There’s really no longer a debate about how the better player is — it’s Connor McDavid by a mile. That said, this past week, the stage couldn’t have been bigger for both McDavid and Auston Matthews, and Matthews came out on top.
In the USA vs. Canada gold medal game, it was a Matthews-led team that won. And it was McDavid who didn’t produce when it mattered most. Matthews is celebrating today, hopping on a plane headed to the White House. McDavid is going on the road to meet the Oilers, where he’ll take a little break before suiting back up and focusing on a playoff run.
McDavid and Matthews are leaving Milano Cortina with two very different feelings. The narrative surrounding both players is also quite different from when the tournament began. But was it a boost for Matthews or a hit for McDavid that will make the bigger dent?
Matthews Finally Labeled A Winner
For the United States, the win meant more than just another medal. It ended a 46-year Olympic gold drought—the country’s first men’s hockey gold since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.” It was Matthews who captained the group. He delivered when it mattered most.
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Jack Hughes quickly jumped in to shut down any lingering doubts:
“I think it doesn’t matter what anyone says now. Auston Matthews is a winner. Auston Matthews is an Olympic gold medalist. He’s a winner. That’s what the media in Toronto should be talking about,” said Jack Hughes after the team won gold and addressed the media.
Matthews has been labeled the guy who can’t take his team into meaningful games and get the job done. For years, he’s carried the weight of playoff frustration in Toronto. The regular-season numbers have always been elite, but critics were quick to point out the Maple Leafs’ lack of deep postseason runs. The gold medal changes the tone of the conversation around him.
Matthews didn’t shrink from the international best-on-best stage. If anything, he looked comfortable and relaxed in it. Teammates praised his leadership. When critics question whether he’s a “winner,” some can point to a lack of success in the NHL, but they now also have to point to the gold medal.
McDavid’s Story is Maybe More Complicated
Individually, Connor McDavid was spectacular. He set an Olympic scoring record for NHL players with 13 points, claimed MVP honors, was named Best Forward, and earned a spot on the tournament All-Star team. Shift after shift, he was the most dangerous player on the ice — that is, until the final game.
It’s an uncomfortable reality that has become far too familiar for the greatest player in the world. Individually, no one is all that close. But as a leader, he gets just shy of the mountain top. Silver isn’t failure — nor are the Stanley Cup Finals — but that’s not how he sees it. Fans and analysts are starting to question him as well.
His dominance is obvious. Yet the résumé lacks the one thing (now two) that he really wants. He has no Stanley Cup and no Olympic gold. If his plan is to go down as the “greatest ever”, people will argue he can’t be without checking those things off his to-do list.
So Whose Narrative Changed More?
Matthews clearly gained the bigger boost. In many ways, he changed the “can’t win” storyline. However, this team was stacked, and one could argue that Matthews wasn’t the reason Team USA took gold. He just so happened to be wearing a letter when it all came together.
For McDavid, the impact is more troubling. His tournament dominance makes the pain of the loss even more real. And, because he’s come so close so many times, the near-misses carry extra weight.
Both have years left to reshape their stories, and many believe McDavid will eventually get over the hump. For Matthews, that doesn’t look like something that’s coming in Toronto. A Stanley Cup could instantly reframe everything for McDavid. Without it, especially if the Oilers get close again, the narrative will linger.
