What will we see from Connor McDavid after another big loss?
It was one of the greatest performances in Olympic hockey history, but once again, Connor McDavid didn’t have the happy ending.
McDavid was unquestionably the best player during the men’s tournament at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics. He set the record for the most points by one player in the Olympics in the NHL era, winning tournament MVP and Best Forward honors in the process. However, he leaves Italy with a silver medal after Canada lost to the United States in an exciting final on Sunday.
It’s a similar feeling to that of what we saw from McDavid less than two years ago. He dragged the Edmonton Oilers to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, only to lose to the Florida Panthers. McDavid was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy, but famously didn’t return to the ice to receive it. Despite helping Canada win the 4 Nations Face-Off last year, No. 97 has been on the wrong end of back-to-back Cup Finals and now a gold medal game at the Winter Games.
While McDavid is the most talented player in the game today, the number of big-time defeats is starting to affect his legacy.
During the postgame show on Daily Faceoff, Tyler Yaremchuk discussed what this loss means for McDavid in the near future.
Tyler Yaremchuk: He’s 29 years old. He wrote that Players’ Tribune piece, but like he hasn’t won in a really long time. 4 Nations, yes, that was great, but that’s not the same as an Olympic gold medal…He’ll get another crack at this when he’s 33. He’ll probably get another one when he’s 37, but this is one of the three chances that Connor McDavid will likely have in his career to win an Olympic gold medal, and it went away.
Now, it’s back-to-back Cup Finals. He’s won a Conn Smythe and now an MVP at the Olympics. He was named to the All-Star team. He was named best forward…He doesn’t have any actual hardware to show for it. He probably doesn’t think at all about the Conn Smythe that he won in 2024. He’s probably going to bury this silver medal in a safe in his basement and never touch it again. … It’s unfair because it’s a team game. If Nathan MacKinnon scores an empty netter, or if Connor Hellebuyck doesn’t stand on his head, Connor McDavid’s got himself a gold medal right now. So, it’s unfair to put this kind of stuff on a guy like that. But, at some point, these are legacy-defining moments for McDavid, and his legacy is being defined in what he would say is the wrong way.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…