American Preds Thrilled With Gold Medal Result at Olympic Winter Games

Brady Skjei was almost 5,000 miles away from Milan, Italy, on Sunday morning as the United States defeated Canada in overtime to win the Gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games, but he may have still played a small role in the victory.

The American defenseman, who captured his own Gold at the World Championships for his country last May, couldn’t wipe the smile off his face after Nashville’s practice following the third Olympic Gold in USA men’s hockey history.

And as Skjei discussed his overjoyed feelings for his fellow countrymen, a teammate - but rival on Sunday - Steven Stamkos wanted to make sure the Minnesota native revealed how he squashed the superstitions of the Canadian.

“So, we're watching the Canadian game against Czechia [on Thursday] that they won in overtime, and we’ve got our spots on the couch right in front of the TV [in the players’ lounge],” Skjei recalled. “Stammer wanted to switch today, because I was in his spot when [Canada] won, but I stayed strong. I think that might’ve been the difference with the U.S. winning.”

Whatever it takes.

As Jack Hughes scored the overtime winner less than two minutes into the extra session, the Americans in the room - Skjei, Michael McCarron, Cole Smith, Nick Blankenburg and Nick Perbix, as well as a handful of support staff - couldn’t help but rub it in for any Canadian within earshot.

“It was wild,” McCarron smiled. “I mean, obviously we have a ton of Americans in here and a ton of Canadians, so the banter back and forth was fun. It's fun to be a part of… You don’t usually watch a high stakes game at 7 a.m., so that was fun this morning. To have a coffee with them and have some breakfast and chirp each other back and forth, it was fun.”

“I think it was the first time in a long time I've set my alarm that early,” Blankenburg said. “I got up at 6:30 and was the first one here at 7:15 to watch the game. So, I got a coffee and just hung on the couch. It was cool to be around the guys, and obviously we’ve got a couple of Americans here, so we had a nice little celebration. That’s pretty cool for us to experience it.”

Predators Head Athletic Trainer Kevin Morley, who served as a trainer for Team USA at the Olympics, was seen on television hugging players with a smile much wider than the newfound gap in Hughes’s teeth following a third-period high stick - a blemish that made for epic photographs in the aftermath of the goal that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

The magnitude of the game that began shortly after 7 a.m. in Nashville is difficult to summarize.

In hockey circles, especially for those of American and Canadian citizenship, it seemingly meant everything. And even for those who don’t typically follow the sport, the allure of the rivalry that transcends the game was too much to ignore.

A game like this has delivered a boost to hockey before. The U.S. and Canada Gold medal game at the 2010 Olympics did something similar, as did last season’s Four Nations Face-Off finale that saw Canada beat the U.S. in overtime.

Chances are this spectacle will bring fresh eyes as well, and those who know the game better than most can’t wait to see the result.

“I think just for U.S. hockey in general, to see just how much it means to the players, I feel like we haven't seen that in a long time,” Blankenburg said. “We had the Four Nations last year, and I think that was obviously huge for the game, too… It just shows how much we care. I feel like there's so many sports that are glorified here in the U.S. with football, basketball, baseball and everything, too. So, it's cool to see hockey kind of take that step and hopefully just continue to grow the game.”

“We saw last year with the Four Nations, the draw that that tournament brought to the game and how many people were watching - I mean, couldn't script a better overtime game,” Skjei said. “And the Olympics for a Gold medal, USA versus Canada, it was great.”

Regardless of their NHL address or the nationalities across the roster, Sunday morning was a celebration of the sport. And for the Americans, the final result delivered a sense of pride that only comes around every so often in this medium.

That’s what the game of hockey has the power to do, and on this occasion, it delivered for the red, white and blue.

“It’s pretty sweet,” McCarron said of the win. “They earned it. They had heartbreak last year [with the Four Nations loss], and it shows the character of USA Hockey to show back up and have another Golden goal in the Olympics. And it's really cool to see the USA do it - and not to mention that I thought it was pretty special at the end there, they're carrying around [Johnny] Gauderau’s jersey out there, and to see his parents, they’re so proud. And it means a lot to USA Hockey.”

“I don't even play on the team, and it’s a pretty surreal feeling for me,” Blankenburg said. “I'm just so happy for those guys like [Blue Jackets defenseman Zach] Werenski, the Hughes brothers, and I saw the interview with Jack [Hughes], and you could just see the shock and the emotion of just how much it means to him, and obviously how much it means for the country, too, and how proud we are to be Americans. It's pretty cool to see good buddies be able to live out that dream and represent the country.”