“Jack Hughes wins it! For the Golden Goal for the United States!”
 

The call echoed as Hughes buried the overtime winner in Milan, giving the U.S. Olympic gold and delivering a championship moment 46 years in the making.
 

But Hughes wasn’t alone. When the deciding goal was scored, it was all United States Hockey League (USHL) alumni on the ice: Hughes, Zach Werenski, and Dylan Larkin — a fitting final lineup that underscored the influence of the league and USA Hockey's NTDP, where all three played, on the  Olympic ice. In total, 21 alumni representing four USHL teams captured gold and 24 received medals. See the full list of participants. 
 

Nineteen-year-old Macklin Celebrini, who played with the Chicago Steel before a season at Boston University, played a significant role for Team Canada in its silver-medal run. His five goals and five assists in six games highlighted the league’s development  and its role as a pipeline for the next levels. Additionally, Eeli Tolvanen, formerly of the Sioux City Musketeers, and Erik Haula, formerly of the Omaha Lancers, won a bronze medal with Finland. Haula had three goals and three assists in six games for the Finns.
 

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading junior hockey league. This season, more than 50% of NCAA Division I men's hockey players and nearly 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 285 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and eight of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).

Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, the league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Auston Matthews (NTDP), Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).