LOS ANGELES — It has been 10 days since Nathan MacKinnon scored one of the biggest goals of his life, and eight since one of the toughest defeats.
He’s had a little time to decompress and get back into the rhythm of a packed NHL schedule as the stretch run beckons. The 2026 Winter Olympics featured incredible highs and lows for the Colorado Avalanche star, and it was his first chance to play on that global stage.
MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Devon Toews left Milan with silver medals after the United States defeated Canada, 2-1 in overtime, in the gold medal game.
“Just fondly,” MacKinnon said of how he’ll remember it. “I had an amazing time. It was a really unique hockey experience. Yeah, nothing but good memories. Obviously, it stings. It still stings. I still had an amazing time. Everyone did.”
There had been speculation that MacKinnon was playing through either injury or sickness or both during the tournament. He vomited on the bench during one game. He also missed the first game back at Utah for “maintenance.”
But, he also has two points in each of his first two games back with the Avs and has played more than 23 minutes in each contest.
“A couple things,” MacKinnon said of what he was dealing with. “It’s part of it. It’s not easy. But, nothing too crazy.”
MacKinnon scored with 35.2 seconds remaining against Finland to send Canada to the gold medal game. The goal came with one second left on the power play, and capped a rally from to 2-0 down for the Canadians in a 3-2 win.
“It was really cool,” MacKinnon said. “I was so tired at that point. I was cramping everywhere during the power play. I just hit it. I was exhausted, but it was still a really, really cool feeling.”
The Avalanche came right out of the Olympic break with the toughest part of its schedule. Five games in seven games, which concludes Monday night against the Los Angeles Kings and Tuesday night down I-5 against the Anaheim Ducks.
Avs coach Jared Bednar has said he wants to manage his top guys’ minutes, but Colorado is still pushing to claim the Central Division and the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. For now, the way to cut back on ice for the stars on the team is to put games away and allow the coach to roll all four of his lines in the third period, instead of shortening the bench.
The United States' Quinn Hughes (43) and Canada's Nathan MacKinnon (29) battle for the puck during a men's ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)‘It’s just a different level of intensity’
For MacKinnon and the others who played in Milan, it’s been an adjustment to go from playing some of the highest-stakes hockey of their lives to being back in NHL regular-season mode in a matter of days.
“Yeah, it’s difficult,” MacKinnon said. “I think it still feels like we’re on Europe time a little bit. I was prepared after the Four Nations last year, but it’s hard. It’s really hard. I was ready, so it wasn’t as difficult this time.
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FOOTNOTE: Bednar revealed after the Avs’ morning skate Monday that Valeri Nichushkin has been dealing with a wrist injury at different points this season. Nichushkin has 12 goals in 49 games this season, after scoring 49 times in 97 contests over the past two years combined.
“I like his work ethic, I like his attention to detail most nights,” Bednar said. “I feel like he’s been beating up the puck a little bit this year, just hasn’t been real easy for him to handle it and make plays at times.
“He said he feels like he’s turning the corner (with the injury), so I expect some production to come with that.”
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