Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. Let's start with the bad news: the 2026 Winter Olympics are officially over. The good news? It's actually a two-fer: the Vegas Golden Knights are returning and Team USA has an Olympic gold medal.
The Americans defeated Canada in overtime, 2-1, capping off an epic thriller. Goals by Jack Hughes (who had the golden goal) and Matt Boldy sealed the deal, with Connor Hellebuyck picking up their six. Of course, the Canadians had some golden opportunities, yet they squandered them like it was Game 7 of the World Series.
Let's be honest for a second. This was one of the most riveting Olympic sessions for men's hockey. No, it's not because of the Americans winning gold. Rather, it's the cavalcade of overtime games combined with comebacks and fantastic performances.
Since the Golden Knights are coming back, let's give this grading session a Vegas twist. Let's look at all the participants and see who did the best and who didn't show up. Let's dive one more time into that delicious pasta dish and feast!
Not even a participation trophy
Tomas Hertl only got a measly assist in five games for the Czech Republic. He was part of a disappointing showing for a Czech team looking to act as the proverbial dark horse. That might not be a promising sign for Golden Knights fans looking for a deep playoff run. Here's hoping that he can immediately rebound on the upcoming five-game road trip.
Shea Theodore only got one goal and one assist in six games. While he got the game-tying goal against Finland, his presence was greatly needed on the Canadians' blue line. Lo and behold, he turns into Casper.
Incomplete
Here's the funny thing with the Swedes. They shuffled their lineup so many times that Bruce Cassidy's head started to spin. That was the case with Rasmus Andersson, who only played two games (trust me, it took a bit to see).
Akira Schmid only started one game for Switzerland, posting a GAA of 5.00 and a save percentage of .872 against Canada. It's tough to judge a netminder on one start, even if his stay was extremely short.
Decent
I'm going to be 100% honest with you. I didn't expect Noah Hanifin to have any points during the Olympics. Yet, he proved me wrong and got a goal and two assists. While it would've been nice if he added another point in the gold medal game, his contributions were enough to lead the United States to a gold medal.
Mark Stone was on a roll, getting two goals and two assists. You could've called him Hercules. But he mustered three shots on goal in the last three games, disappearing at the quarterfinal round and beyond. Still, you must give him props for participating in the early goal-scoring onslaught.
Give 'em a gold cookie
On the other end of the Canadian spectrum is Mitch Marner, who scored the game-winning goal against the Czech Republic. He had four assists to go with that goal, marking a solid Olympic showing.
Jack Eichel was arguably the best Golden Knights representative during the Olympics. He averaged a point per game, scoring two goals and four assists. Milan was the perfect stage for the center to show that he was ready for the spotlight. Let's say that he didn't disappoint.