What could have been an unforgettable stay in Milan ended in heartbreak for Nathan MacKinnon and Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Unforgettable it may still be, but for all the wrong reasons.
Watching from the stands, Sidney Crosby offered a steadier, more detached perspective as the Canadians processed the flood of emotions. In that spirit, the captain made one thing clear to MacKinnon, who missed a grade-A chance to win gold for Canada.
“We all feel [upset]. Being close to him, knowing what he puts into it, what it means to him. It’s not about that one play,” Crosby said in a message to MacKinnon during his press conference after the gold medal game, via @HabsOnReddit on X.
“We had so many opportunities, we did so many good things. We played the right way and we played the way we knew it was gonna give us success. Unfortunately, in one game, anything can happen.”
An injured Sidney Crosby during the medal ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics
MacKinnon missed golden chance for Canada
MacKinnon may never miss a similar chance ever again, not in NHL action nor in practice with the Colorado Avalanche. That may only drive him madder and boil his blood to higher temperatures. The fact the one time he missed on such an opportunity was representing Team Canada in the Winter Olympics, against Team USA, and in the gold medal game.
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Still, he must move on. Those were the exact words used by Connor McDavid in a three-word instruction for Crosby, MacKinnon, and Team Canada. MacKinnon scored the game-winner against Finland to send Canada through to the gold medal in the first place. Though his performance in the decisive game wasn’t his best, he can still hold his head up high.
Moving on
That’s far easier said than done, but no less true. Should the same opportunity present itself for Team Canada, MacKinnon would still be among the first choices to take that shot. It just so happened that this time, against Team USA, he missed. Still, as Crosby pointed out, the game wasn’t lost on that play—nor would it have been guaranteed to be won had the puck gone in. It’s all counterfactual.
What is factual is that Canada will return home with silver around its neck, and it must come to terms with the reality that Team USA is now the top power in hockey. That title will be put on the line in four years, when the world gathers once again for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.
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