Hour 2: Turning The Page on Hockey History

Summary

Podcast Summary: Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron

Episode: Hour 2: Turning The Page on Hockey History
Date: February 22, 2026
Hosts: Myron Medcalf, Matt Jones (with David Dennis Jr. filling in for Matt Jones)
Network: ESPN Radio

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Overview

This episode centers on Team USA's dramatic overtime victory against Canada in the men’s hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics—marking the first American gold in men's hockey since the "Miracle on Ice" in 1980. Hosts Matt and Myron, joined by David Dennis Jr., unpack the historical significance, emotional impact, and future implications of this win for both U.S. hockey and international sports. They engage with callers who share their reactions and debate whether this moment matches the legendary status of 1980, with thoughtful commentary provided by ESPN NHL analyst P.K. Subban.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Summary and Context of the Gold Medal Win

• Team USA, considered underdogs, defeats Canada 2-1 in overtime. Jack Hughes scores the game-winner off an assist from Zach Werenski at 1:41 of OT, despite losing a couple of teeth earlier in the game.
• Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is highlighted as an unsung hero, stopping 41 of 42 Canadian shots.
• The win comes exactly 46 years after the "Miracle on Ice," where U.S. amateurs upset the Soviet Union before winning gold in 1980.
• Emotional tribute: The team honors the late Johnny Goudreau, who was expected to be on the team before his tragic passing in 2024, by holding up his jersey post-game.

Notable Quote

"Jack Hughes is going to be able to live off of this forever. Like it's not going to matter what he does the rest of his professional career. This will be the biggest thing by far." — Matt (00:17)

2. Comparing 2026 to 1980: Is This a New "Miracle on Ice"?

• Hosts and callers debate if "Miracle on Ice 2" is an appropriate name, given both teams are now comprised of professionals (unlike 1980’s amateur U.S. team).
• Older callers recount their memories of the 1980 game and acknowledge the differences in context, though many express similar pride.
• The conversation mixes humor and nostalgia with realistic acknowledgment of different eras.

Notable Quotes

"History on the line. 46 years ago to the day was the miracle on ice when the United States beat Russia... That was the last time that the United States won the gold medal in men's hockey until today." — Matt (02:44)

"This is not that 1980, there was a bunch of snot nosed kids who beat the best... This is a little bit different." — Caller "Mark" (13:49)

3. The Emotional Power of Sport: Tribute to Johnny Goudreau

• A poignant moment arrives as Team USA honors Johnny Goudreau, whose tragic death two years prior deeply affected the hockey community.
• P.K. Subban: "For them to have an opportunity to prioritize that above themselves in the biggest moment of their lives and put him first...says everything about what the game is about, what we're playing for." (25:25)
• Multiple hosts admit being visibly moved by the tribute.

Notable Quotes

"Sports is... It feels like one of the last things where we can do that in a moment like this." — Matt (04:50)

"When they pulled out the jersey, the Goodreau jersey... It got your brother a little choked up. I was getting a little dusty in here." — Myron (04:41)

4. Hockey Legacy: What Does the Win Mean for the U.S. and the Sport?

• P.K. Subban provides expert perspective: the win signals a major turning point for U.S. hockey, erasing the old narrative of American inferiority to Canadian hockey.
• Subban: "A turning of the page in hockey history... As a Canadian, you look at their [U.S.’s] program, you look at their team like, this is for real. It's for real now..." (27:43)
• Discussion of Canada’s loss of Sidney Crosby and what it means for future international play.
• The hosts joke about Canada’s reaction and the "movie script" that’s sure to follow.

Notable Quotes

"Team USA was the absolute underdog... And we can talk about Hellebuyck. What he did is, you can say, a miracle on ice... He stopped 41 of 42 shots." — Myron (03:37)

"The USA has, and it's for real. It's legit. As a Canadian, you look at their program, you look at their team like: this is for real." — P.K. Subban (27:43)

5. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck: The True MVP?

• Hosts and Subban emphasize Hellebuyck’s "wall-like" performance, calling him arguably the game’s real MVP.
• Critique of the tournament awarding MVP to Connor McDavid (Canada), not Hellebuyck.
• Humorous takes on receiving “Beanie Babies” as consolation at the medal ceremony.

Notable Quotes

"What he did today, my goodness, it was unbelievable... I think that maybe I need to start drinking the Connor Hellebuck tea a little bit more." — P.K. Subban (32:23)

"Also there's a goalie for the United States who I believe stopped 41 of 42 shots. And that's not your MVP. Make it make sense, David." — Matt (38:08)

6. The Broader Cultural Moment: National Pride and Hollywood Storytelling

• Callers link America’s hockey win to a sense of perseverance and pride amid broader international and domestic challenges.
• Hosts imagine a future Hollywood film about the win, casting actors like Timothée Chalamet and Jeremy Allen White, with playful riffs on the formula of U.S. sports movies.
• Lively banter includes playful confusion over actor names and comparisons to past sports drama films.

Memorable Exchanges

"Who's the dude who's in all the movies? The. The young dude. He dates one of the Jenner people." — Matt (07:53)
"It's going to be my guy from The Bear." — Myron (08:21)

"Whoever plays the scarecrow [in Batman]... Killian Murphy... It's going to be Timothy Tomate and Killian Murphy — that's going to be the US versus Canada moment, and I can't wait to see it." — Matt (17:44)

"There are gonna be some people who are offended if we try to call this the Miracle on Ice 2, because the stakes are very, very different." — Matt (09:09)

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Highlighted Audience Reactions

• Several callers recall their own "where were you" stories from 1980, drawing emotional parallels between that day and 2026. [13:49, 15:09, 18:14]
• Callers and hosts agree that while the circumstances are different, the pride and emotions are similar—and a new generation can own a comparable legacy.

