Forty-six years later, there was another miracle on ice.
Team USA won its first gold medal for men’s hockey in 46 years on Sunday, beating Canada for a triumphant win and their first gold since beating the Soviet Union in the famed 1980 “Miracle on Ice” game.
New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes scored the winning goal in overtime, pushing Team USA ahead of Canada for a final score of 2-1. That was after getting his front tooth knocked out when he took a stick to the mouth. Jack’s brother Quinn Hughes, also of the Devils, played beside him on Team USA.
“I love the USA, I love my teammates, it’s unbelievable,” he told NBC Sports’ Kathryn Tappen after the game, giving the interview with blood still visible around his mouth. “The USA hockey brotherhood is so strong… I’m so proud to be American today.”
“Unbelievable game, unreal game by our team, that’s just a ballsy, gutsy win. That’s American hockey right there.”
In a touching moment after their win, Team USA skated with a Gaudreau jersey around the ice, honoring late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, who was killed alongside his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, in 2024 while riding their bikes in their South Jersey hometown the day before their sister’s wedding. The beloved Columbus Blue Jackets player known as “Johnny Hockey” likely would have been on Team USA this year.
A jersey honoring late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau makes its ways around the ice after Team USA’s win. Photo: NBC screenshot
Johnny and Matthew’s parents, Jane and Guy Gaudreau, were in the stands at the game and looked to have tears in their eyes at the honor.
Jane recently spoke to New Jersey Monthly about coping with the loss of her sons. “The harder you love, the harder you grieve,” she said. “But at the same time, I do feel we were lucky, because even though we didn’t have that quantity of time to be with them forever, the quality of time we had with them was so high.”
The USA women’s team also won the hockey gold earlier in the week, making this Olympics a double dose of powerhouse American hockey.
Despite the wrongful detainment by ICE of one of its owners, Emilio’s Kitchen in Belmar pulls off a grand opening.
While the family’s closeness made the loss of Johnny Gaudreau, an NHL star, and Matthew, a hockey coach, almost impossible to bear, it has also been a comfort.
Which local restaurants are your tried-and-true favorites? Fill out our annual poll for the chance to win dinner for two.
The Garden State’s dining scene has it all—from incredible Italian food to amazing Asian fare, French cuisine and more.
