Akira Schmid was back on the ice with the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, still shaking off jet lag after returning from the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. The goaltender was the first of three Knights Olympians to rejoin the team, waking up at 6 a.m. for an 11 a.m. practice at City National Arena. “I’d rather do that than fall asleep at 6,” Schmid said, laughing.

Schmid represented Switzerland in the Olympics, but the Swiss were eliminated in the quarterfinals Wednesday with a 3-2 overtime loss to Finland. He did not dress for that game. His lone start came against Canada on Feb. 13, a 5-1 loss in which he made 34 saves, including a spectacular scorpion stop on captain Sidney Crosby. “He held on so long to the puck, I thought, ‘He’s going to run out of real estate soon.’ But then he kind of dragged me all the way over,” Schmid said. “He’s holding onto it, so I got to do something.”

Despite the limited action, Schmid called the Olympic experience unforgettable. He and his teammates stayed in the Olympic Village, where athletes rode scooters and gathered in lounges and a gaming room. His family joined him, and they explored the city, sampling the local cuisine. “You just kind of try to soak everything in,” Schmid said. “We had a great time. Our team was a very tight-knit group. We hung out a lot. Played a lot of card games. It was a fun experience.”

Schmid, who has a career-high 16 wins this season, hopes the Olympic stint will fuel him for a grueling stretch ahead. The Knights play 18 games in a month, with only one two-day break. “There’s just a pride playing for your team,” Schmid said. “To experience that and feel it, I’m trying to bring that here.”

Tomas Hertl (Czechia) and Rasmus Andersson (Sweden) are expected back at practice Monday.