By: Elle Shi, Grade 7
March Monthly Feature: Because of the ongoing 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, the Rising Star Sports Column, Game On, is dedicated to writing about the legends, controversies, amazing wins, and unmentioned miracle-makers.
5 seconds,
it’s the end period.
4 seconds,
tension is high.
3 seconds,
the puck flies all the way to the deep end of the other Team’s zone.
2 seconds,
#8 fights for the puck and passes it to Jack Hughes.
1 second,
he scores.
0 seconds,
pure madness.
As I was watching the 2026 Winter Olympics hockey miracle, I noticed when I rewatched this clip of Jack Hughes scoring, all the team members hugging and praising him and only him. I knew Jack Hughes was the hero, and I gave some credit to #8. However, after reading articles about this goal, I found that most writers had not even mentioned the game-changing goal assist’s name.
Everyone is calling Jack Hughes the hero of the USA men’s hockey team, but who assisted this miracle goal for the USA?
With only seconds left, #8 wasn’t thinking about headlines or highlight reels. Zach Werenski, of the men’s hockey team of Team USA, was that person. He was thinking about winning the game step by step. The puck was already dangerously near Team USA’s goal, so Werenski reacted quickly and brought the puck to the other side of the rink, while fighting through the pressure from his opponents along the way. He showed extreme composure while attempting to flip the score. In this moment, after his pass to Jack Hughes, I truly noticed Werenski’s contribution to the team’s victory.
What makes this assist even more impressive is the decision-making involved. Hockey moves fast, and especially in the final seconds of a game, it moves faster. Werenski recognized where Jack Hughes was positioned and trusted him. The pass wasn’t random, and that single choice within split seconds turned Team USA’s original intention for defense into offense.
However, it’s not only in hockey where some players receive the spotlight, and others don’t. In team sports, no victory belongs to just one player. Every goal is built on passing, defending, positioning, and trust. In addition, victories for team sports are determined by whether or not the team chemistry is good. This is why we see that teams with newly recruited players often have better results and a steady rise in victories later on in the season. Zach Werenski’s assist proves that even when one athlete scores, that moment is because of teamwork. At the same time, this idea extends to individual sports. When one person stands alone on the podium, deemed champion, their current success was shaped by coaches, trainers, teammates, and supporters who helped them prepare for this big moment.
It’s amazing how in just 5 seconds, a team player can make a game-changing assist, and be overlooked by social media. By now, everyone knows about the amazing goal that caused both Team USA teams to win gold. And as Jack Hughes’ name is mentioned by almost every sports social media post, it’s important to remember who or what brought these champions to who they are.
Work Cited:
Svoboda, Jeff. “Werenski: Gold Medal Win ‘Felt Better than I Ever Could Have
Imagined.'” Columbia Blue Jackets, Nationwide Arena, 26 Feb. 2026,
www.nhl.com/bluejackets/news/zach-werenski-gold-medal-united-states-hockey-best-moment-of-life. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
