The Drop Pass: February 23, 2026

Welcome back to THE DROP PASS, your week in review of everything Offside News Co. Every edition will recap hockey news, from our team-focused columns to podcasts and everything in between.

Another Olympic Games has come and gone and with that, the return of NHLers to the Olympic ice hockey tournament. Team USA men and women won the gold medal 2-1 over Team Canada in overtime matches for the ages. Both co-writers of The Drop Pass, Liz Malcolm and Katrina Liu watched the men’s game amongst friends, experiencing the epic highs and lows on international ice hockey. Below are brief reflections on the game… from opposing perspectives.

LIZ

The room was buzzing with disappointment and disbelief. Despite the early hour, friends had gathered at my roommate and I’s apartment to watch the game. The community of sports. We joked after the game that we’d been trauma bonded by the experience; that we were now forever joined in having shared in the hope and belief in Team Canada and the crushing reality of Hughes’ overtime winner crossing the goal line.

There was a silence that fell over the room following the game winning goal. I’d rushed to turn the TV off, not ready to acknowledge the reality of the moment. The explosive immediate reaction over - the yelling, the kicking, the agonized sighs — we sat, weighed down by our grief and disappointment. My roommate, a diehard hockey fan of two weeks, turned to the group and said, “I think the worst part of losing is the hope.” And that’s what it is.

The hope of a new tomorrow, on and off the ice. The hope for new miracles, new Olympic dreams to come true. The hope for swan songs worthy of the legends we’ve come to love and admire. The hope for the future of the sport of hockey. The hope that for all the times you share in sadness, you will share twice over in joy.

The hope that 2030 will be our year. And MPP and Crosby will be back. No pressure though.

KATRINA

I have written about how I will never stop believing in my country and the United States of America I dream about and believe in. I felt that more than ever Sunday morning, staring at my friends in disbelief as Jack Hughes (one of the first players I credit to making me fall in love with the game) scored the overtime game winning goal. I did burst out crying. Sue me. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

I’d be an ignorant idiot to say that this game was just a game. Of course it wasn’t. But for a moment, I felt like that little girl cheering when Nastia Liukin won the all-around gymnastics gold medal in 2008. Hell, I felt like 24-year-old me on Thursday, when Alysa Liu won the gold medal in figure skating. That’s what it’s all about, in a way. The Olympics is about chasing dreams. Sometimes, they come true. Sometimes, they get delayed. But they are dreams worth having.

NBC sportscaster Mike Tirico said it best when he was wrapping up Sunday’s coverage: “For all the young people out there, not just the hockey but all the Olympics you’ve watched, those dreams are formed now. Go chase them and go get them. Because our country loves sports and it brings us together unlike anything else.”

I know kids saw what Jack Hughes and Megan Keller did with wide eyes, the gears in their brains turning. And I have high hopes that the next generation will be inspired to be better and do better. In every way.

Thank you to our lovely staff for these headlines!

February is Black History Month and we wanted to highlight past articles throughout the month that offer Black perspectives on the sport and/or highlight the efforts and achievements of Black hockey players both past and present.

With yesterday’s closing ceremonies, the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics have come to a close! We wanted to huge shoutout to our fantastic staff for their hard work throughout the Games.

Tournament season for the NCAA is looming closer! Katrina and Michelle take their first looks at what the men’s bracket could look like. Get ready to (possibly) learn Worcester, Massachusetts, University of Michigan.

At Offside News Co, it is our core belief that those with a voice or platform should use said platform to support those in need. Like many, we were horrified to hear of the shooting this past week in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. We encourage readers to support the local community as they grieve and heal from this tragedy that hits so close to home for so many.

Katrina Liu, co-managing editor of Offside News Co, has also gathered community resources to support in this time.

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