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Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has a unique opportunity to cement his legacy at the 2026 Olympics.
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews will be among the players on Team USA looking to replicate the historic feat of 1980. The Miracle on Ice marked the last time the US claimed an Olympic gold medal in hockey.
While the American side came close a couple of times since, 2026 promises to be one of the best opportunities for the US to win gold on the world’s biggest stage. And Auston Matthews will need to play a big role for his team.
Matthews will likely be reprising his role as American captain in Milano-Cortina. The Maple Leafs star led Team USA to a second-place finish at the 4 Nations Face-Off last season. But it’s the Olympics that will ultimately matter the most.
A gold medal will go a long way towards cementing Matthews’ legacy as one of the NHL’s all-time greats. Sure, the lack of a Stanley Cup with the Maple Leafs will be something that could hang over his Hall of Fame resume like a dark rain cloud. But in the absence of a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold will be just as good.
Winning gold in Milano-Cortina will help shed the perception that he’s not a big-time player. One of the major criticisms of Matthews’ tenure with the Maple Leafs is his lack of big-game heroics. While Team USA won’t be counting on Matthews to shoulder the load alone, a strong two-way performance could very well shut down talk of his futility in big games.
Matthews Has Strong Supporting Cast
This iteration of Team USA marks a strong supporting cast for Matthews. He’ll be part of one of the depth center depths in history. Other pivots like Brock Nelson, Dylan Larkin, and J.T. Miller will be there to boost Matthews’ contributions.
Plus, having two elite defensemen in Quinn Hughes and Zack Werenski will not hurt the Americans’ chances of winning in the least bit. Matthews will have the supporting cast around him that he has lacked with the Maple Leafs.
That’s hardly a slight on Toronto’s roster. But this time around, the entire pressure of success won’t be on Matthews’ shoulders. He’ll have a chance to rely on others to help carry the load.
Stanley Cup with Maple Leafs Would Be Capstone for Matthews
A gold medal would also be a dream come true for Matthews. But a Stanley Cup, especially with the Maple Leafs, would be the capstone of a tremendous career. Matthews could retire the next day after winning the Cup in Toronto, and he would almost immediately get a call to the Hall of Fame.
Raising the Stanley Cup as the Maple Leafs’ captain would elevate him to the greatest in team history, and potentially one of the best in NHL history. It’s not that Matthews is better than others before him. It’s that ending a near six-decade championship drought in Toronto would be nothing short of spectacular.
Pulling off such a feat would be similar to Mark Messier ending the Rangers’ Cup drought in 1994. That’s the status that Matthews could attain by winning a Stanley Cup with the Maple Leafs. That prospect may seem a million miles away right now. But if there’s anything better than an Olympic gold medal, it’s a Cup with the Leafs.
Nestor Quixtan Seasoned NHL analyst and baseball writer focused on covering clubs across each league with news, analysis, and insights. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nestor’s singular experiences and background have enabled him to bring a different take on the sports world as a whole. Nestor’s fondness for baseball and hockey set the tone for his love and passion for writing about sports. More about Nestor Quixtan
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