""It goes back to the leadership question and the big game gene. It's something that has really stuck to him in Toronto, and those questions are not gonna be shed if he goes quiet on the Olympic stage," Blackburn said during a Daily Faceoff preview of the Olympics. "For a guy who has got to wear the C, there was some noise around whether that was the right call. I think that a win at 4 Nations would've really helped his cause, but he has got another opportunity to show up big here for Team USA.""
"What gets lost in the shuffle is that prior to Connor McDavid scoring the OT winner in the 4 Nations Final, Matthews was playing lights out and generating a boatload of scoring chances during the game. He will certainly be plenty motivated to prove himself not only a worthy pick of the US captain, but also someone who can come through in the big moment when so many believe he can't do it."
Auston Matthews will captain the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team at the 2026 Milan Games, giving him a high-profile chance to shift perceptions about his big-game ability. Critics point to his lack of playoff success and the skepticism surrounding his selection as captain, intensified by his role with the Toronto Maple Leafs. A strong Olympic performance would address leadership questions and silence doubters. Matthews performed well prior to Connor McDavid's OT winner in the 4 Nations Final, generating many scoring chances. William Nylander also faces pressure to perform for Sweden against deep teams like Canada and the United States.
Read at TheLeafsNation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]