adminIt was a night to remind every American what patriotism looks like on the world stage: on February 22, 2026, Team USA edged Canada 2-1 in overtime to capture the men’s Olympic hockey gold, with Jack Hughes burying the sudden-death winner 1:41 into OT — the first U.S. men’s title since 1980. This wasn’t a feel-good fluke; it was hard work, grit, and a roster that refused to quit when the pressure was highest.
Goalie Connor Hellebuyck stood on his head all night, turning away wave after wave and giving the Americans a chance to win when it mattered most. Matt Boldy’s early strike and Cale Makar’s equalizer set the stage for a classic, but Hellebuyck’s performance — the backbone of this run — proved that elites perform when duty calls.
Meanwhile, if you watched the left’s response you saw precisely what Carl Higbie so bluntly called out: a segment of the media and online crowd that seems determined to be miserable no matter what Americans accomplish. Higbie’s FRONTLINE rightly pointed out how easily some turn national triumph into another culture-war grievance, and viewers saw those clips play out across the usual outlets.
Let’s be honest: the left’s impulse to politicize sport has become naked. Guests on Higbie’s show even argued for vetting athletes’ patriotism before cheering them on — a stunning suggestion that would turn cheering for your country into a litmus test rather than a celebration of achievement. That line of thinking makes enemies out of teammates and turns every victory into an occasion for moral preening instead of national pride.
What Team USA did on the ice was simple and pure — honor the moment, lift the flag, and remember those they lost along the way, a reminder that real Americans value brotherhood and sacrifice over partisan virtue signaling. Fans and players alike poured raw emotion onto that ice, proving again that patriotism unites far more than a thousand hot takes ever will.
So let the left stew in its perpetual outrage while the rest of us enjoy a hard-earned victory. Watchmen like Carl Higbie will keep calling out the media’s sourpuss reflex, and patriotic Americans should keep celebrating moments that bind us together — because winning for the red, white, and blue is worth a little joy, not another lecture.
