Some of the members of the Men's Team USA gold medal-winning team are going to have an interesting couple of days. Some players are fortunate enough that their teams are comfortably in playoff positions, allowing them a night off, but players like Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews will have to perform on Wednesday night to justify their last couple of days.
In a way, you can't really blame the players for celebrating the first Olympic gold medal for USA Hockey since 1980. However, you can also see the point that maybe they could've planned something for July when everyone's season is over, and they could enjoy themselves without as much public disapproval.
The American players celebrating two or three days before the NHL season resumed isn't the best look if their teams are in a playoff fight. The good news for Boston Bruins representatives Jeremy Swayman and Charlie McAvoy is that their first game isn't until Thursday night at home. The Bruins' gold medalists arrived home early Wednesday morning, and Swayman was even able to get on the ice for practice, while McAvoy took the option.
Both players would've had the chance to rest and recover for most of their Wednesday afternoon, and should be mostly refreshed when the Bruins prepare for one of their biggest games of the season on Thursday. The combination of an extra day off and the first game being at home was an extremely fortunate break for the Bruins.
I wouldn't want to know the backlash the players would've faced if their celebrations had cost them a chance to play in the first game back. We also don't really know what they would've decided to do, since some players who were playing on Wednesday skipped some of Tuesday's festivities and got home at a reasonable time. It wouldn't have been surprising if both players decided to do that.
🎥 Jeremy Swayman on winning gold with Team USA: "A childhood dream come true. And the group that we did it with, especially the way we did it, it's an unbelievable feeling – an incredible feeling that we'll cherish forever."
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 25, 2026
Full Practice Reaction ➡️ https://t.co/9UnePFRcJn pic.twitter.com/zwEaRw13KN
Nevertheless, it looks promising that the newly named champions will be in the lineup on Thursday, and the hope is that attending Wednesday's practice will help Swayman secure the starting goaltender role. Another positive is that he hasn't dressed for the USA since his start against Denmark, so he is fresh, aside from the carryover from the celebrations.
The Bruins get a relatively healthy and fresh lineup to begin their stretch run on Thursday night. The next few weeks will be an exciting time in Boston, and it's hard to argue that this group won't be up to the task.