Connor McDavid of Team Canada has set a new record for the most points scored by an NHL player in a single Olympic tournament. During Friday’s semifinal match against Finland at the Milan Cortina Games, McDavid secured his 12th point with a secondary assist on Sam Reinhart’s goal, narrowing Finland’s lead to 2-1 in the second period.
Acting as captain in place of Sidney Crosby, sidelined due to a lower-body injury, McDavid, who plays for the Edmonton Oilers, had amassed two goals and ten assists through five games in Milan.
Canadian Comeback Secures Gold Medal Final Spot
McDavid finished the game with 13 points after assisting Nathan MacKinnon’s power-play goal with just under 36 seconds remaining in the third period. Canada overcame a 2-0 disadvantage to defeat Finland 3-2 and advance to the gold medal game. The team now awaits its opponent from the late Friday semifinal between the United States and Slovakia, also held at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
Context of McDavid’s Achievement and NHL Olympic History
This performance surpasses the previous single-tournament NHL Olympic points record held by Finnish forwards Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu, who each recorded 11 points at the 2006 Turin Games. While Selanne still holds the all-time NHL-era Olympic career record with 32 points, and Sidney Crosby maintains the Canadian NHL-players-only Olympic record with 16 points, McDavid’s 13 points set a new high mark for a single tournament.
McDavid’s Olympic run is particularly notable as the NHL did not participate in the 2018 and 2022 Games. At 29 years old and hailing from Newmarket, Ontario, McDavid has already established himself as a hockey prodigy with five Art Ross Trophies as the NHL’s top scorer, accumulating 1,178 points (395 goals and 783 assists) over 770 games. His per-game scoring rate is surpassed only by legends Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.
Canada’s Quest for Another Olympic Hockey Gold
Canada aims to reclaim the Olympic ice hockey title after previous gold-medal victories in 2002, 2010, and 2014, fuelled by NHL players. The upcoming weekend will finalize the podium as the bronze medal game is scheduled for Saturday, followed by Sunday’s championship matchup. The semifinal between the United States and Slovakia, also being contested at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, will determine Canada’s final opponent.
