Canada’s Bennett missed Olympic quarterfinal game due to illness
We now know the reason for the absence of one of Canada’s depth players.
It was reported on Thursday that forward Sam Bennett missed Canada’s quarterfinal matchup with Czechia due to illness.
Sam Bennett 🇨🇦 says he missed last game with illness.
Bennett and defenseman Josh Morrissey were both out of the lineup for Wednesday’s clash, which saw Canada having to rally back late to force overtime against the Czechs, with Mitch Marner playing the hero, sending the Canadians to the semifinals by scoring the game-winner.
Bennett was replaced by Florida Panthers teammate Brad Marchand in Wednesday’s game, the latter’s second appearance in these Winter Games. Marchand registered just 7:13 of ice time in the victory.
Bennett was one of the many faces who participated in Canada’s optional skate on Thursday, and was one of the last skaters on the ice. Head coach Jon Cooper didn’t state whether the 29-year-old will be back in the lineup for the team’s semifinal matchup with Finland on Friday.
The Holland Landing, Ont. native played in all three of Canada’s games in the group stage, picking up an assist on Bo Horvat’s goal during a 10-2 thrashing of France on Sunday. Bennett’s presence on the Canadian roster gives the team some extra bite that it needs to play against the more physical teams like the United States. That was prevalent last February, as Bennett proved to be a key part of Canada’s run to the championship at the 4 Nations Face-Off, scoring a goal while also partaking in a fight with American forward Brady Tkachuk during their round-robin matchup in Montreal.
Canada and Finland will face off in Milan, with the winner taking on the victor of the second semifinal between the U.S. and Slovakia. Canada’s semifinal matchup is scheduled for 10:40 a.m. ET.