The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina are over, and the United States is returning with two gold medal hockey teams. The women’s side was able to outlast Canada in overtime and won on a phenomenal stick rip into backhand goal from Megan Keller, whereas the men also won in overtime courtesy of a snipe from Jack Hughes.
The USA was abuzz after the wins, but while hockey is over internationally, NHL fans are now eagerly awaiting the recommencement of a season that is entering its final stretch. There are divisional races like the brutally tight Atlantic and the similarly close Pacific, dominant teams like the Colorado Avalanche (although their shine wore off a bit going into the break), and teams that are just plain fun like the Wild, where Quinn Hughes was traded from Vancouver earlier in the season.
There’s a little something for everyone, and with most teams having about 25 games left to play this year, there’s a lot of on-ramp ahead of the always-exciting Stanley Cup playoffs. Not to mention, there were some amazing players who didn’t compete in the athletes due to the international ban on Russia, including all-time NHL goals leader Alex Ovechkin, plus Andrei Vasilevsky and Ilya Sorokin, arguably the best two goalies in the sport.
Of course, those looking to support some of the key players who won Team USA gold may be disappointed. Connor Hellebuyck’s Winnipeg Jets and Jack Hughes’ New Jersey Devils are all but out of the playoff race. With that being said, other key players like Quinn Hughes and Dylan Larkin are firmly in the thick of things.
Here’s what to know about the NHL season as it stands, and who fans can root for depending on their proclivities.
The obvious: Geography
If you’re in a city with a team, the easiest move to root for that team. This probably doesn’t need exposition.
USA! USA!
If you just can’t get away from the high of that Team USA win, there are a few players to look out for. Quinn Hughes, who notched the game-winner for the United States against Sweden, plays defense for the Minnesota Wild. He was traded from the Vancouver Canucks earlier in the season, and is tied for fourth among NHL defensemen in points with Avalanche blueliner and Canadian Cale Makar. In addition, Matt Boldy and Brock Faber play for Minnesota.
Then there’s center Dylan Larkin, who plays center and is captain for the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings are entrenched in the most brutal divisional chase in the league, with the Atlantic Division having four teams within three points of each other. An Original Six team, the Wings have one of the most storied histories in the NHL, and are trying to break a nine-year playoff drought, the longest in team history.
Jack Hughes and Connor Hellebuyck play for the New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets, respectively. Both are effectively out of the playoff picture, so if new fans are willing to wait, these could be teams to follow. Hughes plays with his brother, Luke, who is rehabbing a shoulder injury and is expected to return in early March. He is the youngest of the Hughes brothers.
Give me an underdog
The underdog to end all underdogs? The Buffalo Sabres are also entrenched in the bloodbath that is the Atlantic, and looking to snap a league-high 14-season playoff drought.
Led by USA forward Tage Thompson and captain Rasmus Dahlin, a star for Sweden, the Sabres were hockey’s hottest team in December heading into January, winning 10 consecutive games in December and 15 of 17 after the span. NFL fans will know Buffalo has some of sports’ most dedicated fans, and the Sabres reflect that. Plus, they semi-regularly don the goat’s head jerseys of the 1990s. Huge bonus.
Sandwiched between Detroit and Toronto are the Ottawa Senators. Canada’s capital has a team that is riding the line between playoff team and rebuild, with Brady Tkachuk at the forefront. The Senators have the worst goalie play in hockey by a wide margin, but with a solid defense and a year removed from a playoff berth, not to mention at least a fighting chance in the Atlantic, Ottawa is a fun team to get in on early.
Perhaps, however, you’d like to look to the West. The Seattle Kraken have made the playoffs just once in their first four years in the NHL, but are on the razor’s edge to do the same this year. They’re currently third in the Pacific, meaning if the season ended today, they’d be in. Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle are the top scorers for the team, while backup goalie Philipp Grubauer just turned in a nice performance for Germany in Italy.
If there’s a bandwagon, I’ll take it
Normally the answer to this would be the Florida Panthers, but some bad injury luck has the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champs at the bottom of the Atlantic. If you want instant bragging rights and Matthew Tkachuk, look no further than Miami, but it might not last long.
With that in mind, the Colorado Avalanche are the clearest answer. Though they sputtered a bit heading into the Olympic break, they still lead the Wild by five games in the West. Canadians Nathan MacKinnon and Cole Makar lead the way for Colorado, while their goalie tandem of Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood, affectionately dubbed ‘The Woods,’ continue to turn in impressive seasons.
The Tampa Bay Lightning also belong here. They lead the Atlantic by six points with 78, although they’ve had their recent woes. After three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances, they’ve been bounced in the first round of the playoffs for three years in a row. Coached by Team Canada coach Jon Cooper, their best two players are Russians Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevsky. The latter is one of the NHL’s best goalies, second in the league in saves above expected only to Ilya Sorokin. Kucherov is third in the NHL behind Connor McDavid and MacKinnon in points with 91 and has won the last two scoring titles.
The Dallas Stars bandwagon is another fun one, and it isn’t insufferable … yet. The Stars are trying to get over the conference finals hump and are third in the Central behind the Avalanche and Wild. While Mikko Rantanen is one of the top setup wings in the sport, it’s the non-Olympian fans may love: Jason Robertson, who was considered a somewhat egregious snub off Team USA. He leads the Stars in goals at 32, and has said himself: ‘Every one is for my cat.’
There are also the Vegas Golden Knights, who currently lead the Pacific. The addition of Mitch Marner has been a boon for Vegas, and the team has been relevant since its inception in 2017. Vegas, of course, went to the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural season and then won it all in 2022-23. The Golden Knights have made hockey a performance as much as any team in the league, and it has translated to results on the ice.
