It’s been 11 years since NHL players participated in the Winter Olympics—the drought is finally set to end in 2026. There were a few reasons for the decade-long stoppage, but one in particular sticks out: injuries.
Between 1998 and 2014, there were multiple instances of severe, sometimes season-ending injuries at the Games. Seeing as the Olympics are quite close to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, that can be a problem for contenders. Plenty of “what if” scenarios are driven by this idea.
Let’s revisit some of the major injuries at semi-recent Olympic Games, as well as the 4 Nations Face-Off last winter. How many teams’ seasons have been derailed? Also, with Russia barred from participation, how does that play into things?
Let’s revisit a few of the most notable Olympic injuries from 1998–2010. To start, here’s a look at Joe Sakic.
While his knee injury wasn’t season-ending, he missed the entire month of March—a pivotal blow for a contending Colorado Avalanche team. Finishing fourth in the Western Conference after being tied for second place in the NHL, a first-round upset via the Edmonton Oilers ended a potential Cup run.
Even more notoriously, Ottawa Senators netminder Dominik Hašek’s season was over due to a groin injury in the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics. Though he was in his age-41 campaign, The Dominator was a Vezina Trophy frontrunner—.925 save percentage, 2.09 goals-against average, and five shutouts in 43 games.
The Senators had a brilliant 52–21–9 season but were defeated in the second round by the Buffalo Sabres. Had they not lost one of their most valuable players, though, it’s very possible this team wins a Stanley Cup. Or, at least, a Canadian team does—the Oilers represented the Western Conference.
Winning gold is any hockey player’s dream, but for the Senators, it arguably cost them their season. Would Canada have won a Stanley Cup post-1993 if Hašek hadn’t gotten injured? It’s possible.
The Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 had somewhat of an injury craze. The headliner was then-New York Islanders captain John Tavares, who tore his MCL—a season-ender.
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