Golden Knights’ Olympians from United States, Canada turn focus to Stanley Cup

Stone didn’t think it was weird skating on Eichel’s line again so soon after such an emotional gold medal game on Sunday. Returning their focus to the NHL might be the best way for the players from Canada to move past their disappointment. 

There was some shifting of motivational gears required for the U.S. players, though, following what Eichel called “just a long dream that you think you’d never be able to experience.”

Although the Olympic tournament was short, Eichel compared the commitment required to win the gold medal to what it took for Vegas to win the Stanley Cup in 2023. 

“It was a similar feeling of it didn’t matter who the hero was,” said Eichel, who had six points (two goals, four assists) in six games at the Olympics. “It didn’t matter what happened. It was about winning and it was about the team, and everyone was just 100 percent bought in. … It reminded me a lot of the feeling I had when I was in the locker room that year we won.”

The difference, Eichel said, is that after winning the Cup, the players had the offseason to relax and digest what they accomplished. The winners — and losers — in the gold medal game had only a few days to process everything before returning to play in NHL games.

“You just wonder, will there be a letdown?” Cassidy, an assistant for Team Canada, said before the game.

Maybe that letdown happened Friday. Hanifin believes the Olympics will have a positive impact for Vegas in the long run, though.

“It was an amazing few days, and unreal experience,” said Hanifin, who had three points (one goal, two assists) in six games for Team USA. “But I think for me and Jack, and even ‘Stoney,’

Mitch and ‘Theo,’ it’s just to take what we learned and felt in that game and bring it to our team and try to help us propel us into a good playoff run.”

That’s the Golden Knights’ unified objective with all their Olympians back in the fold. They had eight players go to the Games, including forward Tomas Hertl (Team Czechia), defenseman Rasmus Andersson (Team Sweden) and goalie Akira Schmid (Team Switzerland).