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With the weight of the entire nation on her shoulders in the middle of overtime in the Winter Olympics gold medal matchup against Canada, American Taylor Heise passed the puck to Megan Keller and then headed straight to the bench.
Heise said he didn’t see what happened next.
“I passed her the puck and I skated as fast as I could to the bench and when she had scored, I was almost there and then everyone started jumping and that’s when I knew she had scored. So, I just turned around,” Heise recalled in an interview with Pak Gazette Digital on Saturday. “Having seen it about 10 times, it’s amazing that he did that and that it was such a bold play in overtime, but he’s someone who is very talented and can do it with grace every time.”
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Taylor Heise #27 of Team USA Laila Edwards #10 of Team USA celebrates victory after the women’s ice hockey gold medal game between the USA and Canada (2-1 in overtime) on day thirteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)
It was joy and triumph from then on.
Team USA ran to Keller to celebrate as Team USA took home its first gold medal in women’s ice hockey since 2018 and only the third overall in the team’s Olympic history.
“It was definitely a relief,” Heise said of the moment he was able to throw his gloves in the air and hit the ice in celebration. “I think when I was able to put on the gloves and do all that and be able to celebrate with the girls, I felt relief in the best way, not relief that we didn’t think we could do it, but relief that we were done and we finally finished the job and climbed Mount Everest and did what we had to do.
“It’s just an amazing feeling and it’s been a lot of fun to enjoy. And I think today was the first day where I can just relax and take a second to really enjoy the glory that we’ve created here and I’m really excited to experience it and they’re definitely moments that I’ll have for a lifetime.”
One moment that Heise said stood out for her was being able to hear “The Star-Spangled Banner” after the team received the gold medal.
He mentioned the importance of this in his postgame media availability with reporters on Thursday and spoke about it again with Pak Gazette Digital.
USA’s Grace Zumwinkle, left, and Taylor Heise celebrate after the women’s ice hockey victory ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
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“Playing for your country and the pride of where you live is pretty amazing and wearing that American emblem on your chest every day is something you don’t want to take for granted every day,” he said. “I think sometimes things can get repetitive. We’ve been here for 22 days and sometimes you have to remember why you do what you do and remember that hockey is a child’s game and it’s just a fun sport to be a part of, and to represent your country at the highest level there is, is pretty incredible.
“And having the full support of everyone back home, that’s probably been my favorite part. The messages that we’ve gotten from alumni and people that played on the team and just people in the U.S., that’s definitely been one of my favorite parts because they definitely see clearly the talent and the joy that we play with.”
Heise will take advantage of this unforgettable moment over the next few days, but his season is far from over.
She will return to the ice for Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). She is one of six Frost players who were on Team USA. The team returns to action on March 1 against the Montreal Victoire.
With millions of people watching the gold medal game, Heise suggested he was confident the PWHL would gain new fans.
Grace Zumwinkle, left, of the United States, and Taylor Heise (27) celebrate after winning the women’s ice hockey gold medal game against Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
“I would take a week off in Mexico but I understand that’s not possible,” Heise joked. “But yeah, we’re all excited to get back and start over with the PWHL. It’s definitely a league that has given us a platform to play in and kind of look back at the WNBA and how they started. “It’s a constant grind and it’s not just about getting from here to here in two days.
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“With our expansions and everything, it’s definitely been a difficult process for a lot of people, moving teams and stuff, but I think, you know, 7.7 million people tuned in to that gold medal game, which is amazing by the way, I think it’s pretty special because I think we gained a lot of new fans. Regardless of whether you’re just a fan of women’s hockey or if you tuned into the Olympics and now you realize we’re playing in a professional league. It’s pretty special and I hope we have a few more fans that come out. to our games and decide they want to be PWHL fans in the future.”
