John Tavares had some extra motivation this off-season as he prepared for his 17th year in National Hockey League.
Fresh off the heels of a 38-goal, 74-point campaign for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft is hoping to make Canada’s Olympic roster for the Milano Cortina Games in February.
The Oakville, Ont. native had previously represented Canada on the Olympic stage in 2014, but had his tournament cut short after sustaining a torn MCL and meniscus in his left knee in the quarter-finals against Latvia.
Canada would go onto win gold in Sochi, but the injury cost Tavares the chance to play in the final two games of the tournament, as well as the remainder of the 2013-14 season as a member of the New York Islanders.
Since then, NHL players were absent from both Pyeongchang in 2018 and Beijing in 2022, but a return to the Olympics in 2026 finally offers the 35-year-old Tavares a chance for redemption on the world stage.
“Really grateful I had the opportunity [to play in the Sochi Games],” Tavares told NHL.com. “Injuries are part of the game. It is what it is. I got to play. I got to be a big part of it. Obviously, it would have been unbelievable to play in the semis and a gold-medal game at the Olympics. It didn’t work out that way, but obviously I’d love another opportunity.”
“It’s just motivating to have that opportunity again,” he added. “You think about things and you’re like, ‘Yeah, I would love to be able to play in a gold-medal game.’ But you just want to be part of the team. Whatever role you play, your minutes, whether you play every game, you just want to contribute and be a part of it.”
Tavares was left off of Canada’s roster for the return of best-on-best international play at the 4 Nations Face-Off last winter, but has played his way into consideration for Jon Cooper’s team in Italy.
“He does everything well,” Canadian captain Sidney Crosby said of Tavares. “He takes a lot of pride in every aspect of his game, defensively, faceoffs. And especially when you’re playing on those teams, there’s going to be different roles. You have to adjust a little bit, and I think he’s a guy that can easily do that.
“He does it during the season regardless of where he’s thrown out in the lineup. He’s done that with Toronto. He can play the half wall. He can play in front of the net. He can play down low. He can kill. He’s versatile, and he can score. He’s still scoring at a good clip.”
Crosby captained Canada to gold in 2014 with Tavares watching from the press box, scoring a goal in the gold-medal game to seal the victory over Sweden.
Tavares was one of 42 players invited to Canada’s Olympic camp in late August, and remains firmly on the radar with just under five months until the puck is dropped in Milano Cortina.
“I think a lot of the things within my game, and I look at it and dive deep into it, show that the foundation is really strong,” Tavares said. “Maybe a little better execution last year and that obviously leads to some of the numbers, but overall, the way I look at things my last three-to-four years, I’m really happy with where I’ve been able to continue to evolve, and it’s just not be satisfied but continue to push for more knowing what my strengths are.
“With where I’m at, to continue to get better, that can be hard to say in your 17th year but there’s always ways. My advantage is my knowledge and my experience and how I can use that.”