Joe's Reaction of the Week: Golden Implications
Team USA’s golden moment delivered unforgettable memories—and may have complicated the Rangers’ future more than anyone in New York wants to admit.
Let's start with the good. The great.
The golden.
When Quinnipiac won the NCAA national championship in 2023, I was sitting on a specific spot on my couch. I was there when Quinnipiac pulled the goalie and tied the game, and I was there when they won the game (and the championship) 10 seconds into overtime.
I am a depraved type of superstitious—a guy who wore the same sweater to every playoff game in 2024 despite it nearly causing me to have a heat stoke. Sitting in the same seat during the run, not moving when things were going well and shifting places often when things were going wrong.
But Quinnipiac won when I was there, so it is sacred.
In my mind, The Spot cannot be used often or it would be ruined.
So it was then, as the United States earned a four minute double minor with 6:34 left in the game, that I moved myself to The Spot.
I had questions about the roster construction of Team USA since it was announced. Before, even. I had no doubt the skill that the United States has developed over the past couple decades would hold up to get here, but that Canadian team was a monster straight up and down the lineup. It led to this thought midway through the third period as the onslaught continued:
The problem with bringing the “right team” instead of the best team is when things get hard and you need guys to actually do special things to tilt the ice, you suddenly realize you might not have brought enough horses to the race.
— Joe Fortunato (@JoeFortunatoBSB) February 22, 2026
United States gotta get something going here.
But, the boys did it. They pulled it off. American hero Jack Hughes (we need to respect him now forever) did the thing, scored the golden goal, and the United States is golden once again. To beat Canada in overtime, with Connor McDavid on the ice missing his man the same way Austin Matthews did in the 4 Nations Face-Off last year was just the cherry on top.
To make the moment even more emotional, players from the United States went into the crowd to get the late Johnny Gaudreau's children to come out onto the ice for the team championship photo.
A moment they'll all never forget 👏 #MilanoCortina2026 #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/BmrUaq5kkb
— NHL (@NHL) February 22, 2026
Thank you for the memories, boys. I'll remember that moment for the rest of my life.
On the Rangers' side of things, J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck are draped with gold medals, and Mike Sullivan and Chris Drury helped get them there. Trocheck dunked on the haters after the game, and so many Minnesota Wild fans came to his rescue that you'd think he'd been traded there already.
