The NHL season is officially paused for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy.
The Avalanche entered the break as one of the league’s top teams (37-9-9), coming off a win against the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 4. The focus for this week shifts entirely to the international stage, where several Avalanche stars will face off against one another.
The “Avalanche Civil War” in Milan
The must-watch game this week is the Group A showdown on Thursday, Feb. 12, when Team Canada faces Team Czechia. This is a rare opportunity to see the Avs’ top offensive weapons (Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar) trying to score against their own teammate (Martin Necas).
Team Canada: Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews
Team Czechia: Martin Necas
Team Finland: Artturi Lehkonen, Joel Kiviranta
Team Sweden: Gabriel Landeskog
Team USA: Brock Nelson
Nathan MacKinnon’s Hart Trophy Chase on Pause
Nathan MacKinnon entered the break playing at an elite level. He recently became the first player to reach 40 goals this season and is sitting second in the league in points (trailing only Connor McDavid). He is a frontrunner for the Hart Trophy (MVP). The storyline to watch is whether the Olympic intensity will keep him sharp or if the fatigue of extra games will impact his scoring pace when the NHL season resumes on Feb. 25.
Roster Stability
The Avalanche entered the break on a high note, beating the Detroit Red Wings (5-0) and San Jose (4-2). They have stabilized their defensive pairings with Devon Toews’ return, and center Brock Nelson has provided crucial secondary scoring (including a hat trick in late January). The team is in a “buyer” position as the March 6 trade deadline approaches shortly after the Olympics.
Related – Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Men’s Hockey Tournament
Avalanche Olympic Schedule This Week
DateTime (ET)MatchupGroupWed, Feb 1110:40 AMFinland vs. SlovakiaGroup B3:10 PMSweden vs. ItalyGroup BThu, Feb 1210:40 AMCzechia vs. CanadaGroup A3:10 PMLatvia vs. USAGroup CFri, Feb 136:10 AMFinland vs. SwedenGroup B10:40 AMFrance vs. CzechiaGroup A3:10 PMCanada vs. SwitzerlandGroup ASat, Feb 146:10 AMSweden vs. SlovakiaGroup B10:40 AMFinland vs. ItalyGroup B3:10 PMUSA vs. DenmarkGroup CSun, Feb 156:10 AMSwitzerland vs. CzechiaGroup A10:40 AMCanada vs. FranceGroup A3:10 PMUSA vs. GermanyGroup C
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