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:17–05:00 | Recap of USA’s win, Jack Hughes’s story, Hellebuyck’s performance, Miracle on Ice context
• 05:37–09:32 | Emotional tribute to Johnny Goudreau, discussion of sports legacies, speculation about a Hollywood movie
• 13:49–19:18 | Callers’ perspectives: comparing 1980 and 2026, “Miracle on Ice 2?” debate, patriotism and pride
• 25:25–29:53 | P.K. Subban interview: meaning of the win, culture of hockey, and the U.S. program’s rise
• 32:08–34:14 | Hellebuyck’s performance, discussion of MVP selection, Canadian hockey narrative
• 38:08–39:46 | Controversy over Connor McDavid’s MVP, medal ceremonies, host banter
• 43:44–45:14 | Callers on the meaning of the win for U.S. hockey, cultural parallels to international basketball

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Hollywood Banter

  • "Timothee Chalamet is already reading a script to be Jack Hughes... He wants to write the script and do the movie." — Matt (07:53)
  • "Are we gonna call it Miracle Part Two? ... Cause Too Miracle, Too Furious?" — Myron (09:04)

• On Passing the Torch

  • "I don't care who you are... that was an emotional moment for that team. To say, the first thing we want to do is... make everybody remember that this was a young man who was supposed to be joining us on this victory lap." — Matt (20:11)

• On National Underdog Status

  • "United States as a concept, rarely gets to be an underdog at any sort of situation. And in this one, Team USA was the absolute underdog." — Myron (03:37)

• Symbolic Victory

  • "It just shows the rest of the world that... we may be getting kicked around a little bit, but we're not giving up." — Caller "Chris" (18:17)

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Conclusion

This episode captures the poignancy and pageantry of a historic U.S. sports win, mixing nostalgia and humor with honest sports analysis and emotional moments of communal pride. The discussion, aided by expert P.K. Subban, underscores the lasting impact of Olympic moments—both the legendary and the newly written—and offers listeners an engaging, thoroughly American take on turning the page in the history of hockey.

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For anyone who missed the episode, this summary covers all the key moments, debates, expert commentary, and emotional reactions that made this a notable hour in sports radio.

Transcript

[Matt]

This week, the PGA Tour's best players

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[Matt]

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[Matt]

and the ESPN app. This is Matt and Myron. The podcast Matt and Myron is presented by Progressive Insurance. Making it easy to save money. When you bundle your auto policy with home, condo or renters, you'll earn a policy discount. Easy to bundle, easy to save. Visit progressive.com the United States has just sealed the gold medal in a 21 victory over Canada. They were the underdogs in this game. Jack Hughes, who lost a couple teeth apparently from a high stick earlier in the game, he takes an assist from Zach Warinski at 141 of overtime to win the gold medal. I tell you what, David, I think the thing about the Olympics is, and I believe this about sort of, you know, one hit wonders if, if you will, Jack Hughes is going to be able to live off of this forever. Like it's not going to matter what he does the rest of his professional career. This will be the biggest thing by far. And I feel like the Olympics is one of the few places where you can do something like this and, and automatically your legacy is sealed for eternity.

[Myron]

Well, I mean, yeah, I, I, I think about all the great Olympic moments for people who, like, what Was there the 96 Olympics with the one with hurt her ankle.

[Matt]

Oh, yeah, Carrie Strugg.

[Myron]

Like, I, I remember that moment. You know, the people from these Dominique dolls, people like that, like this, this brother's not going to have to buy a meal for the next 20 years. His life, they go truck him out here every time. Team USA is close to a gold medal, every Olympics. And they're going to talk about what it's like to hit that shot. He's gonna write a book.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Myron]

He's gonna have a Hallmark movie. It's gonna be everything that you need. He's gonna get the full package.

[Matt]

Maybe Mike Aruzioni can retire now. Still gonna be a legend no matter what. But, but Jack Hughes is maybe the modern legend. I'll tell you what, he's not gonna get the same spotlight as Jack Hughes because that's just the way sports works. We credit the person who scores, the person who kicks the field goal, throws the touchdown. But Hallibuck, the goaltender, I don't know enough about goaltending and hockey to understand the nuance of it. But I don't know how he blocked all those shots from Canada. I don't know. But if you really want to say who's the true MVP, I think it was him. History on the line. 46 years ago to the day was the miracle on ice when the United States beat Russia. A bunch of amateurs for the United States playing a team full of pros from Russia. They win, go on to beat Finland in the gold medal game. That was the last time that the United States won the gold medal in men's hockey until today, when they just won 2 to 1 in overtime. 141 to play. David, I know that the stakes are different. This United States team has a bunch of pros. Canada has a bunch of pros. A lot like Olympic basketball, where you're playing Jokic and Luka and these other guys in international competition. What does it mean, though, for the United States, the underdogs, to beat a team like Canada that has dominated the sport for decades?

[Myron]

Yeah. Team usa, in all of Olympics, is rarely an underdog in things like. We rarely get to be like United States as a concept, rarely gets to be an underdog at any sort of situation. And in this one, Team USA was the absolute underdog. And we can talk about Helibut. What he did is, you can say, a miracle on ice. Yeah, he was. There was like, 12 miracles on ISIS just. Just for what he did. Yeah, he stopped 41 of 42 shots.

