If you’ve seen or heard enough already, feel free to skip this unabashedly, completely biased patriotic post, because I’m just unleashing patriotic jubilation onto my keyboard. My algorithm on Insta and Facebook and YouTube confirm it as well. I cannot get enough of the U.S.A. hockey win over Canada. Both wins. Both against Canada. The U.S. women with a 2-1 win thanks to Megan Keller’s gold medal winner in sudden death overtime.
I cannot get enough of Matt Boldy’s unbelievable first goal in the American mens’ gold medal win over Canada, also 2-1, also in sudden death overtime on Sunday morning. I can’t get enough of all of the stops by U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck. And of course, I can’t get enough of Jack Hughes poking the loose puck forward in overtime, hanging back, receiving a perfect pass from Zach Werenski, and delivering a gold medal winner past Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington. I can’t get enough of the shot, the call on broadcast, all of the angles, all of the celebrations, and as a person who loves sports, I don’t even particularly care for watching hockey.
But at 9:55 a.m. CST Sunday morning, after two plus tense hours that began shortly after dawn, I leapt from my couch with new favorite player names and wishing I too had gloves and a helmet and a stick to throw into the air in celebration. The 24 year old Jack Hughes, missing bits and pieces of a few white chiclets inside his mouth had just sent red, white, and blue fans into a frenzy. I watched the scene unfold like a future Disney movie – the reactions, the hugs, the smiles, the American flags waving wildly, and then, just a few minutes after Jack Hughes’ gold medal-winning goal, I left for church.
I was eight years old the last time the U.S. men won hockey gold at the Olympics. I don’t really remember it, but somehow I felt a like an eight year old again Sunday morning when Hughes took that pass from Werenski and proceeded to blast the winning shot past Binnington. And just like that, 46 years to the day, the U.S. hockey team had won gold again and fans everywhere rejoiced. I thought about the 8, 9, 10 year olds in America who had just witnessed one of the greatest hockey games in Olympics history and were inspired to be part of the next wave of great American hockey players.
Goalie Connor Hellebuyck was unbelievable in defense and was widely regarded as the best player on the ice Sunday morning. He made saves on 41 of 42 Canadian shots on goal including this one that might only be reasonably explained by divine intervention.
Sing with me, if it’s just for today Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
On my short drive to church, I thought about the celebration and the hugs and the flag waving and I thought that’s what Heaven might look like someday – flags of glory, music and singing, hugs, joy… only on streets of gold instead of frozen water.
The team honored their late teammate, Johnny Gaudreau, by hanging his jersey in the locker room as further inspiration. “Johnny Hockey” was an all-star, and regarded as a missing piece of the U.S. hockey brotherhood over the past two weeks. Johnny and his younger brother Matthew were killed by a drunk driver while riding bicycles in 2024. The Gaudreau family – his parents, his wife, and his two young children were on hand for the victory. Did I get teary-eyed watching the team carry the two little Gaudreau kids onto the ice for the team photo? Wouldn’t you?
Now, it’s back to the algorithm. Back to the Tkachuk brothers, Johnny Hockey, Connor Hellebruyck’s stoning, Matt Boldy’s incredible goal, and of course Jack Hughes’ game winning, gold medal shot, and that toothless smile.
USA! USA! USA!
“Dream on, dream on Dream on, dream on.”
From the 1973 album, “Aerosmith,” and also from the 2004 “Miracle” movie soundtrack about the 1980 U.S. hockey team, it’s the Boston band, Aerosmith with their very fitting classic, “Dream On”…
Do you still believe in miracles?
I do.
Your old men will dream dreams and your young men will have visions.
Dream until your dreams come true. The boys in red, white, and blue did.
sincerely, the 80's 