Connor Mcdavid named Olympic MVP as Hellebuyck and Quinn Hughes collect top honors
At the Milano Cortina Winter Games, connor mcdavid was voted tournament most valuable player and best forward after a six-game run that broke an Olympic record — a result that capped a tournament in which Team USA took gold and Canada settled for silver. The awards reshape narratives for several NHL players as their clubs return from the Olympic break.
Connor Mcdavid voted MVP and best forward after record-setting six-game run
Connor Mcdavid, the Edmonton Oilers captain, was voted most valuable player and best forward of the tournament by attending media. McDavid served as Team Canada captain for the final two games in place of an injured Sidney Crosby. He finished the Olympics with 13 points — two goals and 11 assists — in six games, breaking a mark previously shared by Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu, who had 11 points each at the 2006 Torino Games for most at an Olympics with NHL participation.
The Oilers will return from the Olympic break when they visit the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. At the NHL level, McDavid has 96 points — 34 goals and 62 assists — in 58 games, which leads the League and has him contending for his sixth Art Ross Trophy and his fourth Hart Trophy as League MVP.
Connor Hellebuyck's 41-save game and historic gold for the United States
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck recorded 41 saves in the gold-medal game and was named the tournament's best goaltender. His performance helped give Team USA its first Olympic gold medal since the 1980 Lake Placid Games with a 2-1 overtime win against Canada. Hellebuyck broke Ryan Miller's record for saves in a gold-medal game with NHL players — Miller had 36 at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
In the final, Hellebuyck stopped McDavid on a breakaway in the second period and made a desperation stick save on Devon Toews in the opening minutes of the third. He finished the tournament 5-0-0-0 with a 1. 18 goals-against average and a. 956 save percentage. Hellebuyck, the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner, said, "It's a dream come true. I love this group. We had so much fun over here, we grinded, we battled. This is some of the best and most fun hockey ever played. It still hasn't truthfully sunk in. Who knows how long it's going to last? It's surreal. "
On the NHL calendar, the Jets visit the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday and are trailing the Ducks by 11 points for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, one season after winning the Presidents' Trophy with an NHL-high 116 points. Over the NHL season Hellebuyck is 13-16-7 with a 2. 79 GAA and a. 900 save percentage.
Quinn Hughes voted best defenseman, ties tournament defenseman scoring mark
Quinn Hughes, of the Minnesota Wild, was voted the tournament's best defenseman. Hughes scored in overtime to give the U. S. a 2-1 win against Team Sweden in the quarterfinals and finished the tournament with eight points — one goal and seven assists — a total that tied Sweden's Erik Karlsson (2014 Sochi Olympics) and Brian Rafalski of the U. S. for the most by a defenseman in a single tournament.
On Hellebuyck, Hughes said, "Hellebuyck was insane. You saw the looks they had. Canada's an insane team out there. The game's never been faster. It's never been more skilled. And they've got some special players, Hall of Famers, all over their team. " Hughes and the Wild return to the NHL with a visit to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, holding the first wild card in the West.
Jack Hughes' golden goal and U. S. redemption, plus a family thread
New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes scored the golden goal 1: 41 into overtime to give the U. S. redemption for a 3-2 OT loss to Canada in the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off at TD Garden in Boston on Feb. 20, 2025. Jack Hughes and Sidney Crosby are the two players to score in overtime of an Olympic gold-medal game with NHL players.
On the win, Jack Hughes said, "The USA Hockey brotherhood is so strong. We have so much support from our players. I'm so proud of the Americans today. USA Hockey, brotherhood, means so much. " The U. S. secured the Olympic gold with that overtime victory.
Sidney Crosby explains decision not to play, Canada’s silver and the road ahead
Canada's captain Sidney Crosby explained that he did not play in the gold-medal loss to Team USA because he "just didn't feel like I was able to play" and that he "didn't think I'd be in that position after the Czech game. " He praised the medical staff and said the choice was difficult: he wanted to be out there but not at the expense of what needed to be done. Crosby added that the decision was about preserving his own health.
Coach Jon Cooper still had a deep offensive group featuring Macklin Celebrini, connor mcdavid and Nick Suzuki, but Canada struggled to gain full control against the Americans, a stretch that culminated with Jack Hughes' overtime goal to end a 46-year drought for U. S. gold. Crosby skated alongside his team to receive the Olympic silver medal. He reflected on the moment and the decision, saying it "might have crossed my mind" to play but that ultimately he would not compromise the group; he described the result as "disappointment" and said he feels for the entire group and the entire situation. He and others acknowledged that this may have been the final time Crosby will don the Canada maple leaf.
