Lightning in Milan: Guentzel Grabs Gold, Hagel Takes Silver
In the aftermath of an epic hockey game – perhaps the most exciting contest in 46 years to the day – Olympic men’s coaches Mike Sullivan of the United States and Canada Coach Jon Cooper reflected on what they witnessed and endured Sunday afternoon at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milano, Italy.
Sullivan’s squad was outplayed by the Canadians for much of the game, but in the end, all that mattered was the scoreboard, which showed the Americans winning 2-1 in overtime, to claim the country’s first gold medal since “The Miracle on Ice” team of 1980 at Lake Placid, New York.
“First and foremost, they’re all terrific players,” Sullivan said of how the American roster was constructed. “But the most important aspect was the character, the personality of the group.”
Sullivan explained that the foundation of the roster was built long before the puck dropped.
He and team general manager Bill Guerin placed an emphasis on building “a team in the true sense of the word.”
Sullivan noted that assembling the roster involved difficult decisions from a deep pool of American talent, and the coaching staff prioritized players who could contribute in all situations, while also bringing the right mindset to the locker room.
“The team was built with personality in mind,” Sullivan said. “We were loaded with personality up and down our lineup. There are whiskey drinkers and milk drinkers — and we’ve got a lot of whiskey drinkers on this team.”
Across the ice, Cooper, who also serves as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, struggled to process the historic loss so soon after the final horn but made it clear he was proud of his team’s effort.
“We asked this group to come in here and grow as a team,” Cooper said. “We came here to play six games and get better each game. I didn’t think we could play better after the last one (a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Finland to advance to the Gold Medal game), and they proved me wrong.”
Cooper described Canada’s performance as “flawless,” despite the Canadians missing several opportunities to put the game away.
Canada had three power plays, including a 5-on-3 chance, but couldn’t score against the reigning Vezina Trophy and Hart Memorial Trophy holder, goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
Canada also had multiple breakaway shots on goal, as well as a couple of looks at wide-open nets, but came up with nothing in those opportunities.
Still, Cooper wasn’t dwelling on the negative afterwards. He had nothing but praise for his players in executing the game plan and giving everything they had.
“They bled red and white for three periods — three periods plus,” Cooper said. “They did everything we asked of them and more. Some days it’s just not meant to be.”
The game was decided in three-on-three overtime, a format that has sparked debate among traditionalists. Cooper acknowledged the differences between tournament overtime and playoff hockey, such as the extended sudden-death periods seen in the Stanley Cup Finals.
“You can’t come up here and say we lost because of three-on-three,” Cooper said. “We knew the rules coming in. We won a game (a 4-3 victory against Czechia) in this tournament three-on-three.”
While many fans prefer the 5-on-5 format, Cooper said the sport has evolved, influenced in part by television and the desire to ensure games conclude in a timely manner.
“Whether you like it or not, you have to abide by the rules,” Cooper said. “We were on the short end of the stick. They made one more play than we did in overtime, and you tip your cap to them.”
Guentzel Grabs the Gold
Lightning forward Jake Guentzel contributed to the Gold Medal victory with 17:37 of ice time and a pair of shots against Canada. He finished the Olympics with one goal on 13 shots and a plus-two rating, totaling just under 96 minutes of ice time across 127 shifts in six games.
Hagel Helps
Tampa Bay forward Brandon Hagel earned a Silver Medal with Team Canada, logging just over 10 minutes of ice time and a plus-one rating in the final against the United States. Despite the loss, Hagel remained active with two shots on goal, bringing his tournament totals to one goal and a plus-two rating across six games and 112 shifts.
Lightning Strikes
Tampa Bay was well represented throughout the 2026 Winter Olympics, and that didn’t even include forwards Anthony Cirelli and Brayden Point, both of whom missed the tournament due to injuries.
Veteran defenseman Victor Hedman tallied a goal and an assist across five games before a warm-up groin injury sidelined him for the finale. In nearly 75 minutes of action, Hedman recorded six shots, a couple of penalties, and an even plus/minus rating.
Tampa Bay forward Pontus Holmberg spent 46:53 on the ice for Sweden in five games. He committed one penalty, took one shot, and registered a minus two in the tournament.
J.J. Moser totaled over 96 minutes of ice time and 121 shifts in five appearances for Switzerland. The defenseman scored once and added three assists on nine shots while maintaining a balanced even rating for the tournament.
Tampa Bay defenseman Erik Cernak played 177 minutes over six games, as he helped Slovakia to a fourth-place finish. He had one assist and took five shots. Cernak was active with 14 penalty minutes. He finished minus one in plus/minus over 165 shifts.
German forward Wojciech Stachowiak, who has split time this season between Syracuse and Tampa Bay, played in a couple of games for his native country. He spent over 21 minutes on the ice and tallied an assist, while also being plus-two for the tournament.
Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand played in all four games for Denmark and registered 82:48 on the ice. He passed for one assist and took 13 shots and was plus-one in 91 shifts.
Tampa Bay forward Zemgus Girgensons spent nearly 87 minutes on the ice over four games for Latvia. He had four assists and took six shots. Girgensons was even over 101 shifts.
