Last time USA beat Sweden in the Olympics: Americans snap 66-year losing streak with 2-1 win

In a historic clash in Milan, Team USA secured a 2-1 overtime victory against Sweden, marking the first time the Americans have defeated the Swedes in Olympic play since the 1960 Squaw Valley Games. The win, sealed by Quinn Hughes’ extra-session heroics, snapped a nine-game Olympic winless streak against Sweden that had spanned 66 years.

The breakthrough for the U.S. came in the second period when Dylan Larkin redirected a heavy snap shot from Jack Hughes past Jacob Markstrom. The Americans held the 1-0 lead for nearly the rest of regulation until Mika Zibanejad silenced the U.S. bench with a tying goal with just 91 seconds remaining. However, the resilient U.S. squad dominated the three-on-three overtime, culminating in Hughes weaving through the slot to fire home the winner and punch a ticket to the semifinals.

Not only did the United States keep its gold-medal hopes alive, but it snapped a drought that lasted more than six decades. Here’s how Team USA made history Wednesday in Milan.

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When was the last time USA beat Sweden in Olympic hockey?

In a historic victory in the quarterfinals, the U.S. men's hockey team defeated Sweden 2-1 in overtime during the Olympic quarterfinals in Milan. It marked the first time the U.S. men have beaten Sweden in the Olympics since 1960.

Prior to today's victory, the Americans had endured a 66-year Olympic winless drought against the Swedes, going 0-7-2 in their last nine meetings on the Olympic stage. The last time the U.S. stood victorious over Sweden in this tournament was during their gold-medal run at the 1960 Squaw Valley Games, where they won 6-3. Even the famous 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team could only manage a 2-2 tie against them.

MORE: United States beats Sweden in overtime thriller

USA vs. Sweden Olympic hockey results

Team USA defeated Sweden 2-1 in overtime, marking the first time the Americans have beaten the Swedes in Olympic play since 1960.

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Who was on the last U.S Hockey team to beat Sweden?

The legendary 1960 team, coached by Jack Riley, won the first-ever hockey gold medal for the United States. They defeated Sweden 6-3 in a pivotal game during the final round. Interestingly, the 1960 roster featured several players from the Christian and Cleary families, creating a legacy that continues to this day — Brock Nelson, a key forward on the 2026 team, is actually the grandson of 1960 gold medalist Bill Christian.

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When does Team USA play next?

Next up for the United States is the semifinal game against Slovakia, who won Group B with a 2-0-0-1 record.

Quinn Hughes spoke with @NBCNews immediately after scoring the OT game-winner against Sweden in the Olympics. pic.twitter.com/7SwdPl15Xk

Slovakia had an automatic berth to the quarterfinals, where it thrashed Germany 6-2. The Slovaks have NHL players up-and-down the lineup as well, including the Montreal Canadiens' Juraj Slafkovsky and the Washington Capitals' Martin Fehervary. Also on the team is longtime NHLer Tomas Tatar, who had a goal in the win against the Germans.

The winner will advance to the gold medal game, where it will play the winner of Canada vs. Finland.

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