The NHL season has paused for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy, and the Colorado Avalanche enter the break as one of the league's top teams, holding a record of 37-9-9. Their last game before the break was a win against the San Jose Sharks on February 4. Now, the focus shifts to the international stage, where several Avalanche stars will compete against each other.

A key event to watch is the Group A game on Thursday, February 12, featuring Team Canada against Team Czechia. This matchup presents a unique situation where Avalanche teammates will be facing off, with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar of Team Canada trying to score against Martin Necas of Team Czechia.

Here’s a breakdown of Avalanche players participating in the Olympics: * Team Canada: Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews * Team Czechia: Martin Necas * Team Finland: Artturi Lehkonen, Joel Kiviranta * Team Sweden: Gabriel Landeskog * Team USA: Brock Nelson

Before the Olympic break, the Avalanche demonstrated strong performance, including wins against the Detroit Red Wings (5-0) and San Jose (4-2). The return of Devon Toews has stabilized their defensive pairings, while Brock Nelson has contributed crucial secondary scoring, including a hat trick in late January. As the March 6 trade deadline approaches shortly after the Olympics, the team is considered to be in a "buyer" position.

Nathan MacKinnon's pursuit of the Hart Trophy is currently on hold. Before the break, MacKinnon was performing at an elite level, leading the league with 40 goals and holding the second-highest point total, just behind Connor McDavid. It remains to be seen whether the intensity of the Olympics will maintain his sharpness or if the added games will lead to fatigue and impact his scoring pace when the NHL season resumes on February 25.

The Avalanche have been inconsistent recently, going 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. Some of those losses were significant, with the team allowing 7 goals in three separate games. Their power play has been a major weakness, ranking last in the league at 15.1 percent. However, their penalty kill has been excellent, ranking near the top of the league at 84.7 percent.

The Olympic break provides an opportunity for injured players like Gabriel Landeskog to recover. Landeskog, who crashed into a net on January 4, is expected to be ready for the Olympics and the Avalanche's return to NHL play on February 25 against the Utah Mammoth.

Here is a partial schedule of Olympic games featuring Avalanche players this week:

• Wednesday, Feb 11: Finland vs. Slovakia, Sweden vs. Italy
• Thursday, Feb 12: Canada vs. Czechia