USA women's hockey sings national anthem arm in arm after Olympic gold medal win: 'The best part'

The United States women’s crystal hockey squad stood arm-in-arm, proudly singing the nationalist anthem aft stunning Canada 2-1 successful a thrilling overtime triumph to seizure the golden medal astatine the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics connected Thursday.

"It’s the champion part. The champion f---ing part," Team USA skipper Hilary Knight, who was mic’d up by NBC’s broadcast for the moment, exclaimed arsenic the arena announcer asked the assemblage to basal for the nationalist anthem. 

Team USA celebrates singing the anthem with the golden medal astatine the triumph ceremonial aft the women’s crystal hockey golden medal crippled betwixt the United States and Canada, 2-1 successful overtime, connected Day 13 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena successful Milan, Italy, connected Feb. 19, 2026. (EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)

The golden medalists were joined by the American fans astatine the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena successful belting retired "The Star Spangled Banner." 

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"When you lone get to perceive your nationalist anthem 1 time, and it’s if you win, it's unbelievable," guardant Taylor Heise told KSL-TV’s Sam Farnsworth of the moment. "Getting to perceive that nationalist anthem, and getting to beryllium connected [the podium] with your girls, and to observe that large triumph is huge."

Knight stood by her declaration that this women’s crystal hockey squad is "America’s team." 

"To find occurrence connected the satellite signifier representing your country, I mean – and the anthem going, it’s conscionable incredible," she told KSL-TV.  

United States' Kendall Coyne, left, and United States' Hilary Knight observe aft the triumph ceremonial for women’s crystal hockey astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics successful Milan, Italy, connected Feb. 19, 2026. (Hassan Ammar/AP Photo)

HILARY KNIGHT MAKES OLYMPIC HISTORY WITH DRAMATIC GAME-TYING GOAL THAT SPARKED TEAM USA GOLD

Knight made past scoring the game-tying extremity with 2:04 near successful regularisation to unit overtime. The people marked her 15th extremity and 33rd constituent of her Olympic career, some U.S. records. Megan Keller recovered the backmost of the nett with a backhander 4:07 into overtime to unafraid the golden medal. 

"This team’s got truthful overmuch resolve. Never quit. Always acceptable to combat and spell to battle," Knight said. "It’s conscionable a testament to the mentation of our radical and the emotion that we person successful that room, and the mode we recovered a mode to get the occupation done astatine the extremity of the night."

The absorption present shifts to the men’s crippled arsenic Team USA hopes to triumph different gold. They look Slovakia successful the semifinals connected Friday. 

Megan Keller (5) celebrates with a emblem alongside Cayla Barnes (3) of Team United States aft scoring the game-winning extremity successful overtime during the women’s golden medal lucifer against Canada connected Day 13 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena successful Milan, Italy, connected Feb. 19, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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"We were talking astir it past night; we were talking astir it again this morning," Coach Mike Sullivan said of the women’s golden medal win. "It’s a large thrill. Those girls, what a terrific hockey team, and they’ll beryllium an inspiration for the adjacent procreation of girls increasing up successful the United States. ... We couldn’t beryllium much arrogant of them."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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