No one could have asked for a more captivating return for NHL players to the Olympics for the first time in 12 years than what happened Milan. Of the final eight games across the quarterfinals, semifinals and medal games, five were decided by one goal. Four of them went to overtime, including the gold medal game, which will be remembered for generations in the United States after Jack Hughes buried a shot 1:41 into the extra session to win the country's first gold medal in the event since 1980.

Hockey is a team sport, and the Olympic spirit embodies those same traits. But there were some incredible performances for players throughout the tournament, and they are worth recognizing, too. Here are the six players the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced were named to the media all-star team, which of course includes the top goaltender, defenseman and forward, as well as MVP.

He made 131 saves in the tournament, but one save in particular could have won Connor Hellebuyck this award alone.

After becoming the first goaltender in a decade to win the Hart Trophy for NHL MVP last season, the Winnipeg Jets netminder was on a superhuman level from start to finish in Milan. His .956 save percentage was the best for any goalie with multiple games played. Stats don't tell the full tale of his impact in the gold medal game. The U.S. was outshot 42-28 for the game and 33-14 across the second and third periods. Yet Hellebuyck was always there to provide the answer, stonewalling several of the world's best players time and time again.

Last year, a second straight poor performance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs had many questioning whether Hellebuyck could handle high-pressure situations. He answered them emphatically with his play over the last two weeks, allowing just six goals in five games to become the first U.S. netminder to win Olympic gold since Jim Craig.

The 2024 Norris Trophy winner for best defenseman in the NHL can now add best defenseman at the Milan Cortina Olympics to his résumé. His eight points led Team USA (one more than his brother, Jack) and were two more than any other defender in the Games. His one goal was a massive one, an overtime laser in the quarterfinals against Sweden after the U.S. surrendered a late equalizer.

Last year, Hughes was injured for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, which the U.S. lost in an overtime final to Canada. He was a huge reason why the U.S. flipped the script in 2026.

Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar have been side-by-side ever since they finished one-two in NHL rookie of the year voting in 2019-20. So, it's only fitting that they're next to each other on the Milan Cortina all-star team as well.

As usual, Makar was an offensive force, scoring six points in as many games in the tournament. He was the lone Canadian to beat Hellebuyck in the gold medal game, unleashing a perfect shot coming down the right side late in the second period. He was also instrumental in Canada's comeback from 2-0 in the semifinals against Finland, as it was his shot that deflected off Sam Reinhart to get Canada on the board late in the second period.

There has to be some mixed deja vu for Connor McDavid. On one hand, it was hard to ask more from the world's best player, as he broke Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu's record for most points in an Olympics with NHL players (11). Selanne and Koivu both set their records by playing eight games; McDavid reached 12 points in the first period of his fifth contest.

However, McDavid won't leave Milan with the gold medal he was ultimately hoping for. It's the second time in less than two calendar years he's had this feeling. McDavid was named the Conn Smythe Award winner in 2024, given to the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, despite the fact his Edmonton Oilers lost the in the final in seven games. It's only the fifth time in NHL history a losing player has won the award, and only the second time a skater (not a goaltender) has pulled off the feat.

It's actually quite a bit less common for this to happen in the Olympics, however. This is the fourth time in the last five Olympics that the tournament MVP came from a country that didn't win gold.

McDavid is still the best player in the world and probably will be for a while. But there's a clear expected successor for that title, and he was often found on McDavid's left wing in this tournament: 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini.

The second-year San Jose Shark made the team thanks to a dynamite start to the NHL season. But he looked like a seasoned veteran right away, scoring Canada's first goal of the tournament and never slowing down. He finished with a tournament-high five goals and his 10 points were second only to McDavid. The 2024 number one NHL Draft pick has a very bright future ahead of him, and the present is pretty bright as well.

Also one of those aforementioned tournament MVPs from non-gold winning teams, Juraj Slafkovsky parlayed his excellent performance in the 2022 Beijing Olympics to become the number one pick in that year's NHL Draft. In the midst of his best pro season to date, Slafkovsky continued growing his Olympic legend with a second standout performance.

He set the tone for the Slovaks by scoring two goals in their opening game, a round-robin upset of Finland. Slafkovsky finished tied for second in goals and tied for fourth in points. After only reaching the medal stage once in their first seven Olympics, Slovakia has now played for a medal in back-to-back Winter Games. While they didn't win bronze like they did four years ago, Slafkovsky and Slovakia alike are rising figures in the hockey world.