Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe won an Olympic gold medal Sunday without playing in the tournament as the United States defeated Canada, 2-1, in overtime in Milan, Italy, the Americans’ first men’s hockey gold medal since 1980.
Under Olympic rules, all players on the rosters of medal-winning teams receive medals.
The Canadian team included Kings defenseman Drew Doughty and goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Doughty played in all six of Canada’s games as he sought his third Olympic goal medal. He also played for the Canadians in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics.
Kuemper was in uniform for three of Canada’s six games but did not play. He was not in uniform Sunday.
NHL players did not play in the 2018 Olympics because NHL owners opposed shutting down the regular season for several weeks and the International Olympic Committee and the league could not reach a agreement on covering travel and insurance costs.
The NHL did not allow its players to play in the 2022 Olympics after the regular-season schedule was disrupted due to increasing COVID-19 cases and a rising number of postponed games.
LaCombe did not dress for any of the six U.S. games in the Olympics, all victories. He was added to the team Jan. 21, 22 days before its opener, replacing Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones, who suffered an upper-body injury when he was hit with a puck in the first period of the Winter Classic on Jan. 2.
LaCombe, who turned 25 on Jan. 9, is the third-youngest defenseman on the U.S. team and its fifth-youngest player.
LaCombe was selected by the Ducks in the second round of the 2019 NHL draft, the 39th overall selection, following his senior season at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, an Episcopal boarding and day school in Faribault, Minnesota, known for its renowned boys’ and girls’ hockey programs.
He played the next four seasons for the University of Minnesota, leading Golden Gophers defensemen in points and goals each of his final three seasons and helping the team to three Frozen Four appearances.
LaCombe made his NHL debut on April 11, 2023, the Ducks’ next-to-last game of the season. He has played 204 NHL games, with 22 goals and 75 assists. He signed an eight-year contract extension before the start of this season, which goes into effect next season. It is worth $72 million, the most lucrative agreement in franchise history, according to The Orange County Register.
The U.S. won the gold medal on a goal by New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes 1:41 into overtime, off assists by Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
Overtime in Olympic hockey is played with three skaters per team, two fewer than in regulation. The NHL has the same rule for overtime.
The victory came on the 46th anniversary of the U.S. victory over the Soviet Union in a final-round game in the 1980 Olympics. The Americans won the gold medal two days later with a 4-2 victory over Finland. If the U.S. had lost to the Finns that year, the Soviets would have won the gold medal.
The Americans opened the scoring 6 minutes into the game on a goal by Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy off assists by Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes.
Canada tied the score on a goal by Cale Makar 18:16 into the second period, off an assist by fellow Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews.
The United States had lost four of its five games against Canada in the five previous Olympics that have included NHL players, including the gold medal games in 2002 and 2010.
The U.S. had never won a men’s hockey Olympic gold medal outside the United States. In addition to their 1980 victory in Lake Placid, New York, the Americans won the gold medal in 1960 when the Olympics were held in Squaw Valley, California — now called Palisades Tahoe.