[Matt]

It's amazing.

[Myron]

41 of 42 shots. And some of these things were on the absolute razor's edge of getting in. And it was really just a miracle that he was able to stop them. He gets all the credit in the world. Like Jack. Like you said, Jack Hughes is going to be the guy here. But Helibook was. Was really the MVP of the game. And I got to say, these things don't get. You know, as a sports fan, I get into it. I. I'm really into the Olympics. When they pulled out the jersey, the Goodreau jersey.

[Matt]

Yes. Yeah.

[Myron]

It got your brother a little choked up. I was getting a little. I was getting a little. It was getting a little dusty in here.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Myron]

When they did that. A beautiful tribute at the end of that game.

[Matt]

Yeah. For those who don't know, Johnny and Matthew Goudreau were struck by an SUV riding their bicycles, I believe before the sister's wedding in 2024. Johnny was on his way to being on this team who's projected to be on this roster. The family's There, I believe, in Milan. And the first thing the team did is they held up Johnny's jersey. And again, that's sports. Right? Like, there are many things where we can all kind of sit around and celebrate and say, man, that's powerful. Like, it's rare. Sports is. It feels like one of the last things where we can do that in a moment like this. I think you saw it for the US to overcome the odds to beat a candidate team that's just been so dominant over the history. I mean, 50 years between gold medals.

[Myron]

Yeah.

[Matt]

That's not just about the development of the United States. That's about who you've had to go through. I mean, that's what the world probably has felt like playing the United States in basketball and how hard it has been to overcome all the talent that we have here. And the United States just beat the odds to go up against Canada and secure the victory. 888 say ESPN. 888-729-3776 what does this win mean for the United States? How important is this victory? I think there are going to be a lot of people who are alive, David, and they were there for 1980 and the miracle on Ice. Different circumstances, but I'm guessing people who saw that probably feel a lot of the same feelings today.

[Myron]

Well, if there's a brother who's going to call, he's going to tell you exactly how old he was when it happened.

[Matt]

Brothers love to tell you how old they are. After age 40, something happens where you got to tell everybody your age and, and what you've been through.

[Myron]

Yeah, he gonna tell you. He said, I'm 52 years old. I remember exactly where I was. I was six when this happened. I remember exactly. I was working the day shift at the factory at six years old.

[Matt]

Exactly.

[Myron]

And I remember like it was yesterday. I've been waiting my whole life for this. 100%, my whole life for this.

[Matt]

They will definitely tell you because they'll know when it happened and where they were. 888, say ESPN. 888, 7293776. What does this victory mean for the United States over Canada? I mean, you said, you brought up a really good point. We're not used to being the underdogs in international competition. In most sports, like how we are is if we are the underdogs, we'll say, well, we don't really play that sport.

[Myron]

Right.

[Matt]

Like, if we, if we're the underdogs or something, we're like, well, of course that's the way it is, you know, world baseball classics sometimes, like, that's not our sport, maybe our first sport. But we don't really like to admit that we play the same sport as these other countries and we're just not as good. But that's been the case in hockey. It's been the case in a few other sports. But to go out there and not even just to win, to win in overtime in this new format, the drama of that, the theatrics, the emotions. Jack Hughes is going to be a legend and somebody's going to play him. Who's the dude who's in all the movies? The. The young dude. He dates one of the Jenner people. Who is he? What's his name? Marty Supreme. Who's Timothee Chalamet? Timothee Chalamet is already reading a script to be Jack Hughes. He's already playing hockey somewhere to get prepared to play Jack Hughes in a movie about this gold medal game. That's interesting. I could see the similarities. Timothee Shamalay is already calling his agent and saying, I'm Jack Hughes in whatever the movie is about this. Like, he's already training. He's already on somebody's ice rink trying to get ready David for the role that he's going to fight to have when they make the movie about he's too pretty.

[Myron]

It's going to be my guy from the Bear. My guy from the Bear looks like he already.

[Matt]

Oh, that's a good one. What's his name?

[Myron]

You know, we have. We having a very black dude, can't name white celebrity.

[Matt]

Jeremy Allen White. What's his name? Jeremy who? I think it's Jeremy Allen White. Let me get it. Jeremy Allen White. As he just. He just said. I don't know if that's right or not.

[Myron]

He could have said. He could have said Timothy Landry.

[Matt]

I'm correct.

[Myron]

That sounds about right.

[Matt]

Jeremy Allen White. Jeremy. Okay. Jeremy Allen White. That's a good one. That's a good one.

[O'Reilly Auto Parts Announcer]

He.

[Matt]

He definitely could play Jack Hughes, but I feel like Timothy Chambly is like, he wants to write the script and do the movie. Are we gonna rename. Are we gonna call it Miracle Part two or. I don't see.

[Myron]

I. I think I'm. Cause Too miracle. Too furious.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Myron]

I think that's what we do.

