Hours before the Stars’ first game back since the Olympic break, Jake Oettinger went through his typical morning routine.
He participated in morning skate, spoke with the media and joked with teammates and staff.
But Oettinger’s midseason Wednesday didn’t feel so regular.
During those pregame jokes with the equipment staff, he wore an Olympic gold medal around his neck — the first Team USA has won since 1980.
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On Wednesday night, he’ll sit between the benches at American Airlines Center while backing up Casey DeSmith as he eases back into NHL play. His front-row seat will be a good one, but nowhere near as good as the view he had for Connor Hellebuyck’s 41-save performance or Jack Hughes’ game-winning goal in the 2-1 overtime win over Canada in Sunday’s gold medal game.
“I was just trying to get on the ice as quickly as I could,” Oettinger said, recounting the celebration. “I was over in the corner. I was yelling at the lady running the door to try to get that door open as quickly as I could, so I could get out there.”
Oettinger was one of three goalies to represent the United States in the Milano Cortina Games alongside Winnipeg’s Hellebuyck and Boston’s Jeremy Swayman. The Stars goalie backed up Hellebuyck for most of Team USA’s games but didn’t see the ice.
“It was definitely different, definitely tough,” he said. “You got over there, and you hope to get your number called to get a chance to play. That didn’t happen. All I tried to do was just stay ready and be as good of a teammate as I could.
“We won the gold medal. That’s all that matters. To be a part of the team that won the first gold medal since 1980 is something that I’ll always cherish.”
Being an Olympian and winning gold was a dream Oettinger first established as a child playing hockey in Minnesota. He was able to share the experience with his entire extended family in Italy, including his father, his younger brother, his wife and his 3-month-old son.
Oettinger said he fully took in the experience — from living in the Olympic village, to chatting with athletes from other sports, and even attending other events like women’s hockey, figure skating and speed skating.
But he also cut his experience one day short, opting not to join Team USA at the White House and the State of the Union speech Tuesday night. Oettinger was one of five players to return to their respective teams.
“Getting invited to go to the White House is a tremendous honor,” he said. “I think, for me, I’ve been basically living in Italy for a month. I have a huge stretch run. I wasn’t playing much. I wanted to come back and get my game ready to go, and I also have a 3-month-old baby at home, and we’ve been traveling the world. I think those guys had a great time there, but that’s why I didn’t go.”
The decision by his 20 teammates to visit the White House drew some backlash, as did their celebration with FBI Director Kash Patel in the locker room and a phone call with President Donald Trump during which he invited the men’s team to the White House and joked that he would be impeached if he did not invite the women’s team. The women’s team declined the invitation Monday, citing scheduling conflicts.
“My opinion on that is there’s no one that supports women’s hockey more than me,” Oettinger said. “I know a lot of those girls personally. I think if you would’ve been at the bar watching the game with me where I was, watching the women’s hockey, there was no one as excited as me when they won the gold medal.
“They’re incredible, and they deserve all the credit in the world. They’re dominant. I was just so happy for those girls. To get to know a few of them personally made it that much cooler. The fact that the men and the women both have the gold medal right now is pretty cool.”
The whirlwind three weeks ultimately landed the Stars goalie back in his routine in Dallas, playing behind six teammates who also earned the honor of representing their countries. That includes Thomas Harley, a defenseman for Team Canada, who came up just short of the gold medal.
Three of their teammates — Radek Faksa, Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz — are missing Dallas’ first game back against Seattle due to illness or injury from the tournament. The Olympics led to significant injuries for other big-name players like Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Los Angeles’ Kevin Fiala. Nevertheless, Oettinger said he hopes the NHL allows its players to play in the tournament every four years.
“It’s the greatest honor I think you can have,” he said. “Now that I think guys have lived it, I think there’s no way they’re ever going to let it go back. All these top guys want to play for their country and play against the best in the world.”
There are still some mixed emotions in the Stars locker room. Head coach Glen Gulutzan said, “Today, I wish the Olympics weren’t on,” as he drew up a lineup that required a forward call-up from the AHL to field a full roster.
But he can also take some comfort knowing his starting goalie, who is expected to be back in net Saturday against Nashville, is mostly rested — outside of a little jet lag, partying in the locker room and in Miami, and some soreness from the heavy gold medal that’s lived around his neck for the last four days.
“It was really heavy, so my neck was getting a little sore,” he said. “That’s the only reason I took it off. I never want to take it off.”
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