Marquette, MI – February 23rd, 2026 – This past weekend, the United States made hockey history. Just days after the U.S. women’s team captured gold, the U.S. men’s team followed with a gold medal of their own. For the first time in our nation’s history, both the men’s and women’s hockey teams won Olympic gold at the same games. The United States joined Canada as the only countries to accomplish this feat, a milestone Canada previously achieved in 2002, 2010, and 2014.
The women’s tournament began February 5th, with round-robin play to determine seeding for the medal round. Team USA dominated from the start, defeating Czechia, Finland, and Switzerland by a combined score of 15–1. They closed out preliminary play with a 5–1 win over Czechia and an emphatic 5–0 shutout victory over Canada, earning the No. 1 overall seed.
In the semifinals, the Americans faced Sweden and delivered another dominant performance, scoring five goals while recording another shutout. That momentum carried them into a highly anticipated gold medal rematch against Canada. Unlike their earlier 5–0 victory, this game was far more dramatic. After trailing late in the third period, Hilary Knight, competing in her final Olympics, tipped in the tying goal with just 2:04 remaining to force overtime. In sudden death, Megan Keller made a dazzling move to drop the defender and slipped the puck between the goalie’s legs, securing another Olympic title for the United States.
The men’s tournament began February 10th with preliminary round action. The U.S. opened play with a 5–1 win over Latvia. They followed that with a 6–3 victory against Germany and a 5–1 win over Denmark to close out group play. Finishing strong earned them the No. 2 overall seed behind Canada. In the quarterfinals, the Americans faced Sweden in a tightly contested game that required overtime, with the U.S. securing a 2–1 victory. The semifinals brought a matchup against Slovakia, and the U.S. controlled the game from start to finish, winning 6–2 to advance to the gold medal game.
Just like the women, the men met Canada with gold on the line. The Americans struck first, but Canada answered late in the second period. After a scoreless third period, the game headed to overtime. In dramatic fashion, Jack Hughes scored the golden goal to defeat the top-seeded Canadians and deliver Olympic gold to Team USA. Adding to the storybook ending, the entire men’s overtime unit: Dylan Larkin, Jack Hughes, Zach Werenski, and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, along with women’s golden-goal scorer Megan Keller, all hail from Michigan, making the victory even more special for the Great Lakes State.
