The U.S. men's hockey team has secured Olympic gold, defeating Canada 2-1 in overtime. Jack Hughes scored the winning goal, marking the team's first men's hockey gold since 1980.
Players expressed immense pride in representing their country. "We really pride ourselves on being true Americans that would doing anything it takes for this country and to win," said Matthew Tkachuk. His brother, Brady Tkachuk, added, "To be able to represent this country and all the amazing people and millions of Americans that were back home, we felt their love. We felt their support."
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck noted the profound impact of the win, stating, "This has been not only the most fun experience of my life, but you just see the pride in this country. It's bigger than the game of hockey."
Dylan Larkin and Zach Werenski, who appeared on "Fox & Friends," highlighted the deep-seated pride instilled through programs like the U.S. National Team Development Program. "Every time I get the chance to represent the United States of America, I put that jersey on, I’m all in. I love doing it, and it’s just something special," Larkin commented.
The team was also invited to President Trump's State of the Union address following their victory.