Jon Cooper blasts Olympic ice hockey final format after loss to Team USA

Team USA's victory over Canada in the final of the 2026 Winter Games marked a milestone in American ice hockey. Yet not everyone was pleased with the outcome. Canadian head coach Jon Cooper voiced strong criticism of the IIHF's overtime format.

Both teams entered the gold medal game at Milan Cortina 2026 undefeated. Canada had even advanced past the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals with an overtime win under the same rules.

After regulation ended in a 1-1 tie, the United States capitalized on the International Ice Hockey Federation's newly introduced 3-on-3 overtime format.

Jack Hughes scored the golden goal, securing America's first Olympic men's ice hockey gold since the "Miracle on Ice" in Lake Placid in 1980. The moment left Cooper frustrated with the rule change.

Cooper lashes out at the IIHF over rule change

In his postgame press conference, Cooper criticized the shift from the traditional 4-on-4 overtime format to 3-on-3.

"You take four players off the ice, now hockey's not hockey anymore," Cooper said. "There's a reason overtime and shootouts exist-it's all TV-driven to end games quickly."

The head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning added:

There's a reason [3on3] isn't in the Stanley Cup Final or playoffs.

Jon Cooper

Still, Cooper stopped short of calling for a return to full 5-on-5 overtime. "All the teams know the rules going in. You can't say we lost unfairly because of 3-on-3," he acknowledged.

Hughes's masterstroke seals USA's victory

Fans and analysts have praised Hughes's decisive play. On a 3-on-1 rush, Zach Werenski fed Hughes in the slot, and the forward beat Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington with a precise wrist shot.

Even Cooper admitted to being impressed: "There are still skilled players out there making skilled plays. And the US team has some skilled players, as do we. They made one more play than we did in overtime."