Canada's Connor McDavid didn't win a gold medal, but he's going home from the Milan Cortina Olympics honored as the best men's hockey player from the Games.
McDavid was named the MVP of the men's ice hockey tournament following its conclusion on Sunday, which ended with USA's thrilling 2-1 win in overtime in the gold-medal game.
Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal in overtime for USA, and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck limited Canada, which entered Sunday's final averaging 5.4 goals per game in Olympic competition, to just one goal while securing 41 saves.
But the MVP is awarded for the entire tournament, not just the final. And media voted McDavid as MVP thanks to a record-setting scoring performance throughout the Games.
McDavid breaks scoring record
McDavid scored 13 points across six games, breaking the record for most points in a single men's Olympic ice hockey tournament previously held by Finland’s Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu (11 points each). McDavid reached his tally with two goals and 11 assists. Those goals helped Canada to 5-0, 5-1, 10-2, 4-3 and 3-2 wins prior to Sunday's loss in which McDavid didn't score.
McDavid's MVP was one of three individual awards announced on Sunday. Hellebuyck was named best goaltender. His U.S. teammate, Quinn Hughes, who scored the overtime game-winner in a quarterfinal win over Sweden, was named best defender.
Olympic hockey All-Stars
Meanwhile, three Canadians and two U.S. players were named to the tournament's six-man All-Star team:
Goaltender: Connor Hellebuyck, USA
Defender: Quinn Hughes, USA
Defender: Cale Makar, Canada
Forward: Connor McDavid, Canada
Forward: Macklin Celebrini, Canada
Forward: Juraj Slafkovsky, Slovakia
Hellebuyck's MVP case
Of the U.S. players, Hellebuyck probably had the best MVP case.
Hellebuyck started five of the six games in net for USA, including each of its three games in the knockout round. He allowed six goals in those five games for a tournament-best 1.18 goals against average. He made 131 saves on 137 shots on goal to lead the Games with a 95.62 save percentage, including 41 saves on 42 shots in Sunday's gold-medal game.
In the one game Hellebuyck didn't started, USA's Jeremy Swayman allowed three goals on 21 shots in a 6-3 group play win over Denmark.
Ultimately, voters awarded MVP to a skater in McDavid who played in all six of his team's games and set a new Olympic scoring record en route to a silver medal.