OverDrive - Oshie on the Olympic experience, the parity in the league and Ovechkin perspective

Episode Date: January 19, 2026

ESPN Hockey Analyst T.J. Oshie joined OverDrive to discuss his experience playing with the US at the Olympics, his shootout expertise in his career, Matthew Tkachuk's return to the Panthers, the parity of the schedule in the league, Alex Ovechkin's Subway order and more.

With corporate traveler, you get a dedicated travel expert and 24-7 support. So business travel feels effortless. Big meetings land. Business grows. With corporate traveler, the booking is just the start. Search corporate traveler today. We're joined now by longtime NHLer, Cup winner, big time Olympian. You see him on ESPN.

There he is, T.J. Oshy. What's up, TJ? Hey, how are we doing? We're doing really well. We're actually just talking about going to the Olympics. and I guess you could speak to it based on your own experience and injuries popping up beforehand. I don't know if you had to deal with that or not.

But what is the protocol with your club team? Like if you're injured a couple weeks before you have to go to the Olympics, like what is your GM asking you, what is your team asking you, how much of a priority do you have to be transparent about how you're feeling with the understanding you want to go to the Olympics, but you also have an obligation to be healthy and play for your club team? Yeah, I don't know. That was never an issue with, I guess, with me.

I feel like if I had any chance of playing, there's no way a coach or a team could keep me out of it. I just am kind of more of an in-the-moment kind of guy. But I guess I can see where that could maybe be a factor. For sure. And that's what we figured. Most guys would say, we're going. Like, I don't care if my legs holding on by a threat. I'm playing, right?

because you're dying to go to the Olympics. You can't blame guys for wanting to go. Yeah, no. And I don't know. I think it's almost a little bit the culture of the game of hockey. Like if you can play, you're playing. You know what I mean? And even leading up to it, I'm sure there's some guys right now that are banged up,

but you work with your team all season long to try to get yourself into a place where you can make playoffs, even if you have the Olympics coming up. In the end, you're really playing for your teammates. So I'm sure once the guys are, you know, with their local teams, they're doing everything they can to help that team. And when they get to the Olympics, they'll do the same thing. TJ, your shootouts at the Olympics, obviously,

is part of your legacy Stanley Cup winner, but the shootouts were awesome at the Olympics. I know Canada at the World Juniors had a shootout coach to help them. Like, do you think that that's possible, Like if USA hockey went to you and said, like, let's get you involved with the shootouts, do you think you can help in that aspect? Or is that just something with what you just mentioned a couple of minutes ago? It's just in a split second, you've got to figure out what the heck you're going to do on the goaltender.

Yeah, I could definitely help. I think there's a certain thing that there's little tells that I used to look for when I was going down the ice. certain ways, certain kind of fundamental things that anyone could kind of incorporate into their moves. But really when it comes down to a shootout, there's a lot of feel to it. You can't just make up your mind on what you're going to do and then just close your eyes and hope it works. Goleys are too good. So you've got to have a natural flow about how you make your moves to have a backup and then a second backup, depending on what happens.

So, I mean, there's no doubt in my mind. Shootouts are one of the, like, my favorite things in the world to do. So I think I could help, you know, if anyone wanted a pointer, I'm sure I could figure something out. But there's also a natural component to it that I think the best in the game and the best that have been around or the ones that I'm sure we're going to see at least one shootout in the Olympics. the ones that it comes a little more naturally to,

those are the ones that will have the most success. How hard is it to park rivalries when you are battling, you know, another team, another teammate that you end up playing with the Olympics? And, you know, I'll give you an example. Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett ended up being teammates, but before that they were heated rivals. How hard is it once you get into the mix for Team USA, or, sorry, Team USA, is it to park those rivals in the NHL?

I'd say it's almost like the initial meeting, right? So, like, for me, when I went to the Olympics, it was Blues, Blackhawks, it was Patrick Kane. Right. Probably our best player on the team. And so when you first get there, you're like, hey, what's up, Kane? What's up, Osh? But deep down, you're like, God, I was just like trying to kill you last week. And so, but I think that's kind of maybe just,

For me, it was just like the initial, you know, meeting, kind of get over that awkwardness. And then when you put on the jersey, I mean, representing your country, nothing comes closer to that. And there's no easier way to bond than, you know, throw on the red, white, and blue and going against Canada or something. Absolutely. With T.J. O'Shee. Newtles just mentioned two Panthers. Speaking of which, Matthew Kuchuk returning tonight. So he's going to make his season debut this evening.

