The ice has finally thawed on Team USA‘s 46-year Olympic men’s hockey losing streak, with this year’s team prevailing over Canada during Sunday’s match in Milan.
USA’s Jack Hughes led the team to a 2-1 victory, scoring the winning goal in overtime and marking the men’s hockey Team USA’s first gold since 1980, when they beat the Soviet Union exactly 46 years ago.
“This is all about our country right now,” Hughes told NBC after the win. “I love the USA, I love my teammates. It’s unbelievable. The USA Hockey brotherhood is so strong. We have so much support from our players. I’m so proud to be American today.”
Team USA’s Matt Boldy secured a point in the first period, with Canada’s Cale Makar scoring later in the second period.
Decades after scoring the Miracle on Ice goal against the Soviet Union for Team USA, 1980 captain Mike Eruzione told NBC, “This is it. It’s over for us. This is their team. This is their time.”
The 1980 Olympic game was portrayed in Disney’s 2004 film Miracle, starring Kurt Russell as Coach Herb Brooks. Eruzione was played by Patrick O’Brien Demsey.
