Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Sports Business

MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conf ’26

by

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – For a forward-looking group of MIT mathematicians, scientists, data-divers, sports analysts and masters of business candidates, there’s quite a bit of reminiscing done each year when the annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (SSAC) tips-off each March, here at The Seaport in Boston. Looking backwards to find opportunities going forward is not a bad thing, so let’s look at the typical pontifications of veteran SSAC attendees:

  1. There’s the “I was there when it started group.” That’s a reference to a very small handful (136 people) of MBA candidates who were on hand for the inaugural 2006 SSAC, launched by Jessica Gelman and Daryl Morey, and staged in classrooms and common space on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.
  2. There’s a group, called “the visionaries” by Gelman. Together with ESPN’s buy-in and the inevitable desire for growth, a group of sports industry icons, media, luminaries and even the President of the United States of America got the place jumping over the massive growth periods for the conference – call it 2009-present.
  3. ESPN’s commitment coincided with massive participation by the sports network’s talent, including executives like John Walsh, John Kosner, and Marie Donoghue, along with columnists and writers such as Bill Simmons, Jackie MacMullan, Marc Stein, John Hollinger, and Henry Abbott. The influx of ESPNers improved the conference make up, including everything from moderating panels to in-depth interviews conducted on stage.
  4. It was Simmons who tagged the conference Dork-a-Palooza and the moniker was seconded by Mark Cuban, entrepreneur and former owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks who relished in the vibes of analytics. The Dork has out-paced the lifers, so maybe Dork-a-Palooza is an expression to forever be retired from this column.
  5. Add Bill James (Society for American Baseball Research, aka SABR), Michael Lewis (Moneyball), Nate Silver(writer/analyst at Baseball Prospectus and later the founder of political online site FiveThirtyEight), and Jonathan Kraft (President of the New England Patriots, an early investor in Boston-based Draft Kings fantasy sports/gambling site), and you were looking at the “the growth stage.”
  6. By the time 2014 rolled around, we were treated to an amazing “meeting of the minds” when author Malcolm Gladwell sat down to interview NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. The SSAC had hit the big time, unless you think a panel with President Barack Obama might top the Gladwell-Silver “above the title” flick.
  7. Yes, while Obama was visiting his oldest daughter, Malia, at Harvard University, he stopped by for an “off the record” chat with conference co-founders Gelman and Morey. (How could you expect them to delegate that interview to Bill Simmons)? – That might been the zenith for the once quiet, quaint sports analytics conference.

Along the way, the frequent complaint was whether the team owners, general managers and coaches would ever respect the analytics side of the equation enough to incorporate the number crunching into the strategy. That question was answered emphatically, especially in baseball and basketball as along came the relief pitchers and along came Golden State’s Steph Curry and the three-point field goal barrage that literally changed Dr. Naismith’s game.

If you were paying attention, the likes of Shane Battier, Sue Bird, Elton Brand, JJ Reddick, Steve Kerr, or Steve Nash, were there to tell you about the changing games, as were coaches like Mike D’Antoni, Mike Brown, Dave Joerger, David Fizdale and a host of team GMs and basketball operations gurus to map out the strategies. Reddick even focused on the jobs of former players who were plumbers or firemen.

Panel discussions delved into everything from improvements in the NBA refereeing systems to a total overhaul of the NBA’s schedule-making – an undertaking when all the great ideas were plugged into the state-of-the-art computers to find out it would only take 20+ years for the program to run and spit-out the perfect schedule for the games to be played, starting some seven months later.

Whether you look at it as good news or bad news, 2,500 participants from 31 countries, 630 different organizations, and representatives from over 80 teams and leagues will come together for the 20th edition of the MIT SSAC ‘26 which starts tomorrow morning at 8:30am with Opening Remarks by Gelman and Morey in a packed “Bill James Room” at the Seaport.

