The American men’s Olympic hockey team often brings to mind the underdog story of the 1980 college team defying expectations.
However, Saturday night in Milan presented a different narrative: a powerhouse U.S. team, brimming with NHL stars, faced a scrappy Danish squad comprising mostly European-based players and only a few less prominent NHLers.
For a tense period, it seemed history might repeat itself as Denmark took an early lead, then scored again to finish the first period up 2-1. Frustrations boiled over when Team USA’s Brady Tkachuk delivered a punch to Oliver Lauridsen at the buzzer. One could almost hear a Danish announcer preparing to exclaim: “Tror du på mirakler? Ja!”
Ultimately, however, no such miracle unfolded. The formidable U.S. team, spearheaded by a goal and an assist from the Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel, overcame Denmark with a 6-3 victory, maintaining a perfect 2-0 record in the Olympic hockey tournament.
This game carried an unexpected geopolitical undercurrent. For over a year, President Trump had expressed his desire to annex Greenland, a Danish territory. Just hours before the puck dropped, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, told an audience at a European security conference in Munich that “the pressure on Greenland is unacceptable.”
With NHL players back in the Olympic Games for the first time since 2014, expectations are soaring for North American giants like the U.S. and Canada. The American team will need to avoid falling behind against stronger opponents as the tournament progresses into its crucial stages.