(WGR Sports Radio 550) - Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson rejoined his teammates on Wednesday, as he took to the ice for the morning skate in preparation for a matchup with the New Jersey Devils.
Thompson is back with the team after helping the United States to the nation's first Olympic Gold Medal since the 1980 Winter Olympics at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan, Italy. In six games played for the Americans, Thompson finished the tournament with three goals and an assist for four points.
The 28-year-old spoke with reporters on Wednesday after the morning skate. Of course the first thing on his mind was seeing that shot from forward Jack Hughes (Devils) go into the net on Sunday.
"It's the best feeling ever," Thompson recalled in the days following Team USA's 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in the Gold Medal Game. "You always dream about playing in those games every time you go to bed, and it comes down to overtime against Canada. You couldn't draw it up any cooler."
Thompson played for a championship earlier this year when he scored the Golden Goal to win the 2025 World Championship in Sweden. Now he's played in a game for Olympic Gold, and won that too. He couldn't feel more honored.
"Every athlete wants to be in those big moments and big games, and Canada is a huge rival. We knew how much this game meant to our country and to USA Hockey, and so happy we got the job done," the Sabres forward said.
So the Olympics are over, and those players on Team USA now need to focus on the last stretch of games in the regular season with their NHL teams and a potential playoff run.
"Obviously we're going to enjoy the experience. It's something that not many people get to do, and we achieved something that hasn't been done in a long time. So we enjoyed it, but at the same time, you have your own teams you go back to and you have your goals that you set at the beginning of the season. Now it's time to chase those," Thompson said.
"We have something very special going on here, and that winning feeling that we just got a taste of is pretty addicting. I'd like to continue to chase that feeling, and do what we set out to do at the beginning of the season. And this group of guys, I've been with a lot of them for a long time now. To accomplish a goal that we set out to do with these guys would be very special."
For the first time ever, the United States men's and women's ice hockey teams won gold medals at the Olympics. Thompson couldn't be happier for the women's team too.
"I think for both of us to do it has helped put USA Hockey back on top," he said. "And for the women, they've been on top for awhile. Now USA Hockey in men's and women's is back on top, where we should be."
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