Among the highlights this year at the 2026 SSAC:

  • ESPN and Draft Kings Reshape Sports Betting for the Fan – Discussion with Stephen A. Smith, Kevin Neghandi and Burke Magnus of ESPN along with Draft Kings CEO Jason Robins.
  • What Six Years of AI Taught Us – SeatGeek’s Derek Zhou
  • The Next Play – AI’s Impact on Emerging Sports
  • A Conversation with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, led by Sue Bird
  • Where the Game Grows: Venues, Markets and Global Strategy
  • The Re-Invention of Golf
  • The Next Generation of Content |Unlocking Immersive and Interactive Sports Content
  • Unconventional Thinkers – a think tank panel of Morey, Sue Bird, Jay Sugarman (Philadelphia Union) and Nate Silver, moderated by Boston’s own Jackie MacMullan.
  • Innovation in Sports Leagues with Jessica Berman (Commissioner of NWSL) and Valerie Camillo (Chair of WTA), with Contessa Brewer, CNBC
  • A 1-on-1 with MLS Commissioner Don Garber, speaking with Jessica Gelman
  • Men in Blazers and the EPL
  • The Future of Hockey – Engineering the Next Era of Growth, with Bill Daly (NHL Deputy Commissioner), Warren Zola, Exec Director, BC’s Chief Executive Club, Marty Walsh, Executive Director of the NHL Players Association and Meghan Chayka, Co-Founder and CEO of Stathletes
  • Hot Takes: Celebrating 20 Years of SSAC
  • And, a Pablo Torre Finds Out Podcast, Live from the SSAC

Among many, many other interesting panels, break-outs, competitive research paper reviews and presentations.

It’s all packed into two fun-filled days at the Seaport Convention Center, a small gathering of your 2,500 best friends.

Personal Note: I’ve enjoyed the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics conference from its second year on. Coincidentally, the first year, I was asked to speak at Boston University’s sports management symposium which was held at the same time with the nightcap being my first “Hot Stove, Cool Music” concert at The Paradise.

(Where’s Eli “Paperboy” Reed when you need him)?

Two quick take-aways:

  1. Over the years, I’ve met so many smart and interesting people both within and out of the sports industry. The wide-ranging knowledge brought to sports is simply amazing, often ground-breaking and sometimes, just not enough to crack the big time.
  2. The Conference has grown so much that it’s become difficult to meet-up with colleagues, all being pulled in different directions for different panel discussions and topics. At first, I stayed in the “basketball lane,” but in recent years, it’s been more of a deep dive into everything else. … Think of it: Sports Gambling in the USA was just the “concept of a plan” when we first sat down at MIT Sloan. Now?

There will be more to come – depending on what merits coverage – with columns on Digital Sports Desk or maybe this week’s edition of TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook (available on Substack).

Women’s Sports Doesn’t Need More Moments, It Needs IX to Five

by

NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Horizon Sports & Experiences, a sports marketing, media and live experiences agency, and TOGETHXR, the popular women’s sports media company, recently announced IX to Five – a game-changing joint venture built to supercharge the business of women’s sports. IX to Five will focus on creating, developing, and commercializing  women’s sports content through premium storytelling, unique intellectual properties, signature live experiences, and high-value brand partnerships.

The joint venture launches with an initial content slate of programming featuring fan-favorite talent: the StudBudz, professional basketball players Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, and Lily Shimbashi, founder of Sportsish, known for her fresh perspectives on sports and pop culture.

The collaboration harnesses TOGETHXR’s powerful storytelling engine, deep athlete relationships, and built‑in multi‑platform audience, combined with HS&E’s expertise in IP development, sponsorship and media rights consulting, and experiential marketing to unlock long‑term value for brands, athletes, creators and fans alike.

IX to Five launches at a key inflection point as the industry experiences unprecedented growth across viewership, valuations, and fan and brand engagement. Created in response to a clear and growing demand for authentic and engaging women’s sports content, IX to Five signals a commitment to build an always-on ecosystem that extends beyond content or one-off-activations into scalable platforms and enduring cultural properties.

“Women’s sports is a high-growth, big ROI business,”  said David Levy, co‑CEO and Founder of Horizon Sports & Experiences. “IX to Five was born out of the industry’s need for infrastructure and a year-round strategy to turn unprecedented momentum into sustained media and commercial impact. We are creating a scalable platform which complements HS&E’s premium programming, for brands to invest in a more meaningful, authentic way.”