[Matt]

Here's the thing. There are gonna be some people who are offended if we try to call this the Miracle on ice too, because the stakes are very, very different. And I think that to me is going to be one of the conversations we have coming up 88 say ESPN 888-729-3776. Your calls are next. Matt and Myron the Podcast

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[Matt]

Matt and Myron on ESPN Radio, the ESPN app SiriusXM Channel 80. Ask your smart speaker to play ESPN Radio. Matt Myron is presented by Progressive insurance. David Dennis Jr. Filling in for Matt Jones. I see what y' all did there with the Drake. Drake taking another L. Somehow. Today United States beats Canada 2 to 1 in overtime of the gold medal game, the first gold medal for the United States since the Miracle on Ice which took place 46 years ago. To the day America beats the Russians. They move on to Finland to win the gold medal that year. Before we get to some of your calls, 888 say ESPN 888-72937, 7, 6 on what this win means. David and I were trying to figure out who's gonna play who in the movie about this game, and we found out that, like, we don't know the names of a bunch of white actors, right? We were playing, like, name that white guy. And we just, we just kept being like, hey, what about the dude from the one thing? And we're trying to get help from people and it's not going well.

[Myron]

Yeah, it's the worst game of Taboo in the history.

[Matt]

It is. It is.

[Myron]

It's terrible. It's terrible.

[Matt]

One thing we agreed on, though, is I don't know when the movie's coming out, but they're gonna make the Canadiens look like the dudes who fought Karate Kid. Like, they're gonna make them nasty as they should. Like, that's gonna be the buildup.

[Myron]

There's gonna be 15 dragos on this side.

[Matt]

Somebody. Somebody's gonna jump Jack Hughes at a party before the match, and he's gonna be hurt. And he's got to decide if he can actually play in the game. You know what I mean? There's going to be a whole story, and guess what? I support it because you lost. So if you're Canadian and you get ready to see this movie and you're worried about how you're portrayed, tough luck.

[Myron]

Yeah.

[Matt]

Win the game and then you can write your own script.

[Myron]

You don't have a movie. There's no movie.

[Matt]

But if Tim. What's his name? Tim.

[Myron]

Nobody help. Nobody help him. Nobody help him. Let him keep going.

[Matt]

Timothy Sham. Sham.

[O'Reilly Auto Parts Announcer]

Yeah.

[Matt]

Tim Sham. Shamay is involved. The United States is going to be the hero and everybody else is going to be the villain. And you know what, David? I. I support that in the movie that eventually comes out about this match. What's his name again? Tim. Tim Champagne. Tim Champagne. Tim. Is that his name? Yeah. You got. Wow. Marcus, Sacramento. What does this gold medal victory mean to you?

[Caller 1]

How you guys doing? I started laughing because I am one of those guys you guys were talking about. Old guy. Gonna tell you how old I was, but I'm gonna get away from that. I'll get away from that real quick. And I'll tell you, this is a good event. I was watching it. I was excited. I jumped up when they won. This is not that 1980, there was a bunch of snot nosed kids who beat the best. Beat the best hockey team in the world. And remember, that was the semifinal. Two days later, they fell behind in Sweden and they had to go be Sweden. They ran Them out of there to win medal. And those are a bunch of kids beating the best hockey team on the planet. So it's a little bit different. And we had just boycotted 1980, so we weren't going to Moscow.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Caller 1]

But they sent their Russians over their best hockey team in the world to beat us anyway. And a bunch of snot nosed kids beat them. This is a little bit different.

[P.K. Subban]

This was great.

[Caller 1]

This is not that. This is not that.

[Myron]

Mark, my man, Mark, tell. Giving us a history lesson and telling us why this is not as great. Yeah, well, I wasn't around for then. This is just as great because I'm around for this one.

[Matt]

I think that'll be the conversation, though. I do think there will be some people who are offended by the idea of calling this the miracle on Ice 2.

[Myron]

Yeah.

[Matt]

Because you have pros on both sides. And 1980 was a very different situation with that team. And it's a great documentary on Netflix if you haven't had a chance to see and understand what that all entailed. Don in Oklahoma, what say you about the meaning of this gold medal game?

[P.K. Subban]

Guys, I'm gonna be that guy that you were talking about that tells you where I was and all of that.

[O'Reilly Auto Parts Announcer]

Love it.

[P.K. Subban]

I was, I was 14 years old at my grandma and grandpa's house in a little town called Enid, Oklahoma, watching that game on a, on a black and white TV because that's all my grandparents had. And today, 46 years ago to the day, to watch this team do what they did today is just an amazing amount of pride for this old 60 year old guy.

[Matt]

Let me ask you this. If we call this the miracle on ice 2, would you be offended by that or do you support that?

[P.K. Subban]

Absolutely not.

[Matt]

Absolutely not. What, you don't support it?

[P.K. Subban]

I kind of thought that to myself. This is, this is something that these guys were not expected to do. It's a different circumstance. But we were not expected to win this game today and to do what they did 46 years ago to the day.

[Myron]

Yes.

[P.K. Subban]

I would very, I would very much say that this could easily be the Miracle on Ice too.

[Matt]

I appreciate the call. I mean, again, someone in Hollywood is writing a script.

[Myron]

Yeah.

[Matt]

Like someone is saying, how fast can I get the script up so that we can have this movie in theaters by 2027.

[Myron]

Yeah.

[Matt]

You know, someone's already trying to plan how they get involved. Uh, you know, Leonardo DiCaprio is probably trying to figure out he can be the coach for, for one of the teams. But a movie's Coming out because I think it's just that big of a moment, David. We don't have a lot of historic international moments. We had the Dream Team, but we just kind of steamrolled everybody. Right. But the Olympics kind of sets up this opportunity for people to become heroes. And that entire US Team, I think a lot of people see them as heroes after this.

[Myron]

Yeah. I mean, we're going to have a great movie. We're going to find out that Drake and OVO were fronting the money for Team Canada, giving them all these advantages, all that. The evil empire of October's very own was behind this Canada thing for all this time in usa had to overachieve and they played not like us in the locker room to inspire them when they came out. I mean, this is. It's just writes itself. It's just. It's just a beautiful moment.

