We waited 12 years for the NHL to return to the Winter Olympics. It was worth the wait! Just two days after Megan Keller scored the overtime goal to win the gold for the United States women’s team, Jack Hughes scored the overtime goal to win the gold for the United States men’s team. For the first time since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team, the United States has won gold in hockey.
Related: Auston Matthews & Team USA Wins Gold at 2026 Winter Olympics
The NHL represented itself well in this tournament. From Macklin Celebrini’s outstanding performance to Connor Hellebuyck’s iconic performance in the gold medal game, there were many great moments. The St. Louis Blues had their representatives in the tournament as well. As we wrap up the Winter Olympics, here is a look at the Blues’ Olympic standouts of the past week.
Standout #3 – St. Louis’s Hockey Influence
The Blues sent five players to the Olympics: Jordan Binnington, Colton Parayko, Pius Suter, Philip Broberg, and Dalibor Dvorsky. Furthermore, Doug Armstrong served as Team Canada’s general manager. The current members of the Blue Note represented the organization well, with Binnington and Parayko winning silver medals with Team Canada.
However, that is not where the St. Louis hockey influence ends. The gold medal game was full of St. Louis connections. In addition to the current Blues on Team Canada, there were multiple natives on Team USA. The headliners, of course, were Matthew and Brady Tkachuk. Matthew added a gold medal to go along with his two Stanley Cup championships. In addition to those two, Clayton Keller from Chesterfield, Missouri, was on the Team USA roster, bringing the total number of gold medalists from St. Louis to three.
Oh, we still have one more to talk about! USA forward Tage Thompson was drafted by the Blues in 2016 but only played in 41 games in St. Louis before being moved in the Ryan O’Reilly trade. His time in St. Louis was short, but it is yet another connection to the “Gateway of the West.”
If you are from or live in the St. Louis area, you know hockey is a big part of the community. Children play in youth leagues, following in the footsteps of the Tkachuks and Keller. Perhaps this St. Louis influence in the gold medal game will showcase to many others just how meaningful St. Louis’s hockey community is.
Standout #2 – Dalibor Dvorsky
Dvorsky and Team Slovakia fell short of the bronze medal, but the 20-year-old still had an outstanding tournament. Dvorsky recorded a goal and an assist in Slovakia’s quarter-final win on Wednesday. Dvorsky finished the tournament with three goals and three assists. These six points were good for second best on the Slovakian team. Not too shabby for a rookie, right?
Well, his six points broke an Olympic record for most points by a rookie. The previous record holder? The all-time goal-scoring leader, Alexander Ovechkin.
Dvorsky entered the Olympics with a stellar rookie season so far. What does he have in store for the Blues when the season resumes?
Standout #1- Jordan Binnington
If Canadian head coach Jon Cooper had made the goaltending decision based on how the NHL season was going, Binnington would have been nowhere near the starter’s crease. However, Cooper knew Binnington’s resume on the big stage. Binnington proved Cooper right by being “Big-Game Binner” once again.
Binnington was not tested often during games, but when he was, he rose to the challenge. In Friday’s win over Finland, Binnington made several key saves to keep Team Canada in the game, setting the stage for Nathan MacKinnon’s last-minute heroics.
In the gold medal game, Binnington once again rose to the occasion. In the third period, the 2019 Stanley Cup champion made a point-blank save on Jake Guentzel to keep the game tied. In overtime, Binnington made a fantastic glove save on Quinn Hughes, keeping the game alive, although Quinn’s brother ended the game just a few moments later.
Binnington could have joined elite company by winning a gold medal. However, he was not the reason Canada is settling for silver. Binnington entered the tournament with trade rumors surrounding him. There is no question that his value is higher following his Olympic performance.
The Week Ahead
The Olympics were a lot of fun. However, it will be nice watching the NHL return this coming week. The Blues will play two games this week. They will host the Seattle Kraken on Thursday and the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.
Check back in with The Hockey Writers for coverage as the season resumes, including trade coverage as the deadline approaches!
