Connor McDavid Leaves Olympics With Another Award, But No Gold

Connor McDavid added another individual award to his trophy case, but once again, it came without the championship he desperately wanted. The Edmonton Oilers captain was named MVP of the men's Olympic hockey tournament despite Canada's 2-1 overtime loss to the United States in the gold medal game.

McDavid led all players with 13 points in six games, breaking the Olympic record for most points in a tournament featuring NHL players. He collected two goals and 11 assists while also earning Best Forward honors from the tournament directorate.

The recognition marked another bittersweet moment in a career filled with individual excellence and team heartbreak. McDavid has become familiar with receiving MVP honors while watching opponents celebrate championships.

Pattern of Excellence Without Glory

McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2024 despite the Oilers losing the Stanley Cup Final to Florida in seven games. He recorded 42 points in 25 playoff games and broke Wayne Gretzky's single-postseason assist record with 34 helpers.

The three-time Hart Trophy winner became only the sixth player to capture playoff MVP honors on a losing team. He joined an exclusive group that includes Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Ron Hextall, and Glenn Hall as the only skaters since Reggie Leach in 1976 to accomplish the feat.

But he wasn’t done with that loss, as he pushed his side to yet another Stanley Cup Finals in 2025, only to lose to the Panthers once again. The loss continued McDavid’s bad luck with the Oilers, as despite winning the Art Ross Trophy five times, the Stanley Cup still eludes him.

It is ironic that despite so much individual success, which includes one Maurice Richard Trophy and four Ted Lindsay Awards, the center has yet to win a championship with Edmonton. His bad luck for championship games even followed him to the Olympic Gold game against Team USA.

Record-Breaking Olympic Performance

McDavid wore the captain's C for Canada after Sidney Crosby suffered a lower-body injury in the quarterfinal against Czechia. He responded with dominant performances throughout the knockout rounds, setting up Nathan MacKinnon's tying goal late in the semifinal against Finland.

His 13 points surpassed the previous Olympic record of 12 held by multiple players. McDavid averaged more than two points per game while quarterbacking Canada's power play and creating countless scoring chances at even strength.

Connor McDavid is the MVP of men's Olympic tournament! 🇨🇦👏 #Olympics #IIHF @hockeycanada

🔗 Read more: https://t.co/Ass1ITqpXy pic.twitter.com/6pMK0rJCIt
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) February 22, 2026

Jack Hughes scored the golden goal 1:41 into overtime to deny McDavid and Canada the championship. The Americans outshot Canada 42-28 but needed Connor Hellebuyck's 41 saves to force the extra period before Hughes finished the game.

Trophy Case Still Incomplete

At 29 years old, McDavid owns nearly every individual honor hockey can bestow. His collection includes three Hart Trophies, five Art Ross Trophies, four Ted Lindsay Awards, one Richard Trophy, one Conn Smythe Trophy and now Olympic MVP recognition.

The only trophy missing remains the most important one. McDavid has never raised the Stanley Cup and now adds Olympic gold to the list of championships that eluded him despite his brilliance.

His performance in Milano Cortina confirmed his status as the world's best player while reinforcing the cruel reality that individual greatness doesn't guarantee team success.

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