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The US hockey team coach got angry after losing to the Russian team in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
A few minutes before the game ended, the Russian coach sent out a strong player while one of the US defensemen was off the ice due to a penalty. This angered the US coach, who said that the Russian team still tried to get another goal even when the score was already in their favor. The game ended with a score of 4-0, with the Russians winning by a landslide. Infuriated, the US coach refused to give the Russian coach a traditional post-game handshake.
Critics say that the United States lost because its player roster did not have National Hockey League (NHL) players. This is because the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stopped funding the costs and insurance of sending NHL players to the Olympics. Additionally, some athletes were already participating in the NHL games and ran the risk of getting injured if they joined the Olympics.
Ultimately, the US team consisted of minor league players, while the Russian team was composed of Kontinental Hockey League players—the Russian equivalent of the NHL.
The match was reminiscent of the rivalry between the United States and Russia, particularly the one that started in the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.” In the 1980 New York Olympics, the US team also consisted of young college athletes who competed against the four-time gold-medalist Russian team.
The game almost ended in a draw until the American underdogs managed to make one last goal with only five seconds left. Miraculously, the US team defeated the Russians with a score of 4-3.