Feb 22, 2026; Milan, Italy; The United States celebrates after winning the men’s ice hockey gold medal game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images

Sabres Should Be Fueled By Olympic Success

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Ryan Womeldorf | Last updated Feb 25, 2026 9:45 AM ET

The 2026 Olympic Games ended in dramatic fashion, a finale that only Hollywood could have imagined. Connor Hellebuyck did his best Dominik Hasek impression, carrying the Americans on his back to the country’s first gold medal since 1980.

The Sabres are preparing for the stretch run, aiming to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season. Though they only sent two representatives, the hope is that the team can follow the lead of Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, who excelled at the Winter Olympics.

Tage Claims Gold

Thompson, a snub from the 4 Nations roster a year ago, was a welcome addition this time around. The vaunted sniper played in more of a reserve role on an absolutely stacked American roster.

That didn’t stop him from managing to shine, however. Thompson contributed three goals and four points in six games, showcasing his vicious one-timer along the way. If anything, it showed that Thompson is capable of playing any role necessary and delivering in limited ice time.

For his efforts, Thompson will bring a gold medal back to the Sabres dressing room. For a franchise that has been bereft of success for nearly two decades, it can be a nice inspiration to teammates that winning something substantial is closer than they think.

Strong Showing from Dahlin

Though Team Sweden didn’t wind up with a medal, it is hard to ignore the performance that Dahlin put on. For virtually the entire tournament, Dahlin was the ice time leader for the Swedes, outpacing names like Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman.

Dahlin was impressive on the stat sheet as well, adding a goal and four assists across five contests. So strong was his performance that it led many to believe that he was hurt after he remained on the bench in overtime of the semifinal against the Americans.

The Swedes started slowly but very nearly toppled the Americans to advance to the gold medal game. Dahlin was the anchor of what is a very good team. He has also been here for the entirety of the drought and no doubt wants to get over the hump just as much as anyone else does.

Time to Focus on the Stretch Run

Coming out of the break and with the trade deadline approaching, this is going to be a fast and furious time for the Sabres. There is speculation about what kind of moves they may make at the deadline, but the immediate focus is on the first game back against the New Jersey Devils.

Thompson’s availability is in question because of a visit to the White House, so the Sabres have already taken precautions by calling up Anton Wahlberg. It isn’t 100% certain that Thompson will miss the game, but we could see the debut of the 6-foot-4 Swede on Wednesday night.

When Thompson rejoins the team, it will be all hands on deck. Even if the Sabres make a big move at the trade deadline, Thompson and Dahlin will still be counted on to play a massive role for the Sabres. If they are to end the most significant playoff drought in the NHL, the Sabres are going to lean heavily on their Olympians.