Team USA's Gold Medal Win Over Canada Was An All-Timer And Eddie Olczyk And The NBC Broadcast Team Brought Their A-Game
The game was incredible.
Overtime thriller.
Team USA's first Gold Medal in hockey since 1980.
A game so good you couldn't bury your head in your iPhone because you were worried you might miss something.
Sometimes, in these big moments, the announcers are just along for the ride. But on Sunday morning, the NBC Olympic Hockey Broadcast Team brought their A-game, adding to the game's intensity, drama, and significance.
It might be the best game broadcast I've ever watched.
Yes, I thought Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Mike Tirico, Kathryn Tappen, Brian Boucher, and the whole production team were that good.
It started early on Team USA's first goal. I'd like to show you the entire clip, but there are strict rules and regulations about using Olympic highlights. But seconds after the Boldy goal, as you can hear at the end of this clip, Eddie Olczyk is already telling viewers to watch the play the Boldy makes before the goal.
Boldy had pushed the puck ahead and then tipped it to himself in the air to set up the goal. Insane play; it was so fast it was impossible to see in real time, at least for this viewer. But Eddie O was on it right after it happened, and NBC has sick replays.
NBC got the clip of the bar in Mansfield, MA, where Boldy's mom worked. Great pull.
And right after the goal, Kathryn Tappen had a story about Matt Boldy's dad talking about his son working on his hand-eye coordination as a young kid watching the Bruins' games. Perfect timing after one of the sickest moves you'll ever see.
On the Save Of The Century by former UMass Lowell River Hawk Connor Hellebuyck, again, Eddie O was ahead of the play. Even before the replay, he mentioned that he thought the goaltender hit his stick on it, rather than the puck just sliding across the crease. He called it his paddle, I think, but he's a hockey guy and allowed to do that. Lo and behold, on the replay, yep, he was right. What a save and what a call.
Going into OT, Olczyk correctly predicted it would end in under five minutes. Right again.
Advertisement
Kenny Albert is a terrific hockey play-by-play guy, and even on a fast-moving play, I thought he nailed the game-winner.
Once he called the goal, he got out of the way and let the crowd noise and camera work take over. He did the same later when the cameras found the distraught Canadian players watching Team USA celebrate. Albert called a great game.
Again, I can't post clips for fear of a penalty, but there were moments when Olczyk was able to be critical of Team USA's performance. He correctly pointed out that they were lucky to have survived that third period. In fact, with about seven minutes to go, he said Team USA would love to sign for OT and get out of the final frame tied 1-1.
Again, he nailed it.
The Jack Hughes post-game was an all-timer. Tappen did a great job.
The coverage of Team USA celebrating the memory of Johnny Gaudreau was tremendous all game and especially in the postgame, with Olczyk talking about what he meant to the people of Philadelphia.
Tirico was excellent at setting up the game before, during, and after. He's so good. The broadcast did just enough Miracle-themed material to avoid overshadowing this team's effort here in 2026. He's the best guy doing it right now, in the booth or in this role.
I'll say no commercials also helps a game like this, and NBC did a good job with those breaks. Replays were timely. Camera work was crisp.
This game was an all-time, remember-where-you-were-50-years-from-now type of game. These types of games are pretty rare. It's even rarer when the broadcast can match a game this big.
The fact that the game was so good helped, but this broadcast was one of, if not the best, I've ever watched as a sports fan. Beginning to end, the broadcast matched the game. And it was led by Eddie Olczyk's A+ work in the booth.
Just give the NBC Broadcast team the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Live Event now. They earned it.