Elvis Merzlikins and Zach Werenski hopped in the car and had a late-night chat about what was next.
It was after midnight on Feb. 1 and the Blue Jackets had just landed in Columbus after a win at St. Louis. The two Blue Jackets jumped in Merzlikins’ car and shared a discussion about the opportunity they'd each waited a whole career for – the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 – that suddenly was happening in a few short days.
“He actually drove me home from the airport after the last road trip, so we talked pretty much the whole ride about that,” Werenski said after practice Feb. 2. “I was just asking him questions about Latvia and hockey there and whatnot.”
And as luck would have it, the two CBJ teammates will be on opposite sides of the same ice in their first game today. The United States and Latvia begin their tournament paths against one another, with a 3:10 p.m. faceoff (USA Network) in which both will complete a lifelong journey to wearing their national colors with Olympic glory on the line.
It’s a long way from John Glenn Columbus International Airport to Milan, but that car ride was the first of many shared experiences the two longtime teammates will have at The Winter Olympics.
“We were just takling about everything – the clothes, how is going to be the rooms and all that stuff,” Merzlikins said Feb. 2. “We are both super excited. We are looking forward to get there and live this experience.”
And lest you think either side was getting ahead on the trash talk, they promised that wasn’t the case.
“I don’t chirp – only in practice against him,” Werenski said with a laugh. “I don’t like to jinx anything. But no, honestly, I hope he goes over there and has an unbelievable tournament and shows everyone how good of a goalie he is. I’m rooting for him. Obviously not against us, but I hope he plays great and he shows everyone how good of a goalie he really is on that world stage.
“When we’re playing them, it’s all business, but when we’re not I’m a fan of his and looking forward to watching him over there.”
The feeling is mutual for Merzlikins, who has been teammates with Werenski since he first arrived in the NHL in 2019.
“He is a hell of a player,” Merzlikins said. “He deserved to be on that national team, and I hope they are going to do good, but I can’t hope too much. I have my own team, too, and want to beat everyone. It’s possible because we have already done it once, but it’s obviously going to be hard. We don’t have those names on the team like USA or Canada, right? But we still have our character and we know how to fight.”
It’s a star-studded tournament with plenty of big names, but it’s fair to say both players will be essential to their countries’ fortunes. Werenski has become a stalwart with Team USA, leading last winter’s 4 Nations Face-Off in scoring and being named the best defenseman at the World Championships last year when the U.S. won gold for the first time since 1933, as well as the Norris Trophy runner-up a season ago with the Blue Jackets.
Merzlikins, meanwhile, has been wearing the Latvia jersey since his teenage years and has long been viewed as someone who can keep the country’s impressive line of goaltending standouts going. A six-time member of Latvia’s World Championships teams, Merzlikins is expected to get the start today after winning five of his last six starts going into the break for the Blue Jackets and has the talent to steal a game should the need arise.
No matter how the tournament goes for each, head coach Rick Bowness said he’s excited to see how both fare.
“I’ll just watch them and hope for the best for them,” Bowness said. “They’ll represent their countries very well, and just as important, they’ll represent the Columbus Blue Jackets very well.”
And it all starts today when the puck drops on the United States and Latvia. Teammates in Columbus, the two will be happy to see one another, but it will also be all business considering what’s on the line.
“I feel like once we get there and the game starts, it’ll just be another hockey game, but it definitely will be neat seeing him over there,” Werenski said. “I think it’s always cool to have teammates on other teams like that and experience it as well. It’s great for him, it’s great for the Blue Jackets. And once the game starts, it’s just hockey.”
