Windsorites Reacts to Canada vs U.S.A. Gold Medal Match
- o3rianna YT
- Feb 23
- 3 min read
Starting at 7:00 a.m. last Sunday, February 22nd, Canadians across the country woke up, made or bought snacks, prepared their drinks, turned on their televisions, or headed to local bars and restaurants to tune in to the Canada vs. U.S.A. hockey match for the Olympic gold medal.
In Ontario, bars and restaurants were allowed to begin serving alcohol at 6 a.m., allowing people to drink and enjoy the game together.
Windsor was included in this, with multiple locations across the city putting the game on their televisions to host watch parties for the highly anticipated final Olympic Game.
Restaurants in Windsor, including The Lumberjack and Cramdon’s, opened their doors early to allow fans to order ahead and focus fully on the game, with locations such as The Goat in LaSalle doing the same.
“Let’s all come together, support local businesses, and cheer on Team Canada!” said Doug Ford in a post on X on Friday afternoon.
It was revealed in the hours before the game began that Sidney Crosby would not be playing due to an injury he sustained in the game against Czechia.
Despite this and the early start, customers at the Lumberjack, along with staff, remained in high spirits, filled with excitement and hope for a gold medal.
At 8:10 a.m., the puck dropped and the game began.
The United States started off strong with a goal six minutes into the game, scored by Matt Boldy with assists from Auston Matthews and Quinn Hughes, striking early pain into the Canadians.
Windsorites at the Lumberjack audibly booed and made comments on the game as Canada continued to fail to score.
Canada didn’t back down, taking multiple shots on net but to no avail, outshooting the U.S. 8–3.
Near the end of the first period, Shea Theodore of Canada received a two-minute penalty for hooking, which occurs when a player uses their stick — specifically the blade — to impede, pull, or tug on an opponent’s body.
Despite this, Canada continued to play as the first period ended and, during the second period, obtained a 5–3 player advantage against the United States but failed to secure a goal.
None of this deterred Canada, as the team continued to fire shots on the American net. Near the end of the second period, Cale Makar scored Canada’s first goal of the game with an assist from Devon Toews.
Windsorites eating breakfast and watching the game all stood up and cheered for the two men, with one man, Brian Caudle, saying, “Now that we got a goal, that proves they’re beatable.”
As the third period began and went on, there were multiple shots on both nets, with a particular shot by Devon Toews blocked by Connor Hellebuyck.
Tensions rose as Canada took multiple shots at the net, prompting loud reactions, including yelling and a few curses from Canadian fans after missed opportunities and close calls, particularly when Sam Bennett received a four-minute penalty.
Despite many attempts from both teams to secure a winning goal, the end of the third period came and passed, putting the game into overtime.
Overtime began with a puck drop at the 60:00 mark and ended at 61:41, when Jack Hughes scored with assists from Zach Werenski and Connor Hellebuyck, securing the gold medal for the United States.
The game left Canadians everywhere heartbroken, with cries and shouts echoing through homes, bars, and restaurants across the country.
Despite the loss, Canadians around the world agreed that the team gave it their all, with CBC commentators noting that Canada led the game in shots and played hard throughout.
Although he did not play due to injury, Sidney Crosby came onto the ice at the end of the game to comfort his teammates, with Viva La Vida playing in the background as the game concluded.
It was a tough game, but Canada still took home the silver medal, finishing the 2026 Winter Olympics with five gold medals, seven silver medals, and nine bronze medals in total.
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