[Matt]

Who's the dude who plays the villain in Batman Begins?

[Myron]

There we go.

[Matt]

Here we go. I don't know, but the dude. The dude who's like the. He's like a professor or a psychologist or something, like, he's the one who unleashes the bats. Okay.

[Myron]

On Batman, you're talking about the guy Scarecrow. Yes, Scarecrow.

[Matt]

Whoever plays the scarecrow.

[Myron]

Yeah, From Oppenheim.

[Matt]

Yes, the Oppenheimer. Killian Murphy. Killian Murphy. Murph Kelly and Murphy is going to be in this movie.

[Myron]

There you go.

[Matt]

It's going to be Timothy Tomate and Killian Murphy Timberly Shamalay versus Killian Murphy. That's going to be the US versus Canada moment, and I can't wait to see it. Chris in Chicago, what does this gold medal victory mean to you?

[Caller 1]

Driving around.

[Caller 2]

I'm listening to your show.

[O'Reilly Auto Parts Announcer]

I'm driving around.

[Caller 2]

I'm loving it. This is a big thing because I recall also to go back, I was 12 years old when they did this the first time. And to look at this game in comparison to. What does it really mean? Well, it means a whole bunch, even on the international scene for this reason. There's so much politically around the world and statistically and economically where the US is getting a bad taste in everybody's mouth, and even some of the domestic people are like turning their nose down to this country. Well, it just shows the rest of the world that, you know what, we may be getting kicked around a little bit, but we're not giving up. And that's proof in every heart of every one of those guys who put on that red, white and blue this morning that went out there and they did it for one reason, to bring it back to the red, white, and blue. And I'm very, very proud of what these boys did, even though I had nothing to do with it whatsoever. But, dang it, I tell you what, I had a tear in my hair when I was 12 years old, and I'm 58 years old now, and I got tears in my eyes again. And God bless America, and I'm so glad to see this happen again. And I can't wait to see Miracle on Ice, too.

[Matt]

I appreciate the call. I think that was his campaign speech. I'm not sure, but I think there are a lot of people who feel strongly again. You probably got to be, what, let's see, 46 years ago. So if you're 56 or over. Yeah, 55 or over. You probably remember what you felt like then, what you feel like now. Again, 1980 was a completely different circumstance. Those were amateurs. Like, those were dudes who were not the professional athletes that the Russian team had at the time. And yet they found a way to beat Russia, and then they move on to Finland and win the gold medal. This was not supposed to happen. The United States, they were underdogs. David. And you mentioned something I think is important, the Johnny Goudreau. To see the team holding up the jersey after Johnny and his brother Matthew were struck and killed by an SUV while riding their bicycles in 2024 on the eve of their sister's wedding. Such a tragic event.

[Myron]

Yeah.

[Matt]

To hold up that jersey. I don't care who you are or what you believe or what you think, that was an emotional moment for that team. To say, the first thing we want to do is not pump our fists and to celebrate together, but to make everybody remember that this was a young man who was supposed to be joining us on this victory lap.

[Myron]

Yeah. I mean, when you talk about emotional moments in sports history, that's got to be up there. That's got to be up there. Like, I'm not somebody who gets overly emotional about much, especially sports. I cheer. I'm happy for all that stuff. But when I saw the jersey and they were holding it in tandem, giving them a lap around the ice, I mean, that is just one of those things you'll never get. Like, we're talking about, like, all kidding aside, we're talking about movie.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Myron]

We're talking about this is this go. This goes in the movie. This is absolutely part of the movie.

[Matt]

Well. And you can't do it outside of this. Yeah, I don't think you can do this outside of international competition. Right? You know what I mean? It's hard to get everybody on the same page, everybody on one side and then the history to know that that's not a team that you're not supposed to beat, that's a team you're never supposed to beat. And yet it happens today. The 21 victory. Incredible action. Jack Hughes with the game winning goal in overtime. Hellebuck 41 of 42 shots were stopped by him. 888 say ESPN 888-729-3776. What does this victory mean to you? Coming up, we're going to take more of your calls to have that exact conversation about this gold medal victory for the United States. Matt and Myron the Podcast.

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[Matt]

This is Matt Myron on ESPN Radio. The ESPN app series XM channel 80. Ask your smart speaker to play ESPN Radio. Matt Martin is presented by Progressive Insurance. Miss anything on today's show? Listen to the Matt Myron podcast. Available wherever you get your podcast. 888- say ESPN 888-729-3776 the United States has just won the gold medal in hockey for the first time in almost 50 years, 46 years to the day since the Miracle on Ice. The United States beaten Russia, advancing to play Finland. And what an incredible moment, an incredible event. And who better but to add perspective to what just happened than P.K. subin, ESPN NHL analyst. PK, thank you for joining us. I tell you what, I was doing okay with the celebration until they brought Johnny Goudreau's two little kids out to take a photo with the team. What does a moment like this mean for the sport, the national team, and for those guys who just won the gold medal for the United States?

