Team USA won their first Olympic gold medal since 1980 on Sunday. Just as their tournament win was, their celebration afterward was one for the record books.
After smashing some beers in their locker room and even during their postgame media availability, the team took their celebration to the Olympic Village. There, they entered their official after-party with friends and family, carrying glasses of wine and Golden Goal scorer Jack Hughes on their shoulders, while playing Aerosmith’s “Dream On” on a portable speaker.
Once inside the party, Pat Kelleher, USA Hockey’s executive director, Connor Hellebuyck, and Hughes all led toasts.
The bulk of the speeches highlighted the efforts of the players’ support networks to get them to this pinnacle point of their careers.
“These guys know it better than anybody,” Kelleher said. “The people that are in this room, the friends and families that help get these guys here, deserve a huge round of applause because you guys did it. I want to thank, on behalf of our organization, all the friends and family, all of our coaches, all of our staff, all of our people that are involved to get these guys where they can do what they had to do for us and for our country. Ladies and gentlemen, from the United States of America, the gold medal men’s hockey team!”
Hellebuyck, the winning netminder, was then prodded to grab the mic by his teammates. “Helle, Helle, Helle,” they all chanted.
“I want to thank all of you,” Hellebuyck said. “You guys helped each individual here get to where we are. Boys, I’m so proud of the chemistry. Every little detail, every little thing that you guys did to get here. It mattered, and it mattered the most on the biggest stage.”
After Hellebuyck, the emcee duties were passed to Hughes, who spoke through his newly chipped and missing teeth. The 24-year-old forward scored the Golden Goal just 1:41 into overtime against the Canadians.
“Obviously, so many people, everyone in this room, has helped us so much to get to this point,” Hughes said. “We’re champions for a lifetime. We’re so proud to be here. We’re so proud to be American, and what a night for USA Hockey.”
Urged on by Kelleher, forward Dylan Larkin ended the formal portion of the party and began blasting “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, the team’s goal song throughout the tournament, through the team’s speaker.
Jack and his brother Quinn Hughes, Hellebuyck, and Larkin later joined NBC’s Mike Tirico for a mid-party interview. It went about as well as expected.
“I mean, it’s just so special,” a clearly inebriated Quinn Hughes said. “I just want to thank our troops for allowing us to play this game. Thank all the support back home. Very special to be a part of this group. It’s awesome. We’re gold medal.”
The less sober, more party-friendly atmosphere followed the players’ emotional tribute to the late Johnny Gaudreau on the ice earlier in the day. Auston Matthews, Zach Werenski, and Matthew Tkachuk carried Gaudreau’s number 13 jersey around the ice at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, and Werenski and Dylan Larkin got Gaudreau’s children to pose in a team photo.
