MILAN – This was no hockey miracle. It was the destiny of the biggest little hockey town in the USA.

Forty-six years to the exact date of the Miracle on Ice, the United States scored a 2-1 overtime victory against Canada to mint a new generation of   American hockey heroes in 24-karat Olympic gold. 

Instead of Craig and Eruzione, their names are Hughes and Tkachuk.

And let us not forget the favorite son of Warroad, Minn., America’s hockey town of destiny. His name is Brock Nelson. The dude plays center for the Avalanche. He was born to win Olympic gold.

“I won’t be taking this off anytime soon,” said Nelson, holding his medal in a vise grip with his right hand.

More than 60 men in the history of the United States have won Olympic hockey gold. Four of them, including Nelson, were born in Warroad (pop. 2,000).

The other three Olympic hockey heroes from Warroad?

Nelson shares DNA with all of them.

The gold medal that 88-year-old Bill Christian won back in 1960, with more than a little help from his brother, used to sit on an end table in the living room of the house where Nelson’s grandfather lived in Warroad.

“I remember skating with my grandpa as a young kid at the rink,” Nelson said. “My grandpa means the world to me. He’s still my biggest supporter. It’s going to be emotional when I call. I can’t wait to share this medal with him.”

But the family history grows crazier. It’s also worth mentioning that Nelson’s uncle, Dave Christian, was a defenseman for the Miracle on Ice squad.

“Now, I can add to the family history,” said Nelson, tears beginning to well in his eyes. “I have my own story to tell.”

These Winter Games saved the biggest game for last. A border war between the United States and Canada.

How intense was it? For the first time during these Olympics, American athletes were booed when the Tkachuk brothers and their U.S. teammates took the ice for warm-ups.

Among the 14,000 witnesses in the arena was Colorado skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin. Back in Warroad, the doors opened at 7 a.m. at the Nomad Tavern for breakfast pizza, plus $3.29 schooners of beer to toast Nelson, who wears No. 29 on his Team USA sweater.

After winning gold, Nelson took a minute to seek out Uncle Dave, who made the trip to Italy to celebrate Warroad’s hockey history.

“We did it!” Nelson told Christian. “It’s crazy that it’s 46 years to the day that we beat the Russians.”

Outshot 42-28 by Canada while skating uphill most of the afternoon, how did Team USA write the best chapter of American hockey in 46 years?

Well, the exclamation point to this story will forever be the clutch goal scored by Jack Hughes, less than two minutes into the 3-on-3 madness that is Olympic overtime hockey.

“He’s a frickin’ gamer. Always been a gamer,” said U.S. defenseman Quinn Hughes, who also happens to be Jack’s big brother. “He just loves the game. He’s an American hero.”

But as the legend of this contest grows over the course of time, so will the folklore associated with the performance of goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck, a Michigan native.

Whether standing tall and sprawling wide against a relentless Canadian attack, Hellebuyck made 41 bacon-saving saves, at least five of which were museum-quality works of art.

His most ridiculous save of all was one of the most audacious robberies you’ll ever see on live TV.

With the game knotted 1-1 early in the third period, Hellebuyck lunged for a puck already behind him and nicked it with his stick, preventing a shot on the doorstep from Avalanche star Devon Toews from crossing the red line.

With everything going Canada’s way, the U.S. goalie shouted:

Oh, Helly no.

How did Toews fail to score on the one shot that could’ve been the difference between silver and gold?

“I don’t have an answer,” Toews admitted, equal parts frustration and regret obvious in his voice.

This loss will leave a scar on hearts across Canada, where hockey is religion.

“It’s tough,” said Avs defenseman Cale Makar. “For this group of guys, we had all of Canada in mind. That was our priority. You want to be able to make the country happy. So it’s unfortunate the way it ended.”

Makar scored the lone goal for Canada in the second period with the kind of seeing-eye shot that makes us all hail Cale, but was also caught in defenseless positions during both U.S. scores.

“You judge who was the better team today,” Avs center Nathan MacKinnon said.

Well, not to be judgmental. But Canada might’ve won if MacKinnon hadn’t come up so small on the big stage. During regulation, he whiffed on a shot at a wide-open net in the rare time Hellebuyck was caught out of position. Even worse, MacKinnon got outworked and outmuscled by U.S. defenseman Zach Werenski on the bang-bang sequence that led to Hughes’ decisive goal in overtime.

But it’s understandable MacKinnon was so grumpy I feared he might bite the head off a stuffed animal presented him with his silver medal. When the pros play for their country instead of money, the wins and losses somehow count more.

The American players kept an old national team uniform of the late Johnny Gaudreau, who was killed along with his brother in a tragic bicycle crash a year and a half ago, hanging in their locker room.

“His spirit,” Nelson said, “is always with us.”

During the team photo with their gold medals, they brought Gaudreau’s young children onto the ice and wrapped them in love.

Hockey is family.

Nobody understands that better than a proud son of Warroad.

“Winning this medal,” Nelson said, “is special beyond words.”