[P.K. Subban]

Well, for us, our product is always and always has been the players. And it's not just because of how they perform on the ice. It's because as a culture in hockey, there's an understanding that no one's bigger than the game. And you know, things like that though, are bigger than the game. And our players understand that. They prioritize that. They prioritize building bridges. They want to bring people together. And our game is welcoming and that's the message. And you know, when you think about the United States and the growth of the game in the United States, it's a powerful message on an international stage to have something like that. We just don't listen. There's a lot of things that we see on these platforms at times they can, that can pull on those emotional strings. But that's pretty strong. And you know, for me, as a player that played the game, you know, not only did I play against it, I shared and played games against Johnny Goudreau. I was an all Star with Johnny Goudreau. I knew him, knew his family. So to understand those players, there's some guys in that locker room that may not have known Johnny, but there's a lot of guys in there that were really close to him. And for them to have an opportunity to prioritize that above themselves in the biggest moment of their lives and put him first, who's not there and put his families first, who didn't play in the game says everything about what the game is about, what we're playing for, you know, and that's what I mean when I tell. Talk to you about hockey players, about us fighting, it's not always about with your fists, you know, that's not what I mean, to fight. It's about fighting for the purpose of why we play and what you believe in, right? You got to fight for your family, you got to fight for your teammates, you got to fight for your country. But more importantly, you have to. You have to be able to fight for the opportunity to influence. A lot of people invest in this. So we see ourselves as role models, and we carry that not to anybody else's expectation, just to our own, within our culture. And I think we set the tone today in a big way.

[Myron]

So, as we all know, is that Team USA was underdogs here against Canada, perennial favorites. But just to contextualize, for folks who may not be as familiar, just how big of an upset was this by Team usa?

[P.K. Subban]

Well, you have to consider that. I mean, first of all, upset is very, very difficult to say now with how evenly matched the two countries are in talent. You know, and that's what you saw today was there's a lot talent in both countries. I don't see this necessarily as an upset, but I definitely see it as, you know, a turning of the page in hockey history. You know, I'm Canadian. I still believe that we're the number one, you know, hockey power in the world. But the reality is, is we have to prove that again. And no one's putting us in a position in a very long time to have to prove that. The USA has, and it's for real. It's legit. As a Canadian, you look at their program, you look at their team like, this is for real. It's for real now, and it's going to be for real in two years at the World cup and other potential Olympics or NHL international events. Like, it's going to be tested. But they have the foundation and the structure to step up to the plate again when challenged. And I think that's what we're seeing. That's what we saw today. There's also a calmness to them. They expected to be there. They expected to win. You know, you don't see that as much either, you know, in our sport, in terms of other countries towards us is Canada. So for me, losing Sidney Crosby definitely is the biggest loss. I know everybody wants to play it down, but the moment he went down, that changed everything in the tournament. He was supposed to be the third line center on that team, which we know he's not a third line center. But that was, was the matchup advantage. When it was all said and done, no matter what happened that Canada could fall back on and he wasn't there. That was the guy in 2010, the guy in 2014 that kept us as the number one power in hockey on the planet. So things have changed. They are changing. Canada's got to regroup. But for Team USA and the USA program in the country, this is very much for real and very much something to celebrate. This is, this is an amazing moment in hockey in the USA and an amazing moment for the game. Like, the game is the needle move today in a big way.

[Matt]

He's P.K. subin, ESPN NHL analyst. I'm Iron Metcalf. David Dennis Jr. Filling in for Matt Jones here on Matt and Myron. Pk, hold on a second. So are you saying that we're going to have to deal with Canada saying, yeah, you won, but we didn't have Sidney Crosby? Is that going to be their narrative and will that be justified?

[P.K. Subban]

Well, the reality is, is that, okay, it might be a fair point, but it doesn't really matter. Sidney Crosby is where he is in his life and in his career. Right? We would love to see him for another two Olympics, but we see where the game is going. We see where Macklin Celebrini is 19 years old. Where is he going to be in another four years? So the windows of opportunities to win like this for Canada with Crosby are dwindling. And we don't know where this leaves us. But we do know this. With him in the lineup, we're pretty much undefeated. Like, you know, we know that we tilt the ice with him in that lineup, and it just hasn't been proven without him in a really, really long time. So, you know, it's a fair argument, but it's, it's inevitable. It's, it's, it's, it's in the future of what Hockey Canada looks like. Sidney Crosby won't be a part of that team you know, for generations to come. So, you know, this was a glimpse to the next wave of hockey. Canada athletes and players that are playing for Team Canada that, hey, listen, you know, we know what we have to do to get better. We see the margin of difference. It's not far. I mean, Team Canada could have won that game today easily. So it's not that they were out of the game. I thought they dominated for parts of the game. But the difference is, is not having a guy like CB Crosby, I don't care how you slice it, how you draw it up, not having that guy in the lineup tonight is the difference if he's there, definitely. I think that Team Canada maybe even can pull this thing off in regulation. And I'm not saying it would have happened, but it could have been a different game. The reality is, is that none of it matters. It's all speculation. Team USA won, they weathered the storm. And one of their youngest talented prospects, who we're going to be looking at as Canadians for the next couple generations, put them over the top since 1980. So it's a. It's a recipe for disaster for every other country, but for the usa, it's the best tasting cake you can bake.

[Myron]

Jack Hughes, of course, is going to be the story of the guy who made the game winning goal, but kind of Hellebock, what he did was remarkable. How was he able to pull off what he did today? Blocking, stopping 41 of 42 shots throughout the game?

