San Francisco Giants pitcher Paul Skenes joined the celebrations as the United States men’s ice hockey team won gold in Milano Cortina on February 22. Skenes watched from a distance as the Americans beat Canada 2-1 in overtime. This was the last game of a historic sweep that also included the women’s gold medal earlier in the week. However, a comment from Skenes after the win deepened the cut for Canada.
Skenes gave a simple answer when asked about the men’s team’s overtime win over Canada: “It’s cool. That’s what the USA does. We win.” Skenes’ relaxed confidence showed that something deeper was going on: America was going to win Olympic ice hockey no matter what. The United States didn’t just win; it made a strong statement by beating Canada in both the men’s and women’s teams, which was the defining moment of the sweep.
The context around Skenes’ statement is very important. February 22, 46 years to the day after the Miracle on Ice at Lake Placid in 1980, the United States beat Canada 2-1 in overtime. Jack Hughes scored the golden goal in a dramatic way, keeping the American tradition of winning in Olympic men’s ice hockey alive. This was only the third gold medal for the US in Olympic history in this sport, and it was the first since that famous win in 1980. The women’s win and the men’s gold sweep showed that American institutions are the best in competitive international play.
When the final seconds ran out in Milano, the Giants’ clubhouse erupted in USA-USA chants. This shows how deeply the Olympic moment affected all of professional sports. Jack Hughes, the 24-year-old hero who lost a tooth taking a hard hit in the third period, understood how big the achievement was. “I can’t even believe this,” Hughes said. “I mean, it’s such an unbelievable game, USA-Canada. Such a good game. There’s so many great players. We’re a great team. That’s exactly how we wanted it to go. We’re underdogs to Canada, [but we] beat them. It could have gone either way.”
Pittsburgh watches Paul Skenes deliver in Spring Training
Every time Paul Skenes steps onto the field, he shows that he means what he says about winning. The Pirates ace showed up for Spring Training on February 19 at Pirate City in Bradenton, Florida, ready to take over. He struck out six batters and only gave up one hit over three-inning segments. The guys he faced weren’t easy outs either. Oneil Cruz, Marcell Ozuna, Ryan O’Hearn, and Nick Gonzales are all professional hitters who are trying to get into a groove this spring.
