MILAN – Sidney Crosby winced. Sam Reinhart put his hands on his head. Josh Morrissey covered his mouth. The rest of the Canadian men’s hockey team looked equally shocked.
The country’s NHL stars are in Italy with a singular focus — to win gold.
They also took a little time out to see some of the action at the Milan Cortina Olympics before their own games begin. The entire 25-man roster attended the short-track speedskating mixed relay event Tuesday, and had front-row seats for a night they won’t soon forget.
Corinne Stoddard of the United States lost an edge and took out South Korean’s Kim Gil-li in the semifinals, while Canada’s Courtney Sarault narrowly avoided getting caught up in the fray.
“It was incredible,” forward Brad Marchand said following Wednesday’s practice. “I haven’t seen speedskating live before. Just so much fun. To see the intensity between the laps, how fast the athletes are going, one little mistake, how it can derail a competition not only for yourself, but for other (athletes) as well.
“It was awesome to be there and to root on Canada.”
The hockey players ended up watching a podium performance for their compatriots as Sarault, Félix Roussel, Steven Dubois, William Dandjinou, Florence Brunelle and Kim Boutin took silver.
“It was intense,” said goaltender Jordan Binnington. “They’re competing for their ice out there. It’s crazy, the change in position when someone goes down, and then you still have a chance, and you’ve got to keep going and fight until the end … it was a lot of fun for us.”
The team, which begins play against Czechia on Thursday, took public transit to the Milano Ice Skating Arena decked out in their red gear.
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The highlight for Morrissey was seeing the medal ceremony.
“It inspires you,” said the defenceman. “It’s pretty chaotic. I had never watched speedskating live before. It was just incredible to see the athletes on the biggest stage compete and perform.”
Marchand said there’s a lesson in the moment the South Korean and American skaters tumbled to the ice.
“The level of separation between winning and losing, at any level, is so small,” he said. “You’re dealing with the best of the best in every sport, and the margins for error are so small. You see some of the sports that you’re competing in and fractions of a second will make you win or lose. It’s one push or the way you cut an angle, whatever it is. It definitely puts it in perspective.
“It all comes down to inches and seconds, and one play can make or break it. It definitely ramps up the intensity level, and that’s what make it so special to be a part of. We love that. We’re very ultracompetitive. That’s what we strive for, that’s where we get our adrenalin rushes and what we spend every day of our whole lives prepping for.”
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
The men’s hockey team made a bit of stir when it was revealed they were leaving the athletes village for an off-site hotel.
Canadian general manager Doug Armstrong was asked about the living situation, and did his best to diffuse any negative blowback. He pointed out NHL players, who are back at the Olympics for the first time in 12 years, had hotels provided to them by the league and players’ association in both 2010 and 2014.
“I think this has grown a little larger than it is,” Armstrong said. “This is no different than the tournaments we had before. We just wanted to give our players that option to stay where they’re most comfortable to prepare for the games.”
OPEN DOORS
Canada held a practice that was closed to the media Monday, despite intense interest back home for a tournament that’s been more than a decade in the making.
Armstrong indicated all the team’s sessions will be fully open moving forward.
“That was a one-time thing,” said the St. Louis Blues executive. “We were just getting up and running.”
MCDAVID’S DRIVE
Canadian superstar Connor McDavid has collected plenty of personal hardware and got agonizingly close to the winning the Stanley Cup the last two springs with the Edmonton Oilers.
Climbing to the top of international hockey in Milan is all that matters now.
“Gold means everything to Connor,” Armstrong said. “He’s laser-focused in what he wants. He’s the best player on the planet, and he doesn’t take that for granted. His work ethic is second to none.
“Connor’s in a great spot right now in his life — married and he’s got all the accolades you can need. Now it’s just putting Stanley Cups and gold medals on his mantle.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