[P.K. Subban]

Well, we refer to goalies as walls, you know, when they don't stop, when they stop all the pucks. But I don't know what type of cement they use to build him. My goodness, there's no holes in this kid's foundation. And I, once again, I've seen Connor Hellebuck in the playoffs, I played against him. I've seen a lot of his body of work. I've never seen a golden ending performance from him in his career like that. Not even close. And from. From start to finish, there was never a point where he looked shaky, where he looked like he was leaky, like he was unsure of him, gay, like of his game, of his positioning, of his angles. None of that rebound controlled on fuego. No buena every time. Grade A opportunity, second and third saves. He's not a ballroom dancer there. He's break dancing when he needs to. Like, I loved his game today. He went out and took that game. He didn't sit back and let it come to him. And when it looked like the kitchen was getting hot, that's when he looked the most calm. So, you know, I don't know. I, you know, I think that maybe I need to start drinking the Connor Hellebuck tea a little bit more because, you know, I haven't been his highest praiser. I will say that I like Shisterkin and some of the other guys goaltenders in the league, but what he did today, my goodness, it was unbelievable, that performance to watch. So I'm, I'm all for Connor Hellebuk in that performance today. That was the number one difference maker. And if you're watching that game and you watch Kale Makar and Quinn Hughes, but Kale Makar probably was the best player on the ice outside of Hellebok. He and Quinn Hughes were dominant every time they were on the ice. But noticeably for Canada, they had to shift that momentum at different times and he was always in the mix. Connor Halibut blew him out of the water with that performance. So that, that's how good Connor Hellebuk was today.

[Matt]

He's the great. P.K. subin, ESPN NHL analyst PK, thanks as always for your time.

[P.K. Subban]

Thanks, guys.

[Matt]

808- say ESPN 888-729-3776 what is the meaning of of this victory by the United States? The first time they've captured gold in men's hockey in almost 50 years. Coming up next, we'll take more of your calls. Matt and Myron the Podcast.

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Thanks very much for having me. Michelle.

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Without question, cancer rates are rising across the board. And concerningly, we are seeing more aggressive cancers in people even in their 20s and 30s.

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[Matt]

Myra metcalf, David Dennis Jr. Filling in for Matt Jones here on Matt Myron on ESPN Radio. The ESPN app, SiriusXM channel 80. Ask your smart speaker to play ESPN Radio. Matt Myron is presented by Progressive Insurance. Miss anything on today's show? Listen to the Matt Myron podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. We're gonna take some of your calls. Eight at eight, say ESPN 888-729-3776. But first, the United States just won a gold medal in men's hockey over Canada. The first gold medal in nearly 50 years for the United States. 46 years to the day since the miracle on Ice. They just announced MVP of the tournament. David Connor McDavid, the Canadian.1 MVP of men's hockey in the tournament to win the gold medal is the same kind of McDavid who won the cons. My trophy, MVP in the standard cup even though his team lost. Let me just say this. I am against anybody winning MVP in any sort of playoff situation if their team didn't win a championship. What are we doing? I don't care how many points you score, if your team lost, you can't be the mvp. And also there's a goalie for the United States who I believe stopped 41 of 42 shots. And that's not your MVP. Make it make sense, David.

[Myron]

It doesn't. And I think, I mean, we don't know what kind of McDavid's reaction to this is, but don't give me no MVP if I have not won. I don't want a trophy. I don't want to take the trophy home because I'm not going to put it in my. I'm not going to put on my mantle.

[Matt]

Yeah. What do you do with that trophy?

[Myron]

I'm not going to hang it up. I'm not going to do anything special with it. Also, did you see what somebody needs to. I haven't seen any of the. The actual metal ceremonies. What are these Beanie Babies everybody's getting.

[Matt]

I don't know.

[Myron]

There's like, you see every. You see the stuff, stuff, things. And I saw them handing them to Team Canada and don't give me no. Don't give me no bd, baby. If I've lost, give me my silver medal.

[Matt]

Let me go.

[Myron]

The guy hand them to him. Look like he was saying, I'm. I'm. Hey, I just got to get these to you, dog.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Myron]

I don't want you. You know, like, don't. You know, I just got to do what I got to do. I'm just paid to get handed these Beanie babies. That's it. You know.

[Matt]

Is this going to be like Drake fans for a year? Like, I think we didn't have Sidney Crosby. You know what I mean? There's a new format in overtime. It was three on three. Are they going to be doing that?

[Myron]

Check my streaming numbers. Exactly. They might be. That sort of thing.

[Matt]

Are we going to get that from Canada? I mean, the kind of McDavid MVP feels like, let's just give Canada something again.

[Myron]

Right?

[Matt]

His performance was epic, I think. I mean, how many goals did he have in the. In the tournament? 2 goals, 11 assists. He was incredible. But I think this across all of sports, don't give anyone MVP if their team didn't win the championship. Yeah, I don't care how good they were. It wasn't good enough. And Connor McDavid is a great player. We get it. But he got the MVP of the Stanley cup even though his team didn't win.

[Caller 3]

How.

[Matt]

And now the guy who is the leader of the Canadian team that just lost to United States somehow gets MVP over a Jack Hughes game. Winning goal, Connor Hellebuck, stop, 41 to 42 shots. I just don't understand that idea. Don in Los Angeles, what does this game mean to you?

[Caller 3]

Hey, fellas. Oh, man, I am ecstatic. I'm so happy for our guys in the hockey sense, you know, because it's like third time's the charm, you know. These guys were the nemesis Canada. We couldn't get Past these guys, we finally did it, you know, but it's not, you know, obviously it's not like Miracle on Ice. That literally was David versus versus Goliath. And somehow David got it done. Hallelujah. But in this case, we're, as the. Mr. Subam just said, yeah, it's very evenly matched, you know, but this time, you know, they beat us in that four teams nations challenge, whatever it was. But still we split two games in that we won the first game, but they won the one that counted for that particular title. But in this one, we got it done. You know the business about Sid the kid. Well, you know, it's hard pill to swallow, but only the strong survive. Out with injuries or whatever. Say nobody, nobody cries for us. They say, suck it up. Only the strong survive like that.

