Team USA hockey beat Canada 2-1 in overtime to win the gold medal. Follow our live updates for highlights and reaction.
MILAN – Canada will not have captain Sidney Crosby available for the gold medal game against the USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
He wasn’t on the lineup sheet posted by Hockey Canada posted less than an hour before the puck was to drop at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena between the two hockey rivals.
Crosby was injured four days earlier. He skated on Feb. 21, and coach Jon Cooper said the team would decide what was best for Canada and Crosby.
He’s not going to be on the bench since he can’t play, In international hockey, teams can dress 13 forwards and seven defensemen. Sweden, for example, had injured Victor Hedman sit on the bench in full gear and watch them lose to the USA in the quarterfinal.
But Cooper ruled that out for Crosby, saying on Feb. 21 that, ‘no that wouldn’t happen,’ because it’s better to have a healthy player available on the bench should there be an injury.
What happened to Sidney Crosby?
Crosby was held out of Canada’s semifinal contest against Finland with a lower body injury.
On Wednesday, Feb. 18, the Pittsburgh Penguins star was checked by Czechia defenseman Radek Gudas during the second period of the men’s playoff quarterfinal, then hit again by two Czech players along the boards. Crosby was limping slightly on his way back to the bench before eventually heading to the dressing room.
Replay showed Crosby’s right leg appeared to buckle. He did not return to the ice with his teammates after the intermission between the second and third periods, and Hockey Canada said shortly afterward he is out for the rest of the game with a lower body injury.
Czechia was leading 2-1 at the time of the injury, but the Canadians pulled out a 4-3 overtime win .
Coach Jon Cooper had no update on Crosby after the game but said the captain addressed the team.
‘He couldn’t come out for the third,’ Cooper said. ‘But he did address the players, and I think that was a big thing coming in is, that we lose this game, we didn’t want this to be Sid’s last game at this Olympics.’
Sidney Crosby Olympics history
This is Crosby’s third Olympics. He won in 2010, scoring the golden goal in overtime in the championship game against the United States. He also won in 2014.
Crosby had two goals and four assists in the 2026 preliminary round as Canada went 3-0.
2026 Winter Olympics men’s ice hockey bracket
Here is the full schedule for men’s ice hockey semifinals and finals this weekend:
SEMIFINALS: Friday, Feb. 20
- Canada vs. Finland Canada 3, Finland 2
- USA vs. Slovakia USA 6, Slovakia 2
BRONZE MEDAL GAME: Saturday, Feb. 21
- Finland vs. Slovakia, Finland 6, Slovakia 1
GOLD MEDAL GAME: Sunday, Feb. 22
- Canada vs. USA, 8:10 a.m. ET | Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena | NBC, Peacock, NBCOlympics.com
Where to watch Olympic men’s hockey
Watch Olympic men’s hockey on Peacock
How the Olympics men’s hockey tournament works
The 12 teams are divided into three groups. They are:
- Group A: Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, France
- Group B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy
- Group C: USA, Germany, Latvia, Denmark
Teams play one game each against the other three teams in their group. Countries get three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime win, one for an overtime/shootout loss and zero for a regulation loss.
After the preliminary round is complete, teams are seeded 1 through 12 under the following criteria:
- Higher position in the group
- Higher number of points
- Better goal difference
- Higher number of goals scored for
- Better IIHF world ranking
The top four teams (group winners and best second-place team) get a bye to the quarterfinals. Teams 5-12 play in a qualifying round, with the winners going to the quarterfinals.
Playoff qualification games are on Feb. 17, quarterfinals are Feb. 18 and semifinals are Feb. 20.
The bronze medal game is Feb. 21 and the gold medal game is Sunday, Feb. 22.
