The World Championship is not the most prestigious of the men's hockey tournaments, and is primarily made up of NHL players on teams that missed the playoffs, as well as players playing professionally overseas. But given how much Team USA has struggled on the bigger stages, there was a big push for as many top players as possible to play in this year's tournament if they were available. Thompson, Detroit's Dylan Larkin and Columbus' Zach Werenski were among the available stars who went. Will that success carry over to the 2026 Olympics? That remains to be seen, and will largely depend on whether or not Team USA takes its best players (something it does not always do because it feels it has to get the "right" players). Either way, this is a big moment for the players who played in this tournament, and a great gesture to Gaudreau following the victory.