[Matt]

100. I appreciate the call, David.

[Myron]

Yeah, I'm. I'm not buying the. The Sidney Crosby injury angle of it. I get. Injuries happen. It's part of the game. We still got an exciting game. If he would have coulda. All that stuff doesn't matter to me. This was an exciting game. Went down to the wire. Team USA wins. And if Conor Helebuk had been injured, I probably would have been saying the can only won because Hellebok was injured. But that didn't happen. No, that didn't happen. And that's how we show patriotism on this show.

[Matt]

Can I tell you, David, I don't care about it in any sport.

[Myron]

Yeah.

[Matt]

Like, I don't want to hear Broncos fans tell me about Bo Nix.

[Caller 3]

Right.

[Matt]

I don't care. This is sports. Like, this is what happens. Right. Go cry on somebody else's shoulder. I don't want to hear it from Canadians if they think they lost this game because Sidney Crosby was unavailable. You're supposed to be superior in every way. They gave your star MVP even though you lost in the gold medal game. And you made a great point, David, what do you do with that MVP trophy if you're Connor McDavid, like, next to the MVP, you just wanted the Stanley Cup.

[Myron]

Yeah. You got to give a trophy to somebody who's going to actually chair. That's that. That should come into consideration. Right. You should give the trophy to somebody who's actually going to do something with it. Because that, like, you want them to. You build, not a trophy.

[Matt]

Yes.

[Myron]

And you're giving it to them. You want them to put it somewhere. If I am Connor McDavid, maybe after I win.

[Matt]

Yes.

[Myron]

Some Stanley Cups. Right. Maybe after I win some more gold medals. Maybe I'LL come back and say, all right, we could put some of these MVPs up somewhere. But I, you know, from, with Jerry west, because Jerry west won MVP when losing way back in the day. He never seemed to be somebody who was really into having that. Right. Like, to me, it's part of honoring the trophy itself and giving it to somebody. Like, like, even in the NBA All Star Game, Kawhi Leonard had 31 points in about three and a half minutes and the game and did not win mvp because, you know, you do not give MVP to the guy who lost.

[Matt]

And that's the way it should be. I know we're both love is blind fans in this season. There's a guy who starts to give the, hey, you're such a great person and you have all these incredible qualities. And the woman stops him and goes, I'm not going to take another one of these speeches about how great I am. That's how Conor McDavid probably feels in this moment. Everyone telling him how great he is. He's got another mvb, but no medal or championship to show for it. Jeremy in Arizona, what say you about the meaning of this gold medal victory? Oh, it means everything to me because I wasn't around for, I wasn't around in 1980, but my grandpa, you know,

[Caller 3]

he, you know, he definitely educated me growing up about how big of a deal that was. But I think it just means a lot because, you know, the Canadians, you know, they've had our number for years

[P.K. Subban]

and, you know, now it's, now it's

[Caller 3]

nice that, you know, to say that, hey, you know, we have a, we have a gold medal and the Canadians still haven't won a Stanley cup in 30, 32 years. So I'll take it.

[Caller 1]

Thank you.

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[Matt]

Yeah, I mean, what would it, what would it say? I mean, that'd be like if we were playing internationally, you know, let's say the NBA expands and they go to Mexico and, you know, some other countries, and all of a sudden we went years, decades without an American team winning the NBA championship. And then an international competition, we suddenly lost to Spain. I mean, that's what Canadians are experiencing. David, this isn't just about this game. This is about who they are on the national stage right now in 2026.

[Myron]

Yeah, this is about way more than that. And coincidentally, I mean, NBA is not even, we're not even worried about losing in international competition. We're not worried about. But just even not having MVPs. American born MVPs is a point of consternation in the mid. That's how dominant they are. So thinking about team like losing something like this and being beaten by an underdog, look, it came close last time and to be honest, Team USA in basketball, that guy Victor Womenyama is going to be there.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Myron]

In 2028.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Myron]

LeBron ain't going to be there. Stephanie hours, Katie ain't gonna be there. So we're doing all this hooting and hollering right now. We may be on the wrong side on the basketball side in a couple years for a little bit of time. So, you know, enjoy this, enjoy the hockey win.

[Matt]

So you said a lot of brothers gonna become hockey fans.

[Myron]

Yeah, there'll be a lot they don't

[Matt]

want to deal with. Wimby and these are beach all in hockey.

[Myron]

We gonna be up in there talking about, well, hey, hey, man, France may have won, but bam, Adebayo was hurt.

[Matt]

Guys, it's gonna be brother showing up to the rink in Timberland booth.

[Myron]

There you go. There you go.

[Matt]

Get ready for it. Hockey Tune in for NBA action today as the warriors host the Nuggets. Presented by Indeed. Coverage begins at 3:00pm Eastern on ESPN Radio. On the ESPN app, an interesting back and forth between Shaq and Carl Anthony Towns last night. We're going to talk about that next here on Matt and Myron. As always on ESPN Radio. Thanks for listening to Matt and Myron the Podcast. You can listen to the show live every Sunday Morning at the 10:00am Eastern on ESPN Radio, the ESPN app, and

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[Matt]

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