"Trade a Couple Teeth for a Gold Medal" | Wease Family Circus cover art

"Trade a Couple Teeth for a Gold Medal" | Wease Family Circus

"Trade a Couple Teeth for a Gold Medal" | Wease Family Circus

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 Clark Peshkin is the presenting sponsor of Wease Family Circus. Clark Peshkin hosts free estate planning workshops that explain what actually works for New York families, especially if you own a home and want to keep things private and simple for the people you love. Register at https://clarkpeshkin.com/wease In this episode of Wease Family Circus, the family gathers to witness history as Team USA captures Olympic gold in men's hockey for the first time in 46 years—and for the first time ever on foreign soil. The game was nothing short of miraculous. Facing a stacked Canadian roster loaded with 15 Stanley Cup champions compared to America's three, the underdog U.S. squad pulled off a stunning 2-1 overtime victory that had people comparing it to the legendary 1980 Miracle on Ice. Wease doesn't just compare it—he argues this win might actually be more impressive. Different era, different circumstances, but the same kind of magic that makes you believe in the impossible. The family breaks down every moment: That unbelievable first goal where the puck was hit out of mid-air and threaded between two defensemen Connor Hellebuyck's heroic performance in net—the save of the game that kept it tied and the countless stops that kept Canada off the board The gut-wrenching 5-on-3 penalty kill that Wease called as the turning point: "If they don't score here, we're winning this game" Jack Hughes losing teeth for his country and the announcer's perfect line: "He traded a couple teeth for a gold medal" The Hughes brothers (Quinn and Jack) leading the charge alongside teammates from across the NHL Buffalo's own Tage Thompson bringing home gold—his third goal of the tournament and a huge moment for Sabres fans But the most emotional moment came after the final buzzer, when the team brought Johnny Gaudreau's two young children onto the ice to celebrate. Gaudreau, who would have been on this team, was killed by a drunk driver along with his brother while riding bikes the day before their sister's wedding. His jersey hung in the locker room throughout the tournament. His son turned two years old on the day of the gold medal game. The photo of those kids on the ice will live forever. Wease and the family couldn't hold it together. Nobody could. The episode also dives into: The fact that half the women's gold medal team played at Bishop Kearney in Rochester—a local hockey powerhouse turning out elite talent How the Hughes brothers and another U.S. player all lived together with the Hughes family during juniors, with the dad teaching one of them how to drive The dedication of hockey parents—the time, the money, the travel, the freezing rinks at 6 a.m. Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson flying back to Miami together after playing against each other for gold Sam Reinhart and Brady Tkachuk also facing off as opponents in the gold medal game The fact that this was the first U.S. gold medal win not on American soil—the previous two (1960 and 1980) were both at home Wease also gets into the other Olympic events that caught his attention—curling strategy, the Italian women's team controversy, the insane talent in halfpipe skiing, and the discovery that bobsled drivers are actually steering the sled the whole way down. Who knew? The family reflects on how this game filled the void left by another Bills-less Sunday, how it brought the country together, and why moments like this remind you why sports matter. From the miracle on ice to the heartbreak of Johnny Gaudreau's story, from Jack Hughes' missing teeth to Connor Hellebuyck's brick wall performance, this episode captures everything that made this Olympic gold medal game unforgettable. It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
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