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Canadian Olympic ice hockey coach Jon Cooper took issue with the overtime format following the team’s loss to Team USA on Sunday.
Team USA star Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal in overtime. He managed to score the team’s second goal ahead of Jordan Binnington. The Americans won the match 2-1 and won their first gold medal since 1980 with the “Miracle on Ice” team.
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Canada head coach Jon Cooper talks with his players after their victory over Finland in a men’s ice hockey semifinal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
At the Olympics, the overtime period is played 3-on-3. The United States beat Sweden in overtime in their quarterfinal match, while Canada needed overtime to defeat the Czech Republic. Canada also beat Team USA in the 4-nation showdown in overtime, but it was played 4-on-4.
“You take four players off the ice, now hockey isn’t hockey,” Cooper said after the game, via The Hockey News. “There’s a reason overtime and shootouts are in play: Everything is televised to end the games, so it’s not long. There’s a reason why (3-on-3) isn’t in the Stanley Cup Final or the playoffs.”
Cooper stressed, however, that the format was not the reason the team lost the game.
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Canada head coach Jon Cooper watches play against the United States during the third period of the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
“All teams know the rules ahead of time, so you can’t come here and say we’re the losing team because we lost 3-on-3 and that’s not fair,” Cooper said. “We knew the rules. We won a match in this 3-on-3 tournament, so it’s not like that.”
Canada had numerous chances to score, but were stopped either by missed chances or by Team USA’s Connor Hellebuyck making almost every save.
Hellebuyck made 41 saves in the win and was one of the main reasons Canada failed to score on a great 5-on-3 penalty opportunity in the second period.
Cale Makar (8) of Canada is congratulated by Brandon Hagel (38) after Makar scored a goal against the United States during the second period of the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
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Only Cale Makar managed to get a shot past Hellebuyck.
