BILLINGS — Whitefish native Jake Sanderson is an Olympic gold medalist.
Jack Hughes' goal 1:41 into overtime lifted the United States to a 2-1 victory over rival Canada to clinch the first goal medal for the Americans' first men's hockey gold medal in 46 years Sunday at the Santagiulia Arena in Milan, Italy.
In the 3 on sudden-death overtime, Hughes took a pass from Zach Werenski during an odd-man rush and beat goalie Jordan Binnington for the winning goal.
Sanderson, a 23-year-old defenseman participating in his second Olympics, helped the United States go 6-0 at the Milan Cortina Games and claim its third hockey gold and its first since the Miracle On Ice team won in 1980 in Lake Placid.
In six games at the Olympics, Sanderson finished with two assists and was minus-1 overall with 10 shots on goal. Sanderson had two assists in Team USA's 5-1 rout of Germany last Sunday to wrap up preliminary play.
Matt Boldy gave the U.S. the lead with a goal at 6:00 of the first period. Cale Makar tied it at 18:16 of the second to tie it for Team Canada.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 42 saves to backstop the United States to victory, many in dramatic fashion. His stops on Devon Toews and Macklin Celebrini in front of the net in the third period stood out.
Early in the second period, Sanderson had a quality scoring chance with a shot from the left faceoff circle but the puck sailed wide of the post to the left of Binnington.
But Sanderson later helped Team USA kill a crucial 5 on 3 Canada power play. Sanderson and the Americans were a perfect 17 for 17 on the penalty kill at the Olympics.
Team Canada was playing without captain, two-time gold medalist and national hero Sidney Crosby, who was injured earlier in the Olympics.
Sanderson is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada — he was born in Whitefish in 2002 and grew up playing in the Glacier Hockey Association before relocating to Calgary, Alberta, with his family when he was 12. Sanderson played college hockey at the University of North Dakota and was later selected fifth overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
Sanderson has elected to play internationally for Team USA, including in previous competitions at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the World Junior Championships, the Ice Hockey World Championships, and the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off.
"Just to be able to represent Montana and Whitefish as a town," Sanderson told MTN Sports' Scott Breen during an interview in Las Vegas in February 2024, "it’s pretty special to me."
