MILAN – Another heartbreaking loss for Canadians as the gold medal slipped away from the national men’s hockey team at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games.
Canadians slouched over the rails of the Milano Santagiulia Arena after a short-lived 2-1 overtime defeat on Feb. 22.
As Jack Hughes’ winning goal slid into the back of Jordan Binnington’s net, Canadians quickly shuffled out of the arena without hesitation.
The arena, painted in red and white, shifted from deafening chants to stunned silence in an instant.
Another celebration that was supposed to be Canadian ended in a crushing defeat.
But just moments earlier, the energy was electric.
It started on the walk towards the arena, as Canadians and Americans tailgated on Italian turf in white plastic chairs, sharing drinks and friendly rivalry.
Despite the rivalry Canada and the United States share beyond the rink, the sport connected two nations that are seemingly divided.
The Canadians outnumbered the Americans, both in crowds and in spirit, as fans unfolded colossal national flags to wave in the opponents' faces.
The passion of the fans was immaculate, filled with faces old and young who shared national pride and a genuine love of the game.
In the stands, a Canadian fan from Calgary passed around a national flag, asking other fans to sign their name and hometowns across the fabric. Strangers in red and white became instant friends, unified by the hope that this was Canada’s night.
As the puck dropped, Canadian fans roared in excitement. They were about to witness the best of the best in hockey compete for gold.
Loud chants of “Go Canada Go” were hollered as flags and arms waved through the stadium, shaking the stands.
Despite Matt Boldy’s goal in the first period, the stadium’s momentum never shifted as Canada controlled the rink.
But as Cale Makar scored with just under two minutes left in the second, the arena erupted in chaotic celebration.
Beer splattered and strangers hugged while Americans slumped silently in their seats. Canadian hope was restored.
With endless shots and brilliant plays, Canada pressed hard but failed to finish, pushing the 1-1 game into overtime.
The 20-minute break from the third period into overtime felt like a lifetime. Fans stocked up on beer and could barely utter a chant in nervous anticipation of what was to come, and Canadian passion stood stronger than ever.
But the 3-on-3 overtime quickly came to a halt after Hughes’ game-winning goal.
Fans, players and Canadians at home stared at the ice in disbelief. Television screens went black, fans fled towards the exit and players stood motionless on the ice, processing the finality of it all.
The loss cut deeper, knowing how sharply Canada played from the puck drop to the final buzzer. Outshooting the U.S. 42-28, Canada offensively dominated the game for most of the night, but it wasn’t enough to secure gold.
The walk out of the arena was quiet and grim as a wave of red and white left before the medal ceremony commenced.
The once-roaring crowd dwindled to utter silence, the sound of folding flags filling the air. Nevertheless, Canadians seemed proud of the outstanding efforts of a team that fought until the very end, a team with nine Olympic gold medals, a team with some of the best players in the world.
