Buffalo Sabres fans who've tuned in to watch the Team USA men's hockey team at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games have witnessed a different role for Tage Thompson on the Americans' power play.
In Buffalo, Thompson is accustomed to standing around the left faceoff dot — the longtime home of Washington Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin — with an eye toward setting him up to use his booming slap shot to generate scoring chances. Opponents have that plan of attack scouted, however, so it's rarely led to much offense for the Sabres' stagnant power play this season.
Team USA has used the 6-foot-6 power forward differently. He's spent his time either occupying the left-side goal line or creeping toward the top of the goal crease to use his mammoth frame to create a screen in front of the opponent's net.
It's worked well, highlighted by a goal in a group-stage game against Latvia where Thompson accepted a pass near the side of the net, used his size to create leverage and then spun a backhand shot into the top of the net for one of his two goals in the tournament so far.
The 28-year-old Arizona native will attempt to continue making a key impact as the United States heads into the medal rounds starting with a semifinal clash against Sloavkia on Friday.
Buffalo Sabres' Seth Appert discusses Tage Thompson at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Sabres assistant coach Seth Appert, who's in charge of the club's power play, confirmed the U.S. coaches reached out to discuss Thompson's usage with the man advantage.
"It's something that the U.S. staff had asked our staff, if we believed he could play that role, and obviously we do," Appert told reporters. "He's got the intelligence and the skill level to really probably play any of the five spots on the power play. And he's doing a good job with this opportunity right now."
He should be taking some notes, too.
Buffalo's power play ranks 16th in the NHL at 20.1% this season. Most of the team's PP goals, especially in the weeks leading up to the Olympic break, were a result of broken plays or lucky bounces. It was rarely because of good structure or set plays.
The Sabres' issues on the power play have been two-fold.
First, they've struggled to gain the blue line consistently. They run the same, tired neutral-zone drop pass on essentially every attempt and opponents have started playing tight at the line, leaving the Blue and Gold with tough carry-in attempts leading to a lot of turnovers.
Second, when Buffalo does gain the line, it's been plagued by limited player movement. Everyone assumes their usual spot, including Thompson in that faceoff circle, and they just pass the puck around the perimeter until taking a long-range shot. It almost never leads to a high-danger chance.
Getting Thompson out of that area and giving opposing penalty kills a different look could be the key to unlocking more consistency out of the Sabres power play.
Appert is facing a lot of pressure to get the special-teams unit clicking as Buffalo attempts to hunt down its first playoff appearance since 2011. It's often been the one missing element preventing the team from transforming into a true contender rather than just a cool story.
Thompson (and Rasmus Dahlin) getting to experience high-pressure games at the Olympics will help the Sabres' quest, but the superstar forward's role on the power play may end up being the biggest takeaway for Buffalo once NHL play resumes.