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The US men’s hockey team made history not only on the ice, but also on television.
Team USA’s 2-1 overtime win over Canada on Sunday was the most-watched sporting event before 9 a.m. ET (start time) in U.S. history, NBC Sports said.
The game averaged 20.7 million viewers and 18.6 million live (8:15 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. ET) on NBC and Peacock, the network’s streaming service. The ratings peaked with 26 million viewers for Jack Hughes’ golden goal.
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The U.S. team poses for a group photo after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Milan, Italy, February 22, 2026. (Photo Luca Bruno/AP)
It is NBC Sports’ second most-watched hockey game of all time, behind the 2010 Vancouver Olympics men’s gold medal game, where Canada defeated the United States in overtime, winning 3–2. That game began at 3:15 PM ET.
The thrilling gold medal win was the Peacocks and NBC Sports’ most-watched streaming audience, excluding NFL games, with 3.7 million viewers.
Brady Tkachuk, Jack Hughes, Matthew Tkachuk and Quinn Hughes participate in a celebration of the US men’s hockey team’s Olympic gold medal at E11EVEN Miami. Miami, Florida, on February 23, 2026. (Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for E11EVEN Miami)
The US men’s team’s thrilling victory started an exciting stretch as the team flew from Milan to Miami to celebrate their victory at the famous Miami nightclub E11even. On Tuesday, they were flown to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
The team appeared during the State of the Union address on Tuesday night, where Trump announced that goaltender Connor Hellebuyck would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his outstanding performance in the victory.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck raises his gold medal as members of the US men’s Olympic hockey team are recognized by US President Donald Trump as he delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol. Washington, DC, February 24, 2026. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump also announced during his State of the Union address that the U.S. women’s hockey team, which also beat Canada in overtime in the gold medal game, has an upcoming visit to the White House.
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