“Women’s sports doesn’t need more moments — it needs infrastructure that turns momentum into careers, culture, and commerce,” said Nancy Dubuc, Executive Chair of TOGETHXR. “TOGETHXR has helped move the space from ‘after hours’ attention to “always-on” storytelling, and this partnership with Horizon Sports & Experiences accelerates that shift — building a platform where athletes, creators, and brands grow together year-round.”

Winter Olympics Score Ratings Gold

by

STAMFORD – (Wire Service Report) – NBC Sports struck ratings gold this month with its coverage of the Milan Cortina Olympics on NBC stations and the streaming platform Peacock. The network averaged 23.5 million viewers to become the most watched Winter Olympics since Sochi in 2014, while marking a 96% ratings improvement over the 2022 Beijing Games.

Embed from Getty Images

Highlight moments across the two weeks of Olympic coverage included the opening and closing ceremonies, Alysa Liu’s gold medal in women’s figure skating and gold medals for both the women’s and men’s ice hockey teams, each with victories over Canada.

“The Milan Cortina Olympics proved once again that the American audience will gather in large numbers over 17 days to experience this unmatched global competition,” NBC Olympics president Gary Zenkel said in a statement.

The viewership data, through Nielsen, is through Thursday and subject to revision.

NBC reported that all 15 days when competition took place saw at least 20 million viewers per day. Peacock and NBCU digital platforms averaged 3.3 million viewers daily.

According to Nielsen, Milwaukee led all markets with a 13.7 rating and a 49 share. That was followed by Minneapolis, Fort Myers, Fla., Pittsburgh and Dayton, Ohio.

The Milan Cortina Olympics were part of a busy sports month for NBC, which included Super Bowl LX, the most-watched show in the 100-year history of NBC and the second-most watched show of all-time across any network. The month also included the most-watched NBA All-Star Game since 2011.

–Field Level Media

Ciao Bella: Milan-Cortino Magic

by

VERONA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) Italy said a fond farewell to the Winter Olympics on Sunday with an open-air ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena that celebrated art and sporting achievement at a Games lauded as a model for how to stage such events.

Embed from Getty Images

The Games, formally co-hosted by Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, have been spread across a large area of northern Italy and passed off smoothly, with Italy also bagging a record haul of 30 medals.

The baton now passes to the French Alps, which are expected to follow a similar blueprint of using multiple existing winter sports venues in 2030 to reduce the environmental impact.

“Grazie Italia per questi Giochi magici! (Thank you, Italy, for these magical Games),” said International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry.

“You delivered a new kind of Winter Games and you set a very high standard for the future,” added Coventry, overseeing her first Olympics.

The next Summer Olympics will be in Los Angeles in two years’ time when the IOC will seek to develop a new business model, and its efforts to separate sport and politics are likely to face a daunting challenge.

MELONI PRAISES ITALIAN ACHIEVEMENTS

The closing ceremony was entitled “Beauty in Action” and featured leading Italian ballet dancer Roberto Bolle who performed an aerial routine, as well as a tribute to opera and dance music from DJ/producer Gabry Ponte.

“The Olympics have given us unforgettable emotions and a sense of pride that will remain with Italy for a long time to come,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on X, adding that the organization had “brought prestige to the entire nation.”

Meloni was among the crowd in the Roman amphitheater renowned for staging opera and pop concerts in the heart of the northern Italian city made famous as the setting for William Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet.”

Security was tight around the 2,000-year-old arena, with barriers set up to limit access and a helicopter circling overhead. Some tourists were surprised to find access to the main Piazza Bra restricted.

Hundreds of people marched through Verona a few hours before the Olympics closing ceremony to protest against housing costs and environmental concerns linked to the Winter Games.

The “Olympics? No thanks” rally was organized by university groups and associations that oppose hosting an event they say disrupts forests, pours concrete onto fragile land and deepens social inequality.

ATHLETES LET THEIR HAIR DOWN

However, with the Olympic medals won and lost, the tone of the closing ceremony in the arena was relaxed and free-wheeling.

Tickets were priced from 950 euros ($1,120) to a top level of 2,900 euros. Many of the athletes were in attendance but some seats appeared to remain empty on a chilly but clear evening.

Damiano Tommasi, mayor of Verona, and a former Hellas Verona and AS Roma soccer player, said staging the ceremony in such a historic location was “something unprecedented in Olympic history.”

