Noah Fries | staff writer

The 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics concluded this week, with the closing ceremony on Sunday marking the end of the 25th Winter Olympic Games. The Olympic flag was passed on by the Cuirassiers Regiment to French officials, as the 2030 Winter Games will be held in the French Alps.

Norway dominated the Games with 18 gold medals, breaking their own record for golds (16) from the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Norway also had the most overall medals with 41. The United States came in second in both overall medals (33) and golds (12).

Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo was one of the biggest stories of the Games, setting a record of his own with six gold medals in a single Winter Olympics. Klæbo won gold in each of the six events he participated in.

Likely the biggest story over the last week, however, came on the ice instead of the slopes. Both the U.S. men’s and women’s hockey teams won gold, the first time in Olympic history that both teams won gold in the same Games.

The women won gold for the first time since the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, while the men won gold for the first time since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” in Lake Placid, New York, when the U.S. defeated the Soviet Union and eventually went on to win gold in one of the greatest upsets in sports history.

“There’s definitely something special about both teams that were built,” said Duquesne ACHA Division I Hockey Head Coach Conrad Waite. “Women’s hockey has come a long way, and they’ve also won a ton. For the men’s side, I think it says a lot to their mindset and dedication; not necessarily just to score the winning goal, but to put themselves in that position time and time again and finally break through.”

“As a hockey player for the last 17 years of my life, it was really good to see both the men and women win gold,” Duquesne forward Jackson Kramer said. “It was a tough battle for both teams, and it’s a very good win for America and for the hockey world.”

On Feb. 19, the U.S. women took on Canada at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Either Canada or the U.S. would be guaranteed gold, continuing the trend of one of these countries winning gold at each Winter Olympics since women’s hockey became an event in 1998.

Canada struck first with a shorthanded tally from forward Kristin O’Neill, who tucked a backhand shot past the outstretched U.S. goalie Aerin Frankel. The goal broke the U.S.’ shutout streak of 352:17, the longest in both men’s and women’s Olympic history.

The score would remain 1-0 until the final 2:04 of the game, when Team USA captain Hilary Knight would take advantage of the extra attacker by deflecting a long shot from defenseman Laila Edwards past Canada’s Ann-Renee Desbiens, sending the game to overtime.

Knight’s goal moved her into sole possession of first for goals (15) and points (33) in a U.S. men’s or women’s Olympic career.

“I’ve had a heck of a career personally,” Knight said to ESPN. “It’s been an incredible ride. I have to soak this all in because this room is just so special, this team is so special. This is the best U.S. hockey team I’ve ever been a part of. That is just so tremendous.”

Just 4:07 into the 3-on-3 overtime, U.S. defenseman Megan Keller took a full-ice feed from forward Taylor Heise, deked a Canadian defender and tucked a backhanded shot under Desbiens’ blocker to notch the golden goal.

The U.S. men’s team also took on Canada in the gold medal game on Sunday, 46 years to the day of the “Miracle on Ice.”

U.S. forward Matt Boldy opened the scoring 6:00 into the first period, splitting Canada’s Devon Toews and Cale Makar before burying a backhand past Canada goalie Jordan Binnington.

Canada had full momentum in the second period, with Makar burying a right-handed wrister past U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck with 1:44 remaining in the second period to knot the game at one.

After a scoreless yet eventful third period that saw U.S. forward Jack Hughes and Canada forward Bo Horvat losing portions of teeth on separate high-sticking penalties. The gold medal match would go to 3-on-3 overtime for the men as well.

Bloodied and battered, Hughes would gather a feed from defenseman Zach Werenski and rip a left-handed wrister past the glove of Binnington and tallied the second golden goal of the Olympics for the U.S.

During the gold medal ceremony, team USA players brought the late Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey and daughters onto the ice to honor the former U.S. forward who was killed in 2024 after being struck by an SUV while cycling. Gaudreau’s younger brother Matthew was also killed.

“To be able to get it done like that, to win, to have his jersey out there in the team photo, have his kids come out and be with us, we’re obviously thinking of him,” U.S. Captain Auston Matthews said to ESPN. “Just felt like the impact that he’s had on so many guys in this room is special. He was with us in spirit the whole tournament.”

Noah Fries can be reached at friesn@duq.edu