Team Canada is moving on to the semifinals at the 2026 Winter Olympics. It took a late goal from Nick Suzuki and a Mitch Marner overtime winner to save Canada against Czechia.
During the game, captain Sidney Crosby was injured, and Team Canada's coach Jon Cooper revealed Crosby was part of his message to the team that inspired the comeback, according to Kyle Bukauskas of Sportsnet.
“This will not be Sid’s last game at the Olympics,” Cooper said to his team.
Crosby did not return after being injured in the second period against Czechia. He was hurt on a hit from Radko Gudas and could not put weight on his right leg when coming off the ice. At the time of the hit, Canada was down 2-1.
The team would get a powerplay after the injury, with Macklin Celebrini taking Crosby's spot on the powerplay unit. Celebrini assisted on Nathan MacKinnon's powerplay goal that tied the game. Still, the two teams would be tied, and without their captain, in the final period.
Czechia took the lead in the third period, but a late Suzuki goal forced overtime, and Marner won the game 1:22 into the overtime period.
Cooper did not have an update on the status of Crosby after the game. Canada will return to the ice on Friday in the semifinals, but they do not yet know their opponent. If the United States defeats Sweden, it will face Finland. If Sweden wins, Canada will face Sweden.
Regardless of the result in the semi-final, Crosby will have at least two more chances to play in the Olympics, with the Bronze medal game slated for Saturday and the gold medal game on Sunday.
Crosby played in both the 2010 and 2014 Olympics for Canada, but with NHL players not playing in the Games since 2014, those are his only two appearances. With the fact that he will be 42 when the 2030 Games in France take place, this is likely his last chance to play on the Olympic stage.
