OT: Reaffirming the goal

Come on, ref, play nice. Graphic by Piper Bailey.

PIPER BAILEY | MANAGING EDITOR | pcbailey1@butler.edu

With modern media like “Heated Rivalry” bringing hockey into the limelight in Dec. 2025, the sport has never been more popular, drawing viewership across the globe from a variety of backgrounds.

This year’s Winter Olympics proved this, with the gold medal men’s hockey game on Feb. 22 hitting over 26 million fans watching from the United States. By the end of the game, around 35 million North Americans witnessed forward Jack Hughes score the overtime winning goal against Canada and secure the U.S. men’s team its first gold medal in the sport since 1980.

The victory was not alone, as the U.S’…