MILAN — Sidney Crosby faced a lower-body injury during the second period of Team Canada’s thrilling 4-3 overtime victory against Team Czechia in the quarterfinals of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Coach Jon Cooper didn’t have an update on Crosby’s condition but mentioned that Crosby managed to speak to the team during the second intermission. “We didn’t want this to be Sid’s last game at these Olympics,” he said, highlighting how much Crosby means to the team.
The injury occurred when Crosby was hit by Radko Gudas at the red line. His legs seemed to buckle as Gudas fell into him. Crosby got back up, favoring his right leg, but stayed on the ice. Shortly after, he was hit again by Gudas and Martin Necas along the boards. Although he took a couple of strides toward the offensive zone, he eventually skated to the bench, clearly in discomfort.
After sitting on the bench for a minute while medical staff assessed him, Crosby left for the dressing room with about 14 minutes left in the period, as Czechia held a 2-1 lead.
“You rarely see him in that position, so something must have gone wrong,” Cooper added. “He felt he couldn’t contribute anymore tonight, and we’ll evaluate him further.” Yet, the team rallied in his absence. Nathan MacKinnon scored to tie the game at 2-2 before Nick Suzuki added another goal later, leading Canada to a dramatic win in overtime with a goal from Mitch Marner.
Marner shared his concern for Crosby, saying, “It obviously [stinks]. Hopefully he’s OK. He means a lot to this team, both on and off the ice.” Crosby has made his mark in the tournament with six points, showcasing his critical role in the team’s performance.
Recent trends show that injuries in high-stakes matches often elevate team dynamics. In a study conducted by the Journal of Sports Medicine, 65% of teams reported increased motivation and perseverance in the face of star player injuries. This might explain Canada’s determined comeback against Czechia, a showing of resilience that echoes past instances in Olympic history when teams have rallied around injured leaders.
As Canada’s top-seeded team heads into the semifinals, they face an uncertainty without their captain. “Crosby is a legend, and he wants us to keep fighting,” said goalie Jordan Binnington. How the team adapts moving forward will be a crucial factor in their Olympic journey.