“Personally, it motivates me to work towards planning a bid for the Summer Games in Italy, which have been missing for far too long,” he added

Rome hosted the Olympics in 1960 and the Italian capital dropped a bid for the 2024 Games, which were held in Paris.

–Reuters, special to Field Level Media

Golden Hour

by

MILAN – (Wire Service Report) – USA forward Jack Hughes scored at 1:41 of overtime to lift the United States to a 2-1 victory against Canada in the gold medal game on Sunday at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

YouTube player

Hughes scored with a sweeping wrist shot from the inside edge of the left circle off a feed from defenseman Zach Werenski. The goal gave the Americans their first Olympic gold medal since the Miracle on Ice in 1980. Matt Boldy scored on the first shot of the game for the U.S. and Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves.

Defenseman Cale Makar scored and Jordan Binnington made 26 saves for the Canadians, who were trying for their 10th Olympic gold medal. Canada was outshooting the U.S. 4-0 when Boldy split between Makar and Colorado Avalanche teammate Devon Toews at the Canadian blue line.

Toews had the best chance at snuffing out the play, but he whiffed on his clearing attempt. Boldy continued skating in on Binnington before sliding a backhand between his pads for a 1-0 lead at the six-minute mark of the first period.

Hellebuyck stopped Connor McDavid on a breakaway just before the midway point of the second period, and the Canadians failed to capitalize on a 5-on-3 power play for 93 seconds.

Embed from Getty Images

The penalty kill for the U.S. went 18-for-18 in the tournament.

The Canadians avoided trailing at the start of the third period for the third straight game when Makar received a pass from Toews above the right circle and fired a wrist shot into the net to tie it 1-1 at 18:16.

Canada outshot the U.S. 19-8 in the second period to take a 27-16 advantage into the third.

Hellebuyck continued to make a string of miraculous saves early in the third, reaching back with his stick to tip a shot by Toews and then stopping Macklin Celebrini twice on a breakaway.

Canada was leveled by a four-minute double-minor high-sticking on Sam Bennett at 13:26 of the third, but the U.S. couldn’t capitalize for the first three minutes. The rest of the power play was negated by a high-sticking penalty on Hughes.

Canada played its second straight game without star captain Sidney Crosby, who was injured in the 4-3 overtime win against Czechia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Crosby scored the overtime winner for Canada in a 3-2 win against the U.S. in the gold medal game at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010.

–Field Level Media

USA Routs Slovakia; Canada is Up Next

by

MILAN  – (Wire Service Report) – The United States made light work of Slovakia with a 6-2 victory on Friday to set up the eagerly awaited Olympic men’s ice hockey final with Canada. Team U.S. was on cruise control heading into the final period, up 5-0 through Dylan Larkin, Tage Thompson, Jack Eichel and a double from Jack Hughes, before Brady Tkachuk scored between a pair of Slovakian consolation goals.

Embed from Getty Images

NHL players returned to the Olympic Games following a 12-year absence and expectations had been high that the North American rivals would reap the benefits and face off in the decider.

The U.S. obliged with ease after Canada’s tense 3-2 semifinal win over defending champions Finland, and the sides will meet in Sunday’s gold-medal decider at Santagiulia Arena.

Slovakia will take on Finland in Saturday’s bronze-medal game at the same venue.

–Reuters, special to Field Level Media and Digital Sports Desk

Canada’s Crosby Might Play vs. USA

by

MILAN – (Wire Service Report) – Captain Sidney Crosby missed Canada’s semifinal victory over Finland on Friday but has a chance to play in Sunday’s gold-medal game of the Milan Cortina Olympics, according to head coach Jon Cooper. Crosby, who is nursing an apparent right leg injury, watched from the wings as Canada scored a late winner to overcome a two-goal deficit and down the Finns 3-2 in Friday’s early semifinal at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Embed from Getty Images

“We have 48 hours to decide that, but I will tell you he’s got a better chance of playing in the gold-medal game than he had playing in tonight’s game,” Cooper told reporters postgame Friday.

The United States faced Slovakia in Friday’s second semifinal. The losing team will oppose Finland in the bronze-medal game Saturday.

