Connor McDavid’s early arrival and Players’ Tribune letter changed the Olympic mood

Feb 14, 2026 (1:24 PM)

Photo credit: Mike Segar/Reuters via Imagn Images

Connor McDavid is treating the Milano Cortina Olympics like his own mission, and Team Canada feels unstoppable.

He didn’t just show up. He wrote a Players’ Tribune letter that reads like a promise, then got to Italy early to get his legs and sleep right.

The result so far is loud on the scoreboard. McDavid has 1-5-6 through two games.

That’s a point per period, literally. Six points in six periods.

Team Canada is 2-0, and the top gear is already there. The group-stage opener was a 5-0 shutout of Czechia, then a 5-1 win over Switzerland.

Here’s the post that kicked this whole vibe off.

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What’s wild is how complete it looks. McDavid isn’t floating, he’s finishing checks and setting the tone early.

There was even a “wait, did McDavid just lay that guy out?” moment in the opener. That is not usually the script.

You can feel the fan mood shifting from hype to expectation, because this looks like a captain who refuses to leave anything to chance.

On the man advantage, the puck is moving fast and clean. McDavid is pulling defenders toward him, then slipping seams that shouldn’t exist.

Even at five-on-five, his pace is forcing panic. One extra stride, one curl, and the entire defensive box tilts.

It helps that Canada has finishers everywhere. But the engine is McDavid, and right now it’s running hot.

The best part is the intent. That early trip to Italy, that letter, that edge, it all screams “gold or nothing.”

If this is the baseline, the next test is simple: can anyone slow him down when the games get tight?

Previously on HockeyLatest

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FEVRIER 14\|209 ANSWERS Connor McDavid’s early arrival and Players’ Tribune letter changed the Olympic mood Should Connor McDavid win Olympic MVP at Milano Cortina 2026?
Yes	166	79.4 %
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