In a thrilling rematch just three weeks after the United States captured gold at the Olympic ice hockey finals, they repeated their triumph by defeating Canada again in Sunday’s Paralympic ice hockey final, securing back-to-back gold and completing an unprecedented sweep of the sport across both Olympics and Paralympics.
Jack Wallace’s hat trick proved pivotal as the Americans emerged victorious with a 6-2 win over Canada. This marks not only the first time the United States has swept the hockey tournaments at the Games but also their fifth consecutive Paralympic title, under the leadership of captain Josh Pauls. While the U.S. men’s team celebrated its historic gold at the Olympic level for the first time since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980, the Paralympics have seen a markedly different trajectory.
For seven consecutive editions, the United States has dominated the Winter Paralympics. Canada’s latest loss to the U.S., this time at Milan Cortina, came after they secured gold at Turin in 2006 but now find themselves without a Paralympic ice hockey title since then.
Elsewhere, China earned its second consecutive bronze medal by rallying from an early deficit and securing victory against Czech Republic with a final score of 3-2. Sunday’s finale broke the record for spectators at a major sports tournament, as nearly ten thousand fans packed into the venue, with the previous record set during preliminary matches earlier in the competition.
This win sets the stage for China’s pursuit of gold on Saturday, aiming to close out their Paralympic journey with another victory. As the final scores were tallied, it was clear that the United States had once again left an indelible mark on history at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.