OTTAWA \u2014 Dylan Larkin almost has his voice back after days of celebrating Team USA\u2019s Olympic gold medal victory over Canada this past weekend.<\/p>\n
The United States\u2019 2-1 overtime thriller was the biggest victory of Larkin\u2019s career, and the Americans\u2019 first gold medal in men\u2019s hockey since the 1980 \u201cMiracle on Ice\u201d team. Larkin was on the ice for the winning goal, scored by Jack Hughes<\/a>, and the Red Wings\u2019 captain reflected on his Olympic experience Thursday morning.<\/p>\n \u201cJust to keep thinking back that we did it,\u201d Larkin said. \u201cAnd that feeling of when Jack scored, throwing our gloves in the air, not knowing what to do, just screaming, yelling for 20 minutes on the ice, celebrating with guys \u2014 it was memories I\u2019ll remember forever.\u201d<\/p>\n Among those memories: \u201cHow just crazy, stressful and intense\u201d the gold medal game was, the play of U.S. goaltender Connor Hellebuyck \u2014 who Larkin said \u201cstole the game\u201d for the U.S. \u2014 Charlie McAvoy\u2019s game-saving defensive play in the crease to keep a puck out of the net, and \u201chow much fun we had after.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was similar to the 4 Nations final, where it\u2019s just the skill and the speed and the whirlwind of everything going on,\u201d Larkin said. \u201cAnd I think even moreso in an Olympic final.\u201d<\/p>\n Larkin was a crucial piece of the Team USA lineup<\/a>, centering the third line, killing penalties and scoring the opening goal in both the Americans\u2019 quarterfinal win over Sweden and semifinal victory over Slovakia. It was a reprise of his breakout performance of last year\u2019s 4 Nations tournament, when the wider hockey world took more notice of the Red Wings\u2019 captain.<\/p>\n And like that 4 Nations tournament, it all came down to a matchup between the United States and Canada, who won the 4 Nations and had also defeated the U.S. in the 2010 and 2002 Olympic gold medal games.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t sleep the night before the game,\u201d Larkin said. \u201cI was up thinking about, \u2018if we win, if we win,\u2019 you know, \u2018I hope we win,\u2019 and I think before I went to bed, I was finally (like) \u2018let\u2019s just win this.\u2019 Similar to going out for the overtime, it was just like, \u2018someone end this, come on.\u2019 A 20-minute intermission before 3-on-3 overtime is like, probably the most stressed I\u2019ve ever been in a locker room. \u2026 The Tkachuks are just talking us into winning it, you know? And keeping it light to be honest with you.\u201d<\/p>\n Hughes\u2019 goal delivered the victory, setting off a wild celebration that stretched into a victory party in Miami when the team returned to the United States, and ultimately included a visit to the White House in Washington D.C. \u2014 with much of Team USA staying for the State of the Union address<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, the aftermath of the gold medal game became the subject of criticism in the days following the Olympic final, after Team USA GM Bill Guerin invited FBI director Kash Patel into the locker room<\/a> for the celebration. Patel was seen on social media videos chugging beer<\/a> and partying with the team, as well as holding up a phone<\/a> to allow President Donald Trump to congratulate the U.S. men\u2019s team and invite them to Washington, while joking, \u201cwe\u2019re going to have to bring the women\u2019s team, you do know that,\u201d and saying if he didn\u2019t, he\u2019d \u201cprobably be impeached.\u201d<\/p>\n