Connor McDavid served as captain in Crosby’s absence for the semifinal and assisted Nathan MacKinnon’s game-winning power-play goal with 36 seconds remaining.

Sam Reinhart tipped in an earlier power-play goal and defenseman Shea Theodore tied the score midway through the third, helping Canada remain perfect in the tournament.

“We’re putting our country through it. A lot of stressful mornings for everyone back home,” McDavid said in a postgame interview with CBC. “But you know what? It’s been fun. It’s a best-on-best tournament. I keep on saying that. We’re playing the best teams in the world, the best players in the world, and they’re going at it and giving everything they have. The margins are razor thin.”

McDavid added he was “keeping the ‘C’ warm” for Crosby, who spoke to teammates in the locker room between periods. MacKinnon and Cale Makar were alternate captains against Finland.

Crosby was injured in Wednesday’s quarterfinal round as Canada rallied to defeat Czechia 4-3 in overtime.

“With what he’s done for the game, for our team, for all of Canada, we want to show up for him,” forward Brad Marchand said.

With six points in four appearances, Crosby is Canada’s fourth-leading scorer in Milan, trailing McDavid (13 points), Macklin Celebrini (10) and MacKinnon (seven).

One of the NHL’s most decorated players, the 38-year-old Crosby has 1,746 career points in 1,408 games over 21 seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and led Canada to Olympic gold at Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014.

–Field Level Media

Canada to Go for the Gold

by

MILAN –  (Wire Service Report) – NHL All-Star Nathan MacKinnon capped Canada’s extraordinary fightback to beat defending champions Finland 3-2 in a men’s Olympic ice hockey semifinal, firing in the kill shot with 35.2 seconds left on the clock in another nerve-searing game on Friday.

Embed from Getty Images

The NHL’s leading goal-scorer, MacKinnon made magic happen at Santagiulia Arena with just one second left on a power play after Canada clawed its way back from a two-goal deficit in the second period.

Forward Sam Reinhart scored to spark the comeback, while defenseman Shea Theodore got the third-period equalizer for Canada.

Canada will face the United States for the gold, as the USA was significant winners over Slovakia on Friday. Finland will play in Saturday’s bronze-medal game. The gold-medal game is set for Sunday.

‘IT’S A CHESS MATCH’

The favored Canadians, with their roster packed with top-flight National Hockey League talent, had looked nearly untouchable early in the tournament, but have been made to work in their last two games. Canada needed an overtime nail-biter to get past the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Their charismatic captain and former Olympic hero Sidney Crosby left that game injured and Canada were lacking some of their usual firepower as he sat out Friday’s game.

Canada had just three shots on goal through the first half of the opening period, and Finland got the chance it was waiting for when Sam Bennett was sent to the penalty box for goalie interference.

Mikko Rantanen scored three seconds into the power play and Finland piled on more pain early in the second period, when Erik Haula sent in a short-handed goal with a backhand shot.

“The start of the game, everybody’s so excited to play, and so amped up, so much adrenaline, it’s just kind of natural, you get a little bit of a feel out process,” said Canada forward Brad Marchand. “Some of these teams you haven’t played before. It’s kind of a chess match.”

The Canadians moved the right pieces around on the next power play, with defenseman Cale Makar blasting the puck through traffic toward the net, where Reinhart deflected it in to trim the lead. Theodore rocketed in a slapshot from the point to tie it midway through the third.

The Canadian joy overflowed with MacKinnon’s mighty shot in the waning moments of the game off an assist from Connor McDavid to avoid overtime. But the fans were made to hold their breath as officials weighed a challenge from the Finland bench for offside that ultimately proved unsuccessful.

The win kept alive North American fans’ hopes for a gold-medal showdown between the two preeminent ice hockey powerhouse nations, with the NHL allowing their players to compete at the Games for the first time since 2014.

–Reuters, special to Field Level Media

Keller Wins Gold, Flies Like an Eagle

by

MILAN – United States’ defender Megan Keller, of Boston College,  took an outlet pass to the net and beat Canada goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens for the gold-medal winning goal at 4:07 into overtime to give Team USA a 2-1 come-from-behind victory on Thursday.

Embed from Getty Images

The 3-on-3 overtime ending capped a tense finish of another epic game for the in women’s hockey finale between the neighboring North American countries.

