The 2026 Winter Olympics ended in heartbreak for three Colorado Avalanche players and jubilation for one.
When the dust settled on an epic gold-medal game, it was the United States that prevailed over Canada in overtime. Jack Hughes’ winner ended a nearly five-decade drought for the Americans.
46 years ago, fittingly enough, on February 22, 1980, the United States beat the Soviet Union for gold in Lake Placid, New York.
This time around, it wasn’t the Soviets. It was Canada, another hockey powerhouse, that the US faced in the final match. For three Avalanche players, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews, the Olympics ended in heartbreak.
A tough play in the neutral zone by Makar allowed the Americans to get the scoring chance that led to the goal. Meanwhile, Nathan MacKinnon missed an open net that would have given Canada the lead in the third period.
As for Toews, Matt Boldy beat him on a breakaway chance leading to the United States’ first goal of the match. Plus, there was that huge save Connor Hellebuyck made on Toews. That was the save of the tournament, and most likely the biggest save in American hockey history.
It was a tough game for this Avalanche trio, indeed.
On the flipside, Brock Nelson, a third-generation hockey Olympian, took home the gold medal. He followed in his father, great-uncle, and uncle’s footsteps. Nelson was Steady Eddie on Team USA’s fourth line, playing with grit during tough shifts throughout the night.
In the end, a gold medal hung from Nelson’s neck. It was the culmination of a historic cycle that brought together a group of Americans from all around the country, led by Arizona native Auston Matthews.
There will be plenty of dissection regarding the action seen in Milano-Cortina. The victory will go down in the annals of US hockey history. Most importantly, the victory avenged the Americans’ crushing defeat in the 2010 Vancouver Games.
It’s incredible how one game can produce completely opposite emotions. It’s great to see Nelson win gold, while devastating to see Makar, MacKinnon, and Toews settle for silver.
No, Makar, MacKinnon, and Toews are not losers. They played one heck of a tournament. They should be proud of their accomplishments. The good news is they’ll likely have one more shot at gold in 2030.