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Team USA is off to a hot start in men’s ice hockey at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, as they defeated Latvia, 5-1, to open their play on Thursday night.
While the team is filled with young talent, it was the oldest player on the team, 34-year-old Brock Nelson of the Colorado Avalanche, scoring twice for the U.S. in the second period to lead the squad in scoring.
Nelson was patient with his first goal, which broke a 1-1 tie in the second period when New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes found him in front of the net, and Nelson dangled his way around Latvia’s Elvis Merzlikins in net for the 2-1 lead.
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Brock Nelson of United States celebrates his goal with teammates during the Men’s Preliminary Group A match between Latvia and United States on day six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 12, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (RvS.Media/Robert Hradil)
Then, with less than one minute to play in the second, the U.S. found themselves in prime position to blow the doors open when Hughes got the puck again from Matthew Tkachuk.
As Hughes surveyed the ice, Nelson didn’t waste any time with the one-time shot from a nifty pass that found the back of the net for his second goal of the period.
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Earlier in the game, Nelson scored on a beautiful tip on a shot at the blue line by Team USA. But Latvia won its second challenge of the first period on goals, as referees determined goaltender interference affected the result.
Before Nelson’s called-back goal, Quinn Hughes was also denied a goal after the Latvian bench challenged for offsides before the play. They were correct, and thus, the score remained 1-1.
Brady Tkachuk of United States celebrate his goal on day six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 12, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Andrea Branca/Eurasia Sport Images)
Brady Tkachuk, the brother of Matthew, got things going earlier in the game, though, as he potted a nifty wrister over the glove of Merzlikins 5:29 into the game.
Things got interesting, though, when Renars Krastenbergs won the fight for the puck in front of Team USA’s net just over a minute after the Quinn Hughes goal was called back, hitting a backhand past Connor Hellebuyck for the score.
That was the only offense Latvia would earn, however, with Hellebuyck facing just 18 shots to Team USA’s 38.
Tage Thompson and Auston Matthews were both power-play goalscorers for Team USA, with the former’s coming in the second period to make it a 3-1 game, while the latter potted a point-blank shot on his in the third to seal the victory.
Brock Nelson celebrates goal with Matthew Tkachuk and Jack Hughes by his side in the 5-1 win over Latvia on Feb. 12, 2026 at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games. (RvS.Media/Robert Hradil)
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Team USA did what it was supposed to do against Latvia, and they should be heavily favored against the host Italian team on Saturday.
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