Team Canada is not ready to confirm whether Sidney Crosby is out for the 2026 Winter Olympics after leaving the quarterfinal against Czechia with an injury. As the semifinal matchup with Finland draws closer, head coach Jon Cooper and his staff have chosen to give their captain privacy while also avoiding to show Canada’s hand ahead of a crucial showdown.
As reported by Ryan Rishaug of TSN, Team Canada has decided to hold its morning skate ahead of the semifinal behind closed doors. The news comes as a surprise, considering Doug Armstrong, Team Canada’s general manager, had previously confirmed that no more practices would be closed to the media.
Desperate times, call for desperate measures. As Sidney Crosby’s injury sparks fear of a worst-case scenario, it’s clear Jon Cooper, Canada, and company will be extra cautious.
Whether Crosby plays or not will likely go down to the wire, and Team Canada is making sure to set all distractions aside as their captain skates to test himself before the semis. The team’s latest measure is yet another example of Cooper and Canada announcing a key decision on Crosby for the rest of the Winter Olympics.
When does Canada play?
With or without Sidney Crosby, the show must go on—and what a spectacle the 2026 Winter Olympics have provided so far. With a trip to the gold medal game on the line, Cooper’s Team Canada will take on Finland on February 20th at 10:40 am ET. The winner of that semifinal will await for the victor when Team USA and Slovakia face off at 3:10 pm ET.
Team Canada’s projected lines without Crosby
If Crosby is indeed unable to dress for the semifinal, then Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett could find his way back into the lineup. If that’s the case, this is how Team Canada’s forward lines could look against Finland at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
- Macklin Celebrini – Connor McDavid – Tom Wilson
- Brandon Hagel – Nathan MacKinnon – Seth Jarvis
- Mitch Marner – Nick Suzuki – Mark Stone
- Brad Marchand – Bo Horvat – Sam Reinhart
- Extra: Sam Bennett
The lines will be confirmed after the morning skate before the game. Since the media won’t be allowed to attend, Jon Cooper is keeping everyone in the dark—including Finland—about whether Sidney Crosby will play and how Canada’s lineup will look.