US Captain Hilary Knight scored her 15th career Olympic goal to force overtime for the United States in the final, which featured overtime between the two countries for the third time in the past four Winter Games.

Knight knotted the score at 1 with 2:04 remaining on the goal that made her the USA women’s hockey leader in Olympic goals. Off of a face-off win, Knight caught a blue-line pass standing with her back to the goal just in front of the net and tipped it past Desbiens.

Canada took a 1-0 lead on Kristin O’Neill’s shorthanded goal in the second period with an assist from Laura Stacey.

-developing story

–Field Level Media

USA Women’s Hockey Takes the Gold

by

MILAN – (Wire Service Report) -United States women’s ice hockey tasted revenge sweeter than maple syrup as they came from behind to beat defending champions Canada 2-1 to win gold in an overtime thriller at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Thursday.

Former Boston College skater Megan Keller netted the winner to dethrone their archrivals in an instant classic, sealing a spine-tingling affair and bringing a roar of American joy that echoed throughout Santagiulia Arena.

The U.S. looked headed for more disappointment after losing to their hated foes four years ago, as they were kept off the scoreboard and trailing late in the third period.

But captain Hilary Knight played the hero one more time in her fifth Olympics, tying it to take the tight-checking Games decider to three-on-three sudden death hockey, where Keller went around defender Claire Thompson and slipped the puck past Canadian goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens to clinch a third Olympic gold for the U.S. women.

The game gave fans yet another classic chapter in the sport’s greatest rivalry, and the packed stands offered dueling chants of “Canada!” and “USA!” from puck drop.

ROOK-TO-KNIGHT SENDS GAME TO OT

The Americans were the favorites after handing Canada their first-ever Olympic shutout 5-0 in the group stage, but fears of a one-sided final were soon dispelled as Desbiens put on a lights-out performance through the first period.

The U.S. had a prime chance to break the impasse with a power play at the start of the second. Instead, the crafty Canadian squad flexed its muscle as Laura Stacey gathered the puck in the neutral zone, charged forward and sent it across for Kristin O’Neill, who made a nifty backhand move to score the short-handed goal.

Behind for the first time in the tournament, the U.S. could not find a way past Desbiens until they pulled their goalie for an extra skater with just over two minutes left in regulation.

Knight redirected a shot from Olympic rookie Laila Edwards for their desperation first goal, breaking the all-time U.S. women’s goals record at the Winter Olympics in the process.

“She’s been a part of every historic moment since she’s been a part of this team. For her to get that goal was obviously most important for our team but also just a huge honor for her to break that record,” said Kelly Pannek, Knight’s teammate on their 2018 gold medal-winning group.

“It’s something we all want for her.”

This was the third time in the last four Games that the two sides have battled into overtime in an Olympic final, and the crowd held its breath before Keller finished off the Canadians with just over four minutes gone in overtime.

“Everything happened fast,” Desbiens said of the score that just squeaked over the line. “I’ll see that one for a long time.”

U.S. goalie Aerin Frankel also proved up to the test, ultimately turning aside 30 of 31 shots the Canadians sent her way.

With their coach John Wroblewski weeping tears of joy behind the bench, the American team erupted in celebration, and the Canadian side could only stand by grimly ahead of the medal ceremony, as fans danced to Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA.”

It marked the once-dominant Canadians’ eighth successive loss to the Americans.

RED, WHITE AND THE BLUE

The Canadians had long had the upper hand on the United States, with five Olympic golds. But cracks in the ice beneath their feet were beginning to show before they even stepped into the rink in Milan.

The United States won the world championship last year before sweeping the Canadians in the four-game Rivalry Series in November and December, leaving Canada fans with a queasy feeling just weeks before the Games were set to begin.

As American youth triumphed over Canadian experience on Thursday, U.S. fans can allow themselves to dream of more hardware to come, with several collegiate players on the team having yet to reach the professional ranks.

The U.S. was playing in its seventh Olympic championship game, having missed just one since the women were added to the program in 1998.

Switzerland took the bronze medal earlier on Thursday with a 2-1 overtime win over Sweden.

–Reuters, Special to Field Level Media and Digital Sports Desk