurt a little, too, knowing that record had belonged to Eric Heiden, American speed skater, since the 1980 Games in Lake Placid.

Then there’s the reason NBC pays billions for the TV rights and why we watch.

Alysa Liu, the U.S. figure skater with the striped platinum hair and undeniable joy, ended a long drought. She became the first American to win a gold in the individual competition since 2002.  

Then there was the women’s hockey team.  Dominant until they ran into Canada. And clutch and gritty when they rallied in regulation and won in overtime.

Then came the U.S. men’s hockey team. Jumping to a 1-0 lead and scrambling to protect before Canada simply refused to comply. Canada looked fast and skilled enough to finish off the Americans. Before the game went to overtime. And before…

Well, you probably know how it ended.

Jack Hughes scored at 1:41 of overtime and the bedlam began as helmets, gloves and hockey sticks covered the ice.

Amid the celebration, three players skated while holding a USA jersey with Gaudreau and No. 13 on the back. It was a tribute to Johnny Gaudreau, who was an NHL star in 2024 when he was riding his bike, struck by a car and killed.

Gaudreau would been on this hockey team had he survived.

"Johnny Hockey, Johnny Hockey." Fans were chanting Gaudreau nickname.

It was OK if you watched it without tears. Or if you got choked up. Or just took in the remarkable scene.

It was a reminder of why we gather with the world and do this every four years.

So was this the best Winter Olympics ever? Well, 46 years ago to the day, another men's U.S. hockey team shocked the Soviet Union in Lake Placid. Fotunately, the Olympics provides time top debate.

See you again in 2030?

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Team USA men's hockey victory caps ... best Winter Olympics ever