By Justin Felisko, 02/21/26, 5:45PM EST
MILAN – When the puck drops between the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team and Canada Sunday in the gold-medal game of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, it will come on the exact 46th anniversary of the 1980 Miracle On Ice.
The Americans’ upset of the Soviet Union on February 22, 1980, has lived on for four decades as the greatest American hockey moment of all time.
The Disney movie Miracle has been watched on repeat by members of the 2026 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team when they were youth hockey players and millions of others since its February 6, 2004, release.
Some of this year’s squad, such as Zach Werenski, have even watched the new Netflix documentary – Miracle: Boys of ’80 – which recaps the 1980 team’s full journey to the gold medal, which was capped off with a 4-2 victory over Finland.
Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team, though, says it is time for a new wave of hockey heroes to take the torch, and there is no better time than on Sunday (8:10 a.m. ET NBC | Peacock).
“I've been saying it for a long time. It is time,” Eruzione said Saturday evening at the Starbucks Winter House. “This is the best hockey team we've ever put on the ice. The best men's team that has ever played. They're talented, they're gifted, they're skilled, they're young, which is good.
“My teammates and I want this moment. We want these guys to achieve something. It's time. What we did is what we did. It's over. It's ended. It was 40 something years ago. My grandkids need their hockey heroes, and it's going to be this team, I believe it.
“This is an opportunity for them to realize their dream. I've heard many of these players, and I know most of them talk about when they were kids that they watched Miracle. This isn't a miracle. This is a team that deserves to be in the gold-medal game, and a team that can win it.”
Time to get fired up for tomorrow #WinterOlympics Gold Medal Game. USA vs Canada. 8:10 a.m. ET on NBC. pic.twitter.com/VLgeWhlqz6
The U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team defeated Slovakia, 6-2, on Friday to advance to the gold-medal game. The U.S. went 3-0 in preliminary play to win Group C before taking down Sweden, 2-1, in a thrilling overtime quarterfinal-game.
Captain Auston Matthews said hello to Eruzione earlier in the evening before having dinner with his teammates and Eruzione’s brief address to the team.
Matthews and Team USA are cherishing the opportunity to bring home the country’s third gold medal all-time in men’s hockey. The U.S. won gold at the 1960 Olympic Winter Games in Squaw Valley, California, and then in Lake Placid, New York, 20 years later with Eruzione and his teammates becoming Americana folk heroes.
“It's been a long time,” Matthews said. “It feels like it's been too long since USA Hockey has won a gold medal, and we are looking to change that.”
Mike Sullivan, head coach of the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team, has spoken at length with his team about the history of USA Hockey and how rare it is to be a gold medalist.
"There have been two gold medals,” Sullivan said after practice Saturday. “The first medal was in 1960, and there were 16 players on the roster. In 1980, there were 20 players on the roster, so when you think about it in those terms, there have been 36 American-born players who have gold medals.
"This group has an opportunity to become part of that legacy. But once the puck drops, it is a hockey game.”
Matthews is one of four players with a team-high three goals for the U.S. – Brady Tkachuk, Jack Hughes, and Tage Thompson being the others.
“It's an amazing opportunity for our group tomorrow to go out and do something really special,” Matthews said. “We know that we have the support from the whole country, and for kids, families, that play hockey and love the sport, they're going to be cheering us on.”
Brady and his brother, Matthew, became household names following their physicality and energy during last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off.
Brady has no doubts that the United States will be leaving it all on the ice inside Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
“I know our group has been dreaming of this moment ever since we were kids,” Brady Tkachuk said. “To have an opportunity to win gold for all the people that helped us, all the former players that have paved the way for us. That's something that we're super excited about.”
Matthew Tkachuk and Quinn Hughes lead the U.S. with six assists. Matthew Tkachuk called the gold-medal match-up, must-see TV.
"It's best on best,” Matthew Tkachuk said. “It's what every American and Canadian grows up watching, grows up caring about. This is the pinnacle of the sport. This is as good as it gets, and a rivalry that's as good as it gets. So there will be not one TV without this game on in the United States."
The U.S. has outscored its opponents 24-8, and Connor Hellebuyck has been stout in goal and leads the Olympics with a .947 save percentage and a 1.23 goals-against-average.
Sunday will be the third meeting between Canada and the United States in a gold-medal game. The last was in 2010, when Zach Parise scored the game-tying goal against Canada with 24.4 seconds remaining before Sidney Crosby’s golden goal in overtime.
Matthews was 12 years old then.
He is now 28 years old and one of the best players in the National Hockey League.
“I remember waking up and watching the Olympics growing up and seeing all the great memories and, I was born after 1980, but you watch the movie, you see all the highlights and stuff like that.
“It's going to be intense. It's going to be very competitive and physical. These opportunities don't just come around very often. It's been 12 years since NHL players have played in the Olympics, but obviously, they come around every four years. We’re going to lay it all out on the line and go have some fun and do our best to take care of business.”
Tag(s): News Men's Olympics/Paralympics Men's Olympics Home 2026 Milan-Cortina