Did we just see the greatest hockey game of our lives? To date, for me I would have to say so. Hopefully there's a Devils Cup on the horizon that can rival this, but that's hard to bank on. Throughout my 42 years on this earth there have been many great Devils and some USA games, but this one had it all. My favorite current Devil scoring the golden goal, similar to our amazing country- often criticized for basically everything he does or doesn't do, winner take all, with teeth missing and blood trickling, draped in the American flag, I was in a local watering hole surrounded by 20+ friends and teammates, with $2 domestic drafts...yes...
I'll be honest coming into this Olympic tournament I was prepared for a let down. Four Nations was such fantastic hockey. The Olympics would feature a somewhat tighter reffed, no fighting/less physical style of play, the physicality being one of the main contributors to that tournament's success. In addition there would be a lot of non competitive hockey. Countries like France, Italy, Denmark and Germany had little to no chance to keep games close. My biggest fear was that either Canada or the US would lose to a Sweden or Czechia and we would be robbed of the Gold Medal game we all wanted, making these Olympics a dud. Well, I'm happy to say I was wrong.
Below is a list of the best games I've watched as a fan of both the Devils and USA, and why this 2026 Gold Medal may be the best...
- 1995 Cup win was great, but it was a 3-0 series and not really too tight. Tied after one, it was the Wings best effort of the series and still they had nothing to show. Devils broke it open in the third and we cruised to the 5-2 victory. Also I was just eleven years old, didn't know what a drought felt like.
- 1996 World Cup of Hockey Championship game was pretty great. However, my favorite players of the time (Stevens, Brodeur & Niedermayer) were on Canada. Really cool tournament and my favorite USA jersey ever.
- 2000 Devils/Flyers Eastern Conference game 7 was absolute insanity. Again my favorite (Stevens) player doing exactly what made him my favorite player, in arguably the most dramatic/vengeful/redeeming way possible, with his fear inducing hit on Lindros. Elias' heroics in the final few minutes made that special, but it didn't end the job. This could be my favorite non-championship game ever.
- 2000 Devils/Stars Stanley Cup game 6... This could be it. Absolutely thrilling, double overtime, cup clinching goal by Jason Arnott. I couldn't put my hands down for 20 minutes after that. Fist clenched, going bananas with my best friend in my parents living room. I can still taste the General's Chicken we ordered before puck drop. However, it was just game 6, and the goal was scored by a player I liked, but not a home grown Devil that I followed from day one.
- 2003 Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 versus the Ducks. The best game I have ever attended hands down. Daneyko's final game, back in the lineup looking like a homeless person on bath salts, possessed. While classic NJ Devils, a bit anti-climatic with the 3-0 victory. Up 2-0 after two, not as much of a nail biter. This was do or die, but almost didn't feel that way. Plus we were coming off of a decade of success, not saying I took it for granted, but I didn't feel like it waould be 23 years later without another Cup...
- 2012 Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 was also close. Beating the Rangers never gets old. "Henrique! It's over!" will be forever lodged in all of our memories. But another one not for a championship...
- 2023 Eastern Conference quarter finals game 7 was another cool one. This is what launched the "time is now" Devils into hockey relevance yet again. The young core seemed poised for many deep runs after this, it's three years later and we are still waiting.
What's the best game you've ever watched and why? Let's hear it in the comments...
Hey Siri, play "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd