DETROIT — There were a couple of familiar faces back on the ice for the Red Wings Tuesday. After taking some time to recover from the Olympics, Detroit’s star defenseman Moritz Seider and leading scorer Lucas Raymond were back at practice, ready to reflect — and to get back to work.

Neither made it as far in the 2026 Olympic tournament as they surely would have liked, with Seider’s Germany and Raymond’s Sweden going out in the quarterfinals, but for two weeks, they lived out childhood dreams and played in some of the highest level, highest-stakes hockey games possible.

“It was awesome,” Raymond said. “It’s obviously very special to be a part of, so you just try and soak it in, and at the same time try to play some good hockey games. It was a lot of fun, for sure.”

“It was a huge honor,” Seider said. “Obviously we don’t take it for granted, and special memories (were) made. Overall, I think we can all be happy.”

The happiest Red Wings Olympian, of course, was not yet back in Detroit on Tuesday. Fresh off winning a gold medal, Dylan Larkin remained with Team USA as it visited the White House, though Larkin is expected to join the team in time to fly with the team to Ottawa on Wednesday and play on Thursday. And when he does, he’s sure to get a warm welcome from his teammates and coaches after playing a crucial role in the Americans’ first gold medal in 46 years.

Larkin wasn’t slotted into the kind of starring role for Team USA that he has occupied for the last decade in Detroit. But just as he did at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, he became one of the Americans’ most essential players, centering the third line, taking on a crucial role on the penalty kill and scoring the team’s first goal in the quarterfinal and semifinal. He was moved up the lineup as the gold medal game went on against Canada, too, and was fittingly on the ice for the golden goal to top it all off.

“I think that’s probably the guy I’m most happy for,” Patrick Kane said. “Just his love and appreciation of USA Hockey, and not only that, but as a Red Wings teammate too and what he brings to the organization and how much he cares, I don’t think there’s anyone more deserving.”

After the hugs, stories and well-wishes have been exchanged, though, there are very real stakes awaiting Larkin and his teammates as NHL play resumes.

Detroit’s strong showing through the first 58 games has the Red Wings sitting in a playoff spot. But after losing four of their last five games heading into the break, their cushion is down to just seven points over the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have two games in hand. A nine-year playoff drought and two years of March malaise linger in the background.

And while the Red Wings are assuredly a deeper team than they’ve been in years past — and will need to be — Detroit’s three Olympians will nonetheless need to lead the charge through the home stretch.

Last year, Larkin and Raymond had some struggles returning from the 4 Nations, but there is reason to believe it could be different this time around. Injuries were a factor in Larkin’s return a year ago, and Raymond got some time off over the last week after his elimination. By all indications, he’s ready to get back at it.

“I feel mentally, at least, energized,” Raymond said. “Just being away from all the guys here, you’re seeing videos of them practicing, I saw them doing some board battle thing, and you kind of start missing the guys and all the people around us. You kind of get pumped up to get back, and I think that kind of brings it up a notch. … We’ve had a couple of especially tough March(es) here, where we maybe haven’t been playing to our standard. I feel like that’s a big motivation for us right now as well. We’re in a great spot in the standings, and we want to keep it that way.”

While Larkin won the gold and certainly had a great tournament in Milan, Raymond’s own performance at the Olympics turned heads as well. He finished with the third-most points in the tournament (nine) behind only Canada’s Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini, both MVP contenders. His eight assists trailed only McDavid.

Raymond is already an NHL star. But his performance in Milan demonstrated his ability to drive play as a dynamic creator, and how driven he is on the biggest stage. He was Sweden’s best forward. And after being that kind of go-to driver on a stage like the Olympics, perhaps that propels him in the home stretch.

“I knew he was good and stuff, but I think it’s a different appreciation when you play with him,” said New York Rangers and Team Sweden forward Mika Zibanejad. “How smooth he is and the competitiveness. The skill level on that guy, I was so impressed.”

Seider, meanwhile, logged his typical massive workload for the German team, and his takeaway from the tournament was more philosophical.

“Just a lot of joy,” Seider said. “It was a lot of fun playing in those games, in every single one, no matter if you win or lose. And that’s something I really want to take away: just remember why it’s such a fun sport to play, and I think I just should remind myself every single day of that.”

But it’s Larkin who may bring the most valuable experience back, after playing at the absolute pinnacle of best-on-best hockey — and under all the stresses that come with it.

“He’s felt it,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said. “I don’t even know how to describe this. Your senses can all take you back. You’ve lived that moment. That’s experience. He’s felt moments. He’s known what it’s like to skate out in a winner-take-all game. The crowd. The momentum swings. Listening to other players on the bench. Good calls, bad calls. He’s lived all of that, so he has a good reference point.”

He won’t be the only player in the dressing room who’s been in those kind of games. Patrick Kane and J.T. Compher have Stanley Cup rings. James van Riemsdyk and Ben Chiarot have been to the Stanley Cup Final. John Gibson and Andrew Copp have made deep runs.

But for Larkin, the Red Wings’ captain, to have that same kind of experience could prove to be invaluable — down the stretch, and if Detroit is able to get in.

“Coming out on to the ice, whether it’s home or on the road, there’s a different feel when you step onto the ice and the fans are really jacked up,” McLellan said. “And for some, they have to live that. They’ve got to experience what that feels like, then they can bank it and they know what to expect the next night and the next year and move on. Larkin has that now, and I think he’ll understand the magnitude of every shift, every minute, every second.”

Games in March won’t have an Olympic feel by any means. But in Detroit, the stakes are nonetheless very real.

The Red Wings have put themselves in a good position to set up this home stretch. Their Olympians starred in Milan. And now, with season-defining moments on the horizon, it’s time to see if they can put it all together.

“We can be really relentless,” Seider said. “We’ve just got to show that more and more. Can’t have any off nights. I think we should remind ourselves that we can be a really good team when it comes to playing tight games and playing in important situations. That’s something I think I’m looking forward to, how this group’s going to respond.”

— The Athletic’s Peter Baugh contributed reporting to this story.