After winning the gold medal in the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” game, the United States went 50 years without an Olympic hockey victory. But in 2002, Canada won its first Olympic gold since the Miracle on Ice, ending a drought that lasted through four Olympics.
In a sport with such deep roots in the United States, it is no wonder that the 2026 Olympics are expected to draw huge crowds and be one of the most watched sports in the nation. But before the big games begin in a few months, Team USA is still assembling itself and will be trying to get off to a fast start at the four-day camp.
The camp is short and does not include on-ice sessions, so the focus is on building camaraderie and getting familiar with the Olympic facilities. The coaches will spend time discussing systems and strategy but, according to players, the main message is that this is a much bigger stage than the Four Nations tournament and there are high expectations for the U.S.
During group play, teams earn points based on the result of each game: three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime win and one for a shootout win. A tie results in no points for either team.
In the final, Sweden and Canada remained tied at the end of a 10-minute sudden death overtime period, so a shootout was needed to decide the gold medal. Eric Lindros, now a Toronto Maple Leafs star, shot first for Canada. Salo made a sprawling save, but the puck wobbled in the air and fell into the goal to give Canada its first Olympic gold.