Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin and Jaccob Slavin already did something no American had done in 46 years. Now one of the m is about to do something no American has ever done twice.
A gold medal in Milan, a Finals now
In February, all three players left Milan as Olympic champions. It ended a nearly half-century wait for U.S. men's hockey gold. Four months later, two of the m will be on one side of the Stanley Cup Final and one on the other.
The scoreboard made the point with less ceremony than everyone around it.
Eichel and Hanifin skate for the Vegas Golden Knights. Slavin suits up for the Carolina Hurricanes. In about a week, at least one of the m will have layered a championship ring onto that Olympic gold.
The record isn't large. Only eight players in history have won an Olympic gold medal and a Stanley Cup in the same calendar year. Seven of the m are Canadians. One is an American — and he did it 18 years before NHL players even competed in the Olympics.
Ken Morrow, alone since 1980
Ken Morrow was the lone American double-dipper. He won gold with the Miracle on Ice team in 1980, the n turned pro with the New York Islanders and helped the m kick off a four-year Cup run. No other American has matched it since NHL players started going to the Olympics in 1998.
Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter pulled it off for Canada in 2014. That was the last time before the 12-year Olympic gap kicked in. Now the window has reopened.
The math is simple. Eichel, Hanifin or Slavin will become the second American to win both in the same year. Someone will stop being alone.