Kenny Albert delivered one of the most electrifying calls of the 2026 Winter Olympics on NBC as Jack Hughes scored the overtime golden goal to secure Team USA's first men's hockey gold medal since the legendary 1980 "Miracle on Ice."
In the gold medal game against arch-rival Canada at the Milano Cortina Olympics Sunday, the teams battled to a 1-1 tie through regulation. The game went to 3-on-3 overtime, where Hughes—assisted by Zach Werenski—poked the puck around Cale Makar, received a cross-ice pass, and slipped it through Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington's legs at 1:41 of the extra period for a dramatic 2-1 victory. Albert, NBC's veteran play-by-play announcer (joined by color commentator Eddie Olczyk and analyst Brian Boucher), captured the frenzy perfectly. His call built with rising intensity:
JACK HUGHES DELIVERS AMERICA'S GOLDEN MOMENT IN OVERTIME. pic.twitter.com/4foFDOri53
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 22, 2026
“And it’s Werenski, now Jack Hughes, pokes it around Makar! United States with numbers! Back across it comes! JACK HUGHES WINS IT! THE GOLDEN GOAL FOR THE UNITED STATES! FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE 1980 MIRACLE, THE UNITED STATES TAKES THE GOLD!”
The line evoked chills for many viewers, tying the modern triumph directly to the historic upset over the Soviet Union in Lake Placid.
Albert later added post-goal reflections like calling Hughes "the overtime hero for Team USA" and noting the goal's place in American hockey lore.
Fans and analysts praised Albert for rising to the occasion in a high-stakes rivalry game—especially poignant on the anniversary of the Miracle on Ice.
This wasn't Albert's only standout call of the Games; he also handled electric overtime winners earlier in the tournament, including one by Jack's brother Quinn Hughes. But the Jack Hughes clincher against Canada stands as the defining broadcast moment of USA Hockey's triumphant return to Olympic glory with NHL players participating.