Two Montreal Canadiens Players to Return from Olympics with Medals
Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki is guaranteed to come home from the Milano Cortina Olympics with at least a silver medal after Team Canada's victory over Finland in the semifinals. Additionally, one of his Canadiens teammates—either Slovakia's Juraj Slafkovsky or Finland's Oliver Kapanen—will also return from Italy with a bronze medal, ensuring two Habs players will be Olympic medalists.
Semifinal Results Set Stage for Medal Games
Canada secured its spot in the gold-medal game with a dramatic 3-2 win over Finland in Friday's first semifinal match at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Nathan MacKinnon scored the game-winning power-play goal with just 36 seconds remaining in the third period after Suzuki had tied the game earlier. Canada will now face the United States in Sunday's gold-medal contest at 8:10 a.m. EST.
Finland and Slovakia will compete for the bronze medal on Saturday at 2:40 p.m. EST, guaranteeing either Slafkovsky or Kapanen will leave the Olympics with hardware. This marks the first time since the 2014 Sochi Olympics that NHL players have participated in the Games.
Slafkovsky's Olympic Excellence Continues
Juraj Slafkovsky has been particularly impressive in Milan, scoring the first goal for Slovakia in their semifinal against Team USA. Through five Olympic games, he has recorded four goals and four assists, continuing the outstanding international play that earned him MVP honors at the 2022 Beijing Olympics as a 17-year-old.
In those 2022 Games, Slafkovsky scored seven goals in seven games and helped Slovakia win its first-ever Olympic hockey medal—a bronze—by scoring twice in the 4-0 victory over Sweden. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis noted that Slafkovsky has likely taken on a leadership role with the Slovakian team, similar to how he leads younger players in Montreal.
Suzuki's Clutch Performances
Nick Suzuki nearly became the hero for Canada for the second consecutive game on Friday when he fanned on a rebound opportunity while being knocked to the ice by Finnish defenseman Miro Heiskanen with less than five minutes remaining in a tied game. This came just two days after Suzuki scored the tying goal with 3:27 left in the third period of Canada's quarterfinal victory over Czechia, which Mitch Marner eventually won in overtime.
Coach St. Louis reflected on Suzuki's Olympic experience, noting that while he may have moments of awe playing alongside superstars like Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon, Suzuki has been on a path toward this level of competition since his world junior appearances and expects himself to perform at this elite stage.
Kapanen's Limited Role and Olympic Experience
Oliver Kapanen saw limited action in the semifinal against Canada, spending the entire game on the bench as Finland's 13th forward. This marks Kapanen's first Olympic appearance, though he previously represented Finland at the 2024 IIHF World Championship, where he led the team with six goals in eight games.
The Olympic experience is expected to benefit all four Canadiens players who participated in Milan, including Alexandre Texier, who played four games for France without recording any points. This continues a tradition of Canadiens players achieving Olympic success, most recently in 2014 when goalie Carey Price and defenseman P.K. Subban won gold with Team Canada in Sochi—a team that also included current Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis.
Historical Context and Coach's Perspective
Martin St. Louis brings unique perspective to his players' Olympic experiences, having participated in both the 2006 Turin Olympics (where Canada finished seventh) and the 2014 Sochi Olympics (where Canada won gold). He contrasted his own path to Olympic competition—as an undrafted player who nearly left the league before his breakthrough—with Suzuki's more traditional progression through elite youth hockey programs.
St. Louis admitted he hasn't watched much Olympic hockey due to family commitments during the NHL break but expressed confidence in his players' performances and leadership. He emphasized that regardless of their individual paths to the Olympics, simply being there and experiencing the atmosphere among world-class athletes represents an incredible achievement that will benefit their professional development.
