Jake Mozarsky
After a statement 5-1 win over Latvia to open their Olympic campaign, Team USA seized total control of Group C on Valentine’s Day with a 6-3 victory over Denmark. With this win, the Americans sit alone at the top of the standings and have the inside track to the quarterfinals.
The landscape of the group shifted significantly on Saturday morning when Latvia stunned Germany 4-3. That result briefly left three teams level on points, but the U.S. successfully leaped them by taming the Danish. Denmark, having lost to Germany in its opening game, fought hard for survival but now faces a steep climb.
The United States once again showed they can respond to adversity. Much like the opener against Latvia, they overcame a slow start that saw them trailing 2-1 after the first period. The Americans exploded for three goals in the second and added two more in the third to pull away. Though Denmark kept things interesting with a late second-period strike, Team USA’s depth proved too much to handle.
At the center of the effort were the Hughes and Tkachuk brothers, who for the second straight game each tallied a point. Jack and Brady, the two younger brothers, each found the back of the net on Saturday, Hughes’ the final goal to cement a 6-3 win. This sets up a first place match with Germany, where all the U.S. needs is a point to clinch first place in the group.
Once again, the Americans faced some early adversity but responded en route to a comfortable win. Here is the final box score from the victory.
MORE 2026 OLYMPICS: Live medal tracker | Viewer's guide | Day-by-day schedule
MORE: USA answers bell to beat Denmark 6-3
Jake Mozarsky joined The Sporting News as an Editorial Intern in August 2025 after earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern University. He has previously written for Marquee Sports Network, Chicago This Week, Inside NU and The Daily Northwestern.
Hockey News