‘He’s the best in the world’: Canada reacts to losing Crosby to injury
Canada might’ve survived its quarterfinal matchup with Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but it didn’t come without a crucial casualty.
In the second period on Wednesday, Canada captain Sidney Crosby suffered what appeared to be a lower-body injury after taking an awkward hit from Czech defenseman Radko Gudas. Crosby ended up heading to the locker room and didn’t return to the game.
Canada managed to come through with the win, with Mitch Marner scoring the game-winner in overtime to send his team to the semifinals.
Yet, the absence of Crosby certainly changed the tone of the game. Not only did the Canadians lose one of their best players, but also a leader who can motivate and inspire with his words and actions.
“It sucks,” Tom Wilson told the media after the game. “He’s our leader. He’s the best in the world, but that’s hockey. The next guys have to step up. We’ll regroup and see what’s going on.”
Fellow Nova Scotia native Brad Marchand admitted that the team had to overcome the hardship of losing No. 87 to grab the win.
“It’s tough when you lose a guy like that, one of the best to ever play the game,” Marchand said. “Such a big character on the bench, in the room, but you don’t have a choice, you’ve got to keep going. It was great the way the team came together and battled through that adversity tonight.”
Canada head coach Jon Cooper used Crosby’s situation to inspire his team in the second intermission, telling his players, “This will not be Sid’s last game at the Olympics.”
Defenseman Drew Doughty said that the message gave a jolt to the entire locker room.
“It sucks,” Doughty said. “We even mentioned before the third [period] that we should go out there and win it for 87. I am glad we did.”
Crosby had been playing great heading into the knockout stage, scoring two goals and four assists for six points, good for third on the team in scoring.
Canada awaits their semifinal opponent, which is set to take place on Friday in Milan. They will either face Sweden or Finland, with a spot in the gold medal game on the line.