MacKinnon Makes Good On Gold-Medal Miss In Milan: 'It Doesn't Always Go Where You Want It To'

Ninety-nine times out of a 100, he scores on that shot.

That seemed to be the overwhelming response when Nathan MacKinnon blew a chance at becoming the gold-medal hero for Canada when he whiffed on an open net midway through the third period at the Olympics.

The score was tied 1-1 when MacKinnon took a pass from Connor McDavid just below the left face-off. With U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck out of position, MacKinnon fired a shot that he normally would have scored on in his sleep. This time, however, it hit the side of the net.

It proved to be a massive miss as American center Jack Hughes scored the eventual winner in overtime.

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This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 8:05 AM.