The USA men’s hockey gold medal victory over Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan will go down in the history books as one of the most memorable moments in the history of the sport. But as for Ed Olczyk who called the game for NBC, it’s one that he doesn’t remember all that well.
The entire NBC crew was applauded for their work during the gold medal game from Olzyck, Kenny Albert, and Brian Boucher on the television call to Mike Tirico as host.
And the moment of Jack Hughes’ overtime game-winner will be replayed over and over again as it won the USA’s first gold medal in men’s hockey since the Miracle on Ice in 1980. As millions of Americans were instantly celebrating and Team USA jumped off the bench in jubilation, Olczyk was so caught up in the moment that he wasn’t sure what he did next.
In an appearance with Jim Rome, Olczyk shared what it was like in the broadcast booth in Milan last Sunday for the historic occasion. And he said that the game and the moment were so intense that he “blacked out” when Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal.
“When the puck went in, I’ll be honest, I blacked out.”
Eddie Olcyzk describes the emotions of Jack Hughes’ golden goal to beat Canada. pic.twitter.com/JneFUw9fRx
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) February 25, 2026
“I don’t know. I don’t remember how I reacted. I know I had a reaction of like, I can’t believe what I’m seeing for the first time since 1980 when I was 12 or 13 years old, dreaming about playing for the Americans and Team USA at some point in my life in the Olympics. And then I get the opportunity as a 17-year old to go over to Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. I just started thinking about a boatload of things and then I saw the guys celebrating,” Olczyk reflected.
“NBC, I like to think we were down the middle of the fairway and when it was going good for the Americans we obviously had the red, white, and blue out. But when they had too many men on the ice out there they got lucky, you got to call it. When you say they need to get to overtime when they’re getting outplayed, you’re not making any excuses. You’ve got to say it because most people I would assume are seeing the same thing,” Olzyck said. “But when the puck went in, I’ll be honest with you Jim, I blacked out so I have no idea what my body language was. I don’t know if I was pumping my fist. I don’t know. All I know is I wasn’t talking because that was a time to let it breathe after Kenny Albert had that great call on the golden goal by Jack Hughes.”
Whatever Ed Olczyk did in the immediate aftermath, he did what great analysts and broadcasters do in letting the moment breathe after Kenny Albert delivered a great call for the overtime winner.
But Olczyk’s reflection is a true sign of just how seismic the game was and how Hughes’ goal will be a moment that lives for ever in American hockey history. Especially for a former Olympian who played as an amateur before a successful NHL career, it must have made it all the more special. And hopefully next time, NBC will put a camera on the broadcasters in the booth so we can see and hear their reaction for posterity.
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