Former American Olympian Mike Modano discusses impact USA’s gold could have on Auston Matthews
Auston Matthews is a champion. An Olympic champion, after helping to lead the United States of America to a gold medal by defeating Team Canada 2-1 in overtime at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. The Americans claimed gold for the first time since the 1980 ‘Miracle on Ice’ team, overcoming years of heartbreak on the world’s biggest stage.
“You get so many kicks at the can, and if you keep getting to the dance, something is going to change. Something’s going to change in your favour,” Modano said. “A lot of guys who are dependable on their own teams, but they sacrificed their roles, dug into more of a team and checking style of game. It was worth the wait, it’s been a phenomenal 24 hours for those guys.”
Modano, a three-time Olympian in 1998, 2002 and 2006 and someone who claimed silver during the 2002 tournament in Salt Lake City, discussed what the experience is like of representing your country on the biggest world stage.
“It’s only played once every four years, but to take a break from chasing the Stanley Cup and go over with other athletes to get that experience, it’s an exciting time,” Modano said. “You get to go and enjoy the whole atmosphere of the Olympic village, be around some great athletes and great U.S. hockey players. It’s an honour to be selected and be a part of that team.”
Matthews is set to re-join the Maple Leafs team after recording three goals and four assists at the Olympics, tied for second among all American skaters in points with Jack Hughes. Modano touched on what this Olympic gold could mean for Matthews as he returns to Toronto to try and help them return to the playoffs for the ninth straight season.
“It’s all about playoffs, it’s about winning rounds and going deep into the playoffs. I think that this win is going to give him a real confidence boost that he can play against the best players in the world at a really high level and have success,” Modano said. “I’m sure this is going to be a great boost to his ego, confidence and overall game. He got the monkey off his back at the International level, and there’s still time to make it happen in the NHL with Toronto. I think over time he will.”
“I think it’s going to be a mad sprint to the end. There are a ton of games loaded into March, so it’s going to be a battle,” Modano said. “It’s going to be a battle of attrition and a test to see which teams can stay healthy both physically and mentally. If they [the Maple Leafs] can get off to a good start and get a little confidence going, I think the final week of the season will be interesting.”
The Maple Leafs return to action on Wednesday night in Tampa Bay, when they square off with the Lightning. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. EST.