After a hard-fought victory over Czechia in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Canada coach Jon Cooper issued a stern warning to his stars, including Connor McDavid, Mitch Marner and Nathan MacKinnon.
It all came in the wake of losing Sidney Crosby to injury as a clear reminder that no victory will comes without effort and risk in the tough road to a gold medal. Cooper emphasized that the level of competition is tremendous in the tournament. For that reason, overconfidence cannot be allowed.
“This is the Olympic Games. This is the best of the best. This is why all the players want to come to this, because they want to show who they are and they want to flex. If you think you’re rolling through this tournament, you’re sorely mistaken. Yes. We like the fact that we won the first 3 games and didn’t have to play for the qualification game. Hell yeah, but that doesn’t mean you’re gonna keep on winning. It doesn’t mean because you got the Maple Leaf on your jersey that, ‘Hey, oh my gosh, you’re gonna be first.’ You’ve got to work to that and the guys in there know it.”
What is Sidney Crosby’s injury update with Team Canada?
Sidney Crosby’s injury update indicates that he might not be out of the 2026 Winter Olympics. The legend of the Pittsburgh Penguins apparently is dealing with a lower-body problem following a collision with Radko Gudas during the quarterfinal against Czechia.
He was seen limping toward the locker room in the second period, but Team Canada confirmed that he has not been officially ruled out of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The severity of the injury will be determined after medical examinations, and fans and teammates are closely monitoring his condition as Canada prepares for the next stage of the tournament.
see also
2026 Winter Olympics hockey: Has Sidney Crosby ever won a gold medal with Team Canada?
