Senators Teammates Express Amazement at Tim Stützle's Olympic Hockey Dominance
As NHL players returned to practice following the Olympic break, several Ottawa Senators shared their admiration for teammate Tim Stützle's outstanding performance at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. While many athletes sought tropical vacations, Senators forward Drake Batherson chose to watch hockey from his Nova Scotia lake house, closely following the Olympic tournament.
Batherson's Olympic Viewing Routine
"Honestly, I've been watching the whole men's hockey tournament," Batherson revealed after reuniting with teammates in Ottawa. "I was just kind of hanging out at my lake house and watching the Olympics all day, and then going for a skate at night. That was pretty much my routine. It was awesome."
Batherson noted the convenient timing of Olympic hockey games, suggesting many players were enjoying morning coffee while watching the competition. He emphasized that all Senators participating in the Olympics were performing well, but singled out one teammate for particular praise.
Stützle's Impressive Olympic Statistics
Twenty-four-year-old center Tim Stützle has emerged as Germany's standout performer through four Olympic games. With six points (four goals and two assists), Stützle shares the tournament goal-scoring lead with Canada's Macklin Celebrini and Denmark's Nick Olesen.
On a German team with limited NHL representation, Stützle has shouldered significant responsibility. Among tournament forwards, only teammate Leon Draisaitl has logged more ice time than Stützle's average of 21 minutes and 47 seconds per game. During Germany's 5-1 qualification playoff victory over France, Stützle averaged shift lengths of 1 minute and 9 seconds.
Teammates Recognize Stützle's Workload and Performance
"He's playing a lot," Batherson observed. "I talked to him yesterday and he said he was feeling pretty tired. I think he played like 27 minutes or something the other day. But he's flying out there. He left here on a good run and then pretty much went on a goal-scoring streak there until today."
Batherson expressed particular admiration for how Stützle has translated his NHL success to the Olympic stage, noting "Timmy just seems like he's carried what he was doing here into there. Obviously, on a big stage like that, it's pretty impressive."
Chabot's Unsurprised Assessment
Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot expressed no surprise at his teammate's Olympic success. "To me, it's not surprising. I know how good he is," Chabot stated. "I knew he was going to go out there and play lots of minutes, take charge and take control of that team. I know he was very excited about it and looking forward to it. And he's not disappointing. I mean, the guy is unbelievable."
Stützle demonstrated his playmaking ability during Germany's qualification victory, fighting off a check in the offensive zone corner before delivering a precise backhand pass to JJ Peterka for a goal that extended Germany's lead to 3-0.
The Senators' praise for their teammate highlights how Stützle has elevated his game on international hockey's biggest stage, maintaining the momentum from his NHL performance while carrying Germany to the Olympic quarterfinals with his offensive mastery and heavy workload.
