Happy Monday, friends! Been a while.
It’s been a quiet few weeks around Little Caesars Arena, but the hockey world at large has been anything but. With the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan officially wrapping up, we are staring down the final stretch of the NHL season. The Red Wings (33-19-6) return to the ice this Thursday.
Red, White, and Golden
Talk about a historic weekend for Team USA Hockey. For the first time ever, both the Men’s and Women’s National Teams secured gold medals in the same Olympics, and both games were decided in OT. I have to hand it to the Women’s team. Probably the most dominant I’ve ever seen them play… and what a moment for Farmington-native Megan Keller, who scored the Golden Goal in absolutely disgusting fashion (compliment).
The U.S. Men captured their first gold since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice,” exactly 46 years to the day. While Jack Hughes buried the Golden Goal, the “Michigan Connection” was the backbone of the tournament. Connor Hellebuyck (Commerce) was named Best Goaltender after a 41-save performance in the final, and Quinn Hughes took home Best Defender honors. (We only have to wait a couple of years before Quinn is a Red Wing, right?)
I saw a lot of complaints about a Gold Medal game being decided by a 3v3 OT. I think that’s a valid concern, but it is what it is. Canada dominated the game but couldn’t manage to pull away from Team USA. Shoutout to Hellebuyck, because he made probably one of the biggest saves I have ever seen in my life:
Larkin: The Heartbeat in Milan
While he didn’t have a letter on his jersey for the star-studded Olympic squad, Dylan Larkin proved exactly why he is the captain here in Detroit. Larkin embraced a “grinder” role as the third-line center and a primary penalty killer, but still managed to find the back of the net when it mattered most. Hopefully Larkin is healthy. He did take a big hit from Tom Wilson in the gold medal game, but didn’t miss any time. Talk about heart and grit.
Larkin scored the opening goal in both the quarterfinal (against Sweden) and the semifinal (against Slovakia). Team USA coach Mike Sullivan called him the “heartbeat” of the roster. I really enjoyed this quote from Larkin about Jack Hughes:
According to Darren Dreger, there will be some logistical challenges for any NHL club with players from Team USA. Thankfully, Detroit doesn’t return to action on Wednesday when play resumes.
Looking Ahead: The Stretch Run
The Red Wings resume play on February 26 against Ottawa. Currently sitting 3rd in the Atlantic Division with 72 points, this team is in a prime position to get back into the postseason.
The big storyline to watch this week is the return of Simon Edvinsson, who has been skating with the team. The 23-year-old defenseman has been sidelined since late January with a lower-body injury, and I think it’s clear (to all of us) that his absense was an issue for Detroit. Having him back alongside Moritz Seider for the final stretch will be critical.
Deadline Watch: Are the Wings Buyers?
With the March 6 Trade Deadline approaching, the rumor mill is spinning. Steve Yzerman has rarely been a pure buyer, and he’s always been risk averse, but with the team in a playoff spot and nearly $60M in pro-rated deadline cap space, that should change one way or another. The biggest needs are pretty obvious: Detroit could use another center and defenseman.
Meanwhile in Grand Rapids, the Griffins have claimed the best start in AHL history through 50 games. Their record is 40-7-2-1. They’re simply playing a different level of hockey. Nate Danielson has been held out of the last couple of games. I believe this is due to an injury. We’ll wait for an update on that.
LGRW
