February 22nd should be a national holiday. An American holiday.
On February 22, 1980, Team USA did the “impossible”. A bunch of college boys beat the unbeatable Soviet hockey team. Al Michaels joined those college boys with his iconic final call: “do you believe in miracles!”. If the Olympics had a “best of 7” series, the outcome would likely be different – but a miracle happened. Although Team USA still had to beat Finland for the gold medal, 46 years ago, all the stars aligned. Michaels’ call was perfect. The image of America’s goalie, Jim Craig, draped in our flag. Perfect.
On February 22, 2026, Team USA skated onto the ice as underdogs again. Our guys weren’t college boys facing an “unbeatable” foe; they were, nonetheless, underdogs. There was a confidence in the USA locker room and “Golf or Bust” mentality, but the were still seeded #2 behind Canada’s #1. Jack Hughes scored the golden goal, but America’s goalie won the game.
Nathan McKinnon has been on the receiving end of a stolen pass and then a second later Hughes goal. McKinnon’s head dropped, then he grabbed his knees in despair as Team USA rushed the ice.
Second place. McKinnon coped with claiming Canada was the better team.
Maybe Nate, but you have a stuffed animal, and Team USA has gold medals. There are a million guys who claim that they played on the “better team” but lost in the title game to an inferior foe. That story is old as dirt. It’s now your story, Nate.
I watched the game on the west coast, arising at 5 AM. When the game ended, I headed to the airport for a flight home. My wife doomscrolled Mexico going up in flames, and I read Canadian coping and many cranking like McKinnon.
I wrote:
Canadians used to claim hockey as their sport. They owned the ice. No more. Hockey is now ours.
Canada can claim a stuffed toy. Congrats, Canada.
Henceforth, February 22nd will be an American holiday.
“It’s going to go down as one of the best performances of all time — it has to,” Matthew Tkachuk said of Hellebuyck. “Right up there with Jimmy Craig [in 1980], all the great United States goaltenders. In the NHL, whatever type of hockey, whatever goaltending performance you want to talk about, that’s right up there. “ Added Dylan Larkin: “That guy should never buy a drink in [his home] state of Michigan ever again.”Without Connor Hellebuyck , Team USA would have been the guys holding stuffed animals as consolation prizes. Instead, it was the cocky Canadians – grown men who had their hearts ripped and in their place, Olympic officials handed them stuffed toys. They endured the infamy of holding stuffed animals and Silver Medals as runners-up. Canada and Canadians didn’t take it well.
Nathan McKinnon has been on the receiving end of a stolen pass and then a second later Hughes goal. McKinnon’s head dropped, then he grabbed his knees in despair as Team USA rushed the ice.
Second place. McKinnon coped with claiming Canada was the better team.
Maybe Nate, but you have a stuffed animal, and Team USA has gold medals. There are a million guys who claim that they played on the “better team” but lost in the title game to an inferior foe. That story is old as dirt. It’s now your story, Nate.
I watched the game on the west coast, arising at 5 AM. When the game ended, I headed to the airport for a flight home. My wife doomscrolled Mexico going up in flames, and I read Canadian coping and many cranking like McKinnon.
I wrote:
Yeah, Canada “outplayed” our guys for most of the game… except when your guys couldn’t score 5 on 3, and that winning golden goal thing. Other than that… Yeah. Celebrate your last Stanley Cup win…. In 1993? Right?
Canadians used to claim hockey as their sport. They owned the ice. No more. Hockey is now ours.
Canada can claim a stuffed toy. Congrats, Canada.
Henceforth, February 22nd will be an American holiday.