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As expected, Team Canada was not happy to be on the ice to receive their silver medals in Milan after Jack Hughes’ overtime game-winner gave Team USA gold.
Canadian star Nathan MacKinnon made an interesting comment after the match which sparked debate on social media.
“You will judge who was the better team today,” said the Team Canada alternate captain and Colorado Avalanche star, via the Canadian Press.
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Nathan MacKinnon, number 29 of Team Canada, appears dejected after the men’s gold medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
MacKinnon apparently implied that Canada was the better team despite the result. Sure, they outshot the United States, 42-28, and they certainly controlled the puck better throughout the three periods in Milan.
It even took some heroics from Team USA goalie Connor Hellebuyck to keep the game tied at one goal apiece, including a miraculous stick save on a point-blank chance from Devon Toews in the second period.
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But there were also some mistakes from Canada, and MacKinnon made a major one with 10:50 left in the third period. Hellebuyck was completely beaten when the puck was handed to MacKinnon, who had a wide open net to work with. All he had to do was put it between the posts and Canada would have taken a 2-1 lead.
Instead, his shot hit the short side of the net, and the U.S. team went on a break as one of the world’s best scorers was denied by his own mistake. This is one of those moments where MacKinnon may wonder, “What if?” considering how the game ended.
Nathan MacKinnon and Connor Hellebuyck during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics ice hockey final match between Canada and the United States at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan on February 22, 2026. (Olympic Photo/NurPhoto)
With both teams stuck in a tie after three periods, the Olympic rules for overtime are those of the NHL regular season – 3-on-3 sudden death hockey. For Team USA, this format worked to their benefit given what happened in the second and third periods, with Canada handling them on both ends of the ice.
But MacKinnon made another big mistake in overtime, as he didn’t seem to expect defenseman Zach Weresnki to fall on him in the offensive zone after Hughes pushed the puck into the Canadian zone.
MacKinnon could have charged harder at the puck, but Werenski scooped it up and threw it to Hughes, who buried it past Jordan Binnington for the golden goal.
Silver medalist Nathan MacKinnon of Team Canada shows his dejection during the medal ceremony following the men’s gold medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Grégory Shamus/Getty Images)
So while statistics and other metrics may indicate that Team Canada was the better team on the ice, that only matters in key moments. And of course, the scoreboard at the final whistle.
As Team USA celebrates its first Olympic gold medal since the miracle on ice in Lake Placid in 1980, Team Canada can only return to their respective cities thinking about what went wrong in the end.
