Zach Werenski realized a major milestone in his career by playing a key role in Team U.S.A.’s gold medal victory at the Winter Olympics held in Milan-Cortina. His memorable assist to Jack Hughes during the final has been hailed by some as a historic moment in hockey. Back in Columbus, the Blue Jackets returned to practice, gearing up for a crucial resumption of their NHL season with a tough matchup against the Boston Bruins scheduled for Thursday night at T.D. Garden.
The Olympic gold medal game coincided with the Blue Jackets’ mini training camp, and head coach Rick Bowness arranged for the team to practice shortly after the final. At around 11:15 A.M. Eastern Time, goaltender Elvis Merzlikins took to the ice as scheduled. Prior to practice, most of the team gathered at Nationwide Arena to watch the gold medal game together. Though the locker room has a large Canadian contingent hoping their country would win, the team felt a winning spirit no matter the outcome because Werenski’s success brought pride to the organization.
Despite the Canadians rooting for Team Canada, Werenski’s triumph offered a silver lining and energized his teammates. His accomplishment is widely viewed as a potential catalyst that could help the Blue Jackets mount a strong push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Teammates Celebrate Werenski’s Olympic Success
During the mini training camp, members of the Blue Jackets shared their reactions to Werenski’s gold medal achievement and discussed the momentum it could generate for the team’s playoff aspirations. The prevailing sentiment was unanimous excitement and support, even among the Canadian players.
Elvis Merzlikins expressed heartfelt pride in his teammate’s achievement, saying,
“I really cheered for him. There’s many Canadians here on the team so I was all against them. They didn’t like it but I was cheering for my teammate. That’s what I told them. What’s wrong with you? Even if they’re Canadians, they’re your teammate. So we were shooting some jokes around. But definitely I’m proud of him and he deserves it. I think he did amazing in the Olympics as well. I’m super happy for him and can’t wait when he’s going to come home to give him a hug.”
– Elvis Merzlikins, Blue Jackets Goaltender
Charlie Coyle similarly noted the special nature of the moment:
“We were saying before overtime started, really wanted Z to score to see who his real friends are in the locker room to see if there’s any cheers from Canadians. Of course, he had a factor in it and made a great play to win a battle and get it over to Hughes. So I don’t thing guys can be too upset by that. Us Americans are pretty happy. There were only a few in there. But it was just an awesome game to watch.”
– Charlie Coyle, Blue Jackets Forward
On the following days, Canadian teammates Cole Sillinger and Jet Greaves reflected on Werenski’s performance and the historic nature of the game. Sillinger described his mixed identity and pride in supporting his teammate amid national loyalties:
“I’m at a Canadian at heart, I was born in Columbus and am a duel citizen. But I consider myself a true Canadian. When you have a teammate playing in the game, you obviously are rooting for him as well. I thought it was a great game. It was a very exciting game and you want to see anybody play there. Overall, it was probably one of the most exciting hockey games people got to see in a while.”
– Cole Sillinger, Blue Jackets Forward
Jet Greaves recounted his early love of Team Canada but expressed admiration for Werenski’s historic contribution:
“Some of my earliest memories in hockey (were) watching Team Canada play, Cheering for Canada. But it was an amazing hockey game. And to see Z play such a big part in the game-winning goal, I’m so happy for him. All of us in this locker room, Canadian, American, whatever it is, we all have so much respect for Z and who he is as a player and as a person. So to be able to see him be a part of that moment, that’s something that’ll be remembered forever. I’m super happy and super proud of him.”
– Jet Greaves, Blue Jackets Goaltender
Team Focused and Determined for the Season’s Final Stretch
Following his Olympic success, Zach Werenski is highly motivated to guide the Blue Jackets toward playoff contention, a goal strongly supported by his teammates. The entire roster recognizes the opportunity to turn the recent momentum into sustained success as they prepare for the demanding final phase of the NHL regular season.
Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, who also participated in the Winter Olympics representing Latvia, emphasized the determination he shares with the team:
“The last two days when we (Team Latvia) were already done and was looking at pictures, I was missing home. I wanted to get back here because we have something special. I really wanted to get back to work and end the season how we’re supposed to and then have a good outcome of it.”
– Elvis Merzlikins, Blue Jackets Goaltender
Cole Sillinger expressed excitement about returning to competitive play after a productive training camp:
“I think as a group, we’re eager to get back. We’ve had a lot of good practices here. After that, there’s not going to be much time to breathe (because) we’re playing hockey which is exciting.”
– Cole Sillinger, Blue Jackets Forward
Jet Greaves highlighted the urgency within the team to maintain focus and take advantage of the remaining game opportunities:
“There was a lot of positive things before the break, but we also know that doesn’t necessarily mean that things are just going to happen for us, We have to continue to do the right things everyday, come prepared, be ready to earn positive results and wins. We do feel there were a lot of positives but there’s a lot of urgency in this group to play good hockey and win these important games down the stretch.”
– Jet Greaves, Blue Jackets Goaltender
Blue Jackets Poised for Key Matchups and Playoff Pursuit
With Werenski energized by his Olympic gold and the team confidence building, the Blue Jackets are set to begin a critical 26-game stretch over the next 48 days. According to FanDuel’s Dave Maetzold, Werenski has already rejoined the team at the hotel and appears ready for Thursday’s significant game against the Bruins. The players have been eager to resume play and believe the combination of Olympic success and strong preseason work could be the spark needed to drive a playoff push.
As the Blue Jackets face a demanding schedule to finish the season, the motivation from Werenski’s achievement and the unified resolve among his teammates signal a focused and determined group prepared to seize every opportunity to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
