Brad Marchand, Sidney Crosby, and Team Canada are gearing up for the knockout round of the 2026 Winter Olympics. As the Maple Leaf take on the real challenging stage of the tournament, all eyes are set on the star-studded roster put together by Jon Cooper. Such is the level of skill and compete in Team Canada’s locker room, that even an NHL star of Marchand’s caliber wondered if he’d find a spot in the lineup.
“To be honest, coming in, I didn’t think I’d be in the lineup. I thought I’d kinda be the extra guy and be a voice,” Marchand admitted, via Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. “Try to be loud and obnoxious in the room. So, I mean, I’m just so proud and honored to be part of this group.”
Dealing with an injury for a while now, Marchand missed the last two games of the round-robin stage in the 2026 Winter Olympics. During his lone appearance (so far), though, he made sure to record his first Olympic point, assisting Bo Horvat during Team Canada’s 5-0 victory over Czechia.
Although Marchand is crucial to the lineup, Crosby and company took care of business during his absence. The group stage came to a close and the Maple Leaf finished with a perfect 3-0-0 record (9 points), as well as the No. 1 seed in the tournament. As Cooper confirmed, Marchand is available to play in the knockout round—the rest of the nations might be wise to keep an eye on him.
Sidney Crosby #87 of Team Canada at 2026 Winter Olympics.
The real fun begins for Team Canada
However, seeding will become meaningless when the puck drops in the quarterfinals and beyond. If anything, being the highest-ranked national team at Milano Cortina 2026 will only put a giant target on Marchand and Team Canada’s back.
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Everybody will be coming for them—especially Team USA, which craves revenge for last year’s 4 Nations defeat. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and despite everything that can be said about the smaller Olympic hockey rink in Milan, it is certainly freezing down there.
Canada vs. USA: be careful what you wish for
Team USA and Canada will put the frozen surface to the test by bringing the heat game in and game out, though. With all the history behind the two powerhouses, it’s no surprise Matthew Tkachuk issued a bold comment warning Team Canada, as he spoke about the Americans rallying behind captain Auston Matthews.
Still, only a quick look at the Winter Olympics updated bracket shows Team USA and Canada can’t play each other until the gold medal game. Thus, both sides must first make sure they reach that stage before actively going at each other’s throat. On paper, the Americans and Canadians may be a peck above the rest. Yet, when standing on thin ice, everything evens up and anything can happen.
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