As the United States celebrated their gold medal victory at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the NHL gears up to resume action. The Washington Capitals are set to dive back into their schedule with 23 games remaining, the fewest in the Eastern Conference.
First up, they face the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. But before the puck drops, let’s delve into how the Capitals’ Olympic representatives performed in Milan.
Logan Thompson
Logan Thompson made a strong Olympic debut, leading Canada to a commanding 5-1 win over Switzerland. In his sole appearance, the 28-year-old goaltender stopped 24 of 25 shots, boasting a stellar .960 save percentage. Though primarily backing up Jordan Binnington, Thompson’s performance was highlighted by a crucial save on Philipp Kurashev in the second period.
In his second season with Washington, the Calgary native holds a 19-16-4 record, a 2.45 goals-against average, and a .912 save percentage over 39 games. He’s just five games away from surpassing his career-high of 46 appearances with the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2024-25 season, prior to joining the Capitals as a free agent.
Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson made his presence felt on a star-studded Team Canada. His stats-three goals and four assists in six games-may not leap off the page, but the 31-year-old winger excelled in his role. Known for his physicality, Wilson racked up 23 penalty minutes and even engaged in a skirmish with Pierre Cronin after a questionable hit on Nathan McKinnon, leading to Cronin’s tournament ban by the French team.
Wilson’s grit and leadership were invaluable for Canada, and he’ll bring that same energy to Washington’s playoff push. With 23 goals and 26 assists in 50 games this season, he’s on track to potentially achieve back-to-back 30-goal seasons.
Martin Fehervary
Martin Fehervary and Team Slovakia impressed with a fourth-place finish at the Olympics. Averaging over 21 minutes of ice time per game, Fehervary contributed four assists, tying a Slovakian record for the most assists in an Olympic Games involving NHL players.
The 26-year-old defenseman is having a strong season with four goals and 16 assists in 58 games. He’s just five points shy of matching his career-high from last season. After a knee injury sidelined him at the end of last season, Fehervary is eager to help Washington secure a playoff spot in 2025-26.
With silver medals in tow, Wilson and Thompson return to the Capitals, ready to trade Olympic glory for a heated NHL playoff race. Washington is four points behind the second wild-card spot, tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have three games in hand.
The Capitals’ upcoming schedule includes home games against the Flyers and the Vegas Golden Knights, followed by a road game against the Montreal Canadiens. The Olympic experience of these players could be pivotal as they aim to propel the team into postseason contention and give Alex Ovechkin another shot at playoff success.