The Panthers have 53 points. They're four points out of a playoff spot. How much of a difference do you think Kachuk will make for the Panthers? And are you still a believer in Florida will make the playoffs? I'm absolutely a believer. So I can answer that one right away. Their style of play is one of the only ones. I think right now that they can kind of play a similar playoff style year round.

Obviously that it's a little bit less, right? because you've got a full season, you can't run around, you know, hurting yourself. But I think Matthew Cichuk will make a massive impact. He, one, it's going to take a little bit of that pressure off of the rest of the guys that have been trying to carry a pretty large load here with him and Barkhaub out. And they've had other injuries too. And so with that and their style of play, Chuckie, he creates so much offense. and he's so good at, you know, getting pucks to the net and finding ways to score goals.

And I think it's just going to lift the whole team up. I think they've been scraping here trying to stay in it and missing two massive pieces to your puzzle. You can get away with that for, you know, a couple weeks. I remember if we were missing, like, John Carlson and Ovechkin, like it's almost like we you'd almost win like the next two, three, four games just out of, you know, adrenaline alone from trying to pick up the slack. But it's hard to do that over a long period of time. So I think it's going to make a huge difference on the entire, on the entire lineup. And it's going to lift some of that pressure off of everyone.

And he's going to bring his game. I'm sure, I mean, coming back from the injury he came back from, I'm sure he is 100%. Right. You're not going to go before. the Olympics at 75% and have a chance of re-injuries. So I bet he'll hit the ground running. Osh, do you like the extreme parity, particularly in the Atlantic Division, where one week you could be in the basement, and if you go on a heat or 10 days later, it could be near

the top? Do you think that's good for hockey? Do you enjoy that? Yeah, I think it's great. It keeps everyone in it, right? You don't want to get around with 20 games left and have most of the playoffs already figured out. I think it makes them more competitive.

I always loved games that felt important, right? And like, obviously all games are important, but some games, when you're trying to fight a team for a playoff spot, especially those teams, if bubble teams play each other, in your mind in your locker room, you're saying this is a four-point game. Like, we take two of their points in game too. And, you know, sometimes in those games where we'd play, like back in the day when

Ottawa wasn't doing very well we would you get up by a couple goals and I almost get a little less interested I'd still give it my all and go 100% and that's kind of who I was but you get not it just wasn't as interesting when there wasn't a lot

on the line so I love I think it's great for hockey I love it I'd like to see my calf's a little higher up on the list but other than that I think it is great for hockey. Just quickly, before we let you go, has Obie always had the subway routine with the chips and everything

walking on the plane on the road, or is that just something lately as he's gotten a little older? No, that's been going for a long time. They just finally snapped the right picture, and it got the right amount of press behind it. I sat next to him at the card table on the planes, and it is, yeah, every day. Every road trip stops.

There's a little gags. gas station on the way to Dulles, and it has a subway inside the gas station. And so, you know, getting it going to stop in there, loading up whatever, filling up with gas, getting whatever you need. And, yeah, Ovi would always be in line. And, you know, he'd look at you and be like, bed, subway bed? You're like, I'm good, man, I eat the ring. And, uh, yeah, subway, I think he gets an Italian and hot Cheetos. Brilliant. It's unbelievable. He's the most of the time, man. He's the world's most interesting man. He is a phenomenal human being.

It's so much better that it's a subway at a gas station. I know. Because it's probably grubbier than normal. It's so grubby. The guy cuts the lettuce with his feet up on the counter. There's definitely some petroleum. It's good for 900 plus goals. Maybe I should have taken them up on it.

No kidding, man. Give me a gas sub and I'll snipe 900 plus in the NHL. What a beauty. All right, TJ. I appreciate you doing this, man. We'll do it again soon. Thank you. Absolutely. Thanks, gentlemen. Have a good one. You got it. Cup winner, Olympian. See them on ESPN. There's T.J. Oshie.

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