Give me speed, give me youth
If you want youth, the Montreal Canadiens are the way to go. They’re the youngest team in hockey, and their top five point scorers are 26 or younger (three are 21 or younger). Similar to Robertson, Cole Caufield was a snub from Team USA, and is tied for the league-lead in overtime goals with the Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov at four. Nick Suzuki played well for Canada, notching a clutch game-tying goal against Czechia in the quarterfinals. The Canadiens (with an E) are mixed up with the Red Wings, Sabres and Bruins in the Atlantic.
Then there’s the San Jose Sharks, where wunderkind Macklin Celebrini is leaving his mark. The Sharks have work to do to slot into playoff position this year, as they’re five games out of a wild card spot, but it’s a far cry from where they were before drafting Celebrini in 2024. After going 20-50-12 in 2024-25, they’ve taken bounds this year, largely thanks to Celebrini. Now the Sharks are trying to build on the momentum of adding the face of their franchise.
Another team that’s part of the youth movement is the Chicago Blackhawks, led by Connor Bedard. They aren’t in the thick of things yet, but it’s a team with a lot of history that new fans would be buying low on. The Blackhawks look to be on the upswing, and with recent Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015, they aren’t far removed from their most recent era of relevance (and dominance).
Show me the best player in hockey
It’s Connor McDavid.
While naysayers will cite the lack of a Cup or Canada getting silver in these Games, McDavid is at or near the top of nearly every conceivable metric. He leads the NHL in points at 96, goals at 34, expected goals at 32.5, he’s tied for the lead in assists with 62, second in primary assists with 36 and fourth in shots on goal per game. He also leads the league in high danger shots on goal, max skate speed, and he has 70 more bursts above 22 mph over No. 2 Owen Tippett with 106. If you want to watch the best player hockey has to offer, watch the Edmonton Oilers, who are looking for their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearance and are currently second in the Pacific.
I’ll stick out a rebuild
Not everyone needs to get in and win right away. There are a few teams who are either entering into or transitioning toward rebuilding.
The St. Louis Blues are poising themselves for a full on sale at the trade deadline, and while Jordan Binnington played some great goalie for Team Canada, he has been the worst goalie in hockey by a wide margin in goals saved above expected. They’re likely looking at a roster teardown as they try to get back to the playoffs.
The Vancouver Canucks are a team new fans might struggle with. Ownership has had difficulty accepting a rebuild is needed, but the trade of Quinn Hughes was a start. Vancouver has never had a No. 1 overall pick, and this might be the year. But while things look bleak now, Vancouver is one of the most fun fanbases in hockey when it’s winning. Even when it’s losing, the fans find ways to make the best of it, like chanting ‘we want the Cup’ ahead of a shutout win of the Anaheim Ducks despite clamoring for a rebuild.
Anyone shiny and new?
The Utah Mammoth aren’t a new team per se, they’re a relocated continuation of the Arizona Coyotes, but they’re currently in a wild card spot in the West. Goalie Karel Vejmelka has been extremely strong this year, while Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz have turned in 50-plus point years to this point. Their logo also evokes the Wasatch Mountains over the head of the animal mascot, a cool localized touch.
I want a team with history
For teams with history, among the Original Six teams not mentioned are the Bruins and the Maple Leafs, both of the Atlantic.
The Boston Bruins are a team that never really goes away. They had an eight-year playoff streak snapped last year, but this year are in the thick of the playoff hunt at 69 points, giving them a wild card spot for now. David Pastrnak has 71 points for the team lead, while Morgan Geekie and Team USA’s Charlie McAvoy are other key contributors.
Then, and this is a little awkward, there are the Toronto Maple Leafs. USA captain Auston Matthews is the Leafs captain, and is second on the team with 48 points while leading it with 26 goals. The Leafs are at 63 points, six points out of a wild card spot, and haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967. The Leafs have also suffered some … unique heartbreak in recent seasons. They have lost seven Game 7s since 2013, including two in the past two seasons. The 2025 collapse against the Panthers ultimately ran Mitch Marner out of town (among other reasons), and this year looks like it may well end in disappointment up north.
Finally, there the New York Rangers to round out the Original Six. The Rangers are trying to retool their roster, having already traded Artemi Panarin to the Kings and being on the cusp of moving Vincent Trocheck, another Team USA member. The Rangers made the conference finals in 2023-24, but have lacked an identity in the past two seasons. They’re hoping for a lottery pick this year, and easily could have gone into the rebuild category as well.
Obviously anyone can follow any team for any number of reasons, this is just a jumping off point. Come the NHL trade deadline on March 6 or the NHL entry draft June 26-27, things could end up looking very different. But as we enter the homestretch of the NHL season, these teams have something for everyone. So do the Blue Jackets and Flames, where Johnny Gaudreau — the player honored by Team USA after him and his brother Matthew were tragically killed by a suspected drunk driver in 2024 — played, the Capitals, led by the legendary Ovechkin, or the Penguins, led by the similarly legendary Sidney Crosby.
There’s also the Hurricanes, who have made seven straight playoffs and are cued up for their eighth, the Islanders, who boast arguably the best goalie in the league in Ilya Sorokin, and the Predators, another team in an unorthodox location that has found sporadic success (and Nick Saban has stock in, for Alabama fans). The Ducks and Kings scratch the West Coast itch and play completely disparate games despite being so close regionally, and the Flyers, well, the Flyers have Gritty, one of sports’ best mascots.
With the NHL entering its homestretch, all anyone has to do is turn it on and follow the rules. The Olympics provided a good blueprint of what to expect. An important caveat, however: It isn’t best on best every night. Not every game is going to bring the excitement of the Winter Olympics. But the Stanley Cup playoffs are as high-stress as any postseason in sports.