Team USA's NHL studs finally bag Olympic gold, ripping Canada 2-1 in OT with Jack Hughes' snipe off a Werenski feed sealing the deal at Milano Cortina. These guys - Matthews captaining, Hellebuyck stonewalling MacKinnon's shorthanded breakaway whiff - just etched their names next to the Miracle crew after 46 years. Back in NHL rinks this week, expect parade vibes in locker rooms from Jersey to Winnipeg as the league hits pause to let these heroes bask.

NHL players keep lobbying hard for Olympic spots even as the injury bugbites loom large from those high-stakes international clashes. Guys like McDavid and MacKinnon just wrapped Milano-Cortina with records smashed and gold on the line, but front offices still grumble about lost seasons and banged-up rosters heading into playoffs. The NHLPA knows the pull of that Olympic dream runs deep in every locker room, and they push on because skipping it again risks fracturing the league's global grip.

Nathan MacKinnon, the Avalanche's engine who came to the Olympics laser-focused on gold, stares down silver and a stuffed animal mascot with pure disgust on the podium. Critics swarm the Colorado superstar, dredging up his gut-wrenching miss on an open net and that overtime blunder against a stingy Connor Hellebuyck, while he fires back that fans should judge who truly dominated the ice. With Canada outshooting the U.S.

The NHL shakes off the Olympic rust this week, and the second half brings prime value in futures markets that savvy bettors can't ignore. Colorado dominates as the clear favorite with MacKinnon and Makar driving a stacked roster poised for deadline moves, while McDavid sits at juicy odds for Hart and Art Ross despite leading the league in points. Front offices whisper about reinforcements that could tilt the Cup race, and these lines scream opportunity before the books adjust.

Connor McDavid just etched his name in Olympic history as tournament MVP with a record 13 points for Canada, captaining the final games after Sidney Crosby's injury and leading alongside studs like Nathan MacKinnon and Macklin Celebrini. Crosby, the Penguins legend who's seen it all, steps up with a poignant take on McDavid's brilliance in that silver-medal heartbreak against a golden Team USA.

Nathan MacKinnon stares down a stuffed stoat with pure disgust after draping silver around his neck with Team Canada at the Olympics. The Avalanche superstar, who flew to Italy laser-focused on gold and nothing else, clearly sees this plushie prize as an insult atop a bitter runner-up finish. His cranky post-game vibe and that missed wide-open net only amp up the frustration, leaving everyone wondering if Tina the Stoat makes the trip back to Denver.