It’s been an encouraging start at the Winter Olympics for Canada’s men’s hockey team, with three blowout wins in the group stage.
Now with the elimination games beginning, the team is prepared for a new level of difficulty and increased challenge at Milano Cortina 2026.
Canada finished a perfect preliminary round by thumping France 10-2 on Sunday, going undefeated over their three games with 20 goals for and just three goals against - their plus-17 goal differential was best in the tournament by a wide margin.
“We had a job to do with the first three and we’ve done that,” forward Sam Reinhart said on Sunday after the game against France. “Now it’s shifting focus, and it’s starting for real.”
Canada will play their first elimination game in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, against either Denmark or Czechia, depending on the result of the game between those two nations on Tuesday.
Canada defeated Czechia 5-0 in their opening game of the tournament on Feb. 12, and trounced Switzerland 5-1 on Feb. 13.
While the Canadian team dispatched their opponents neatly in order to open the tournament, the added pressure and increased skill level of their opponents moving forward will give the team little room for mistakes.
“The stakes are higher but that’s why you put in so much preparation,” Canada captain Sidney Crosby said. “That’s why you really work to get your identity as a team so that when you get to these big games that you’re out there and the intensity, the speed, it’s all there, but you understand your game and that remains the same. That’s why you put all the work in for these opportunities and for us, we’ve got a lot of guys who have been in these situations. They understand what’s at stake and we all need to elevate our game in those situations.”
Crosby is one of six Canadian skaters to record multiple goals through the first three games, joined by Bo Horvat (2), Connor McDavid (2), Mark Stone (2), Nathan MacKinnon (2) and 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini, who leads the team with four. In all, 12 skaters have recorded a goal, and 18 of 22 players have recorded a point so far.
That balanced attack has helped Canada dominate offensively and will be a key part of the team’s success moving forward, according to some around the locker room.
“We have so many guys stepping up,” veteran defenceman Drew Doughty said. “There are so many guys playing well. Everybody is contributing.”
“Our top dogs have led the way, and in a tournament like this that’s what needs to be done,” Reinhart said. “We’ve got guys filling different roles that can impact the game in different areas. Now we roll from here.”
One key aspect in Canada’s favour over many of the other teams in the competition is experience in Game 7s and elimination games at international tournaments. Brad Marchand has played in 13 Game 7s in his NHL career, while Crosby has played in eight. Both players have multiple Stanley Cup titles to their name, as does head coach Jon Cooper.
On top of that, 17 of Canada’s players are returning from last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, which Canada won after defeating the United States 3-2 in overtime in the final.
“The anxiety just goes up a little bit but all these guys on our team are made for these situations,” Doughty said. “I’m sure there will be a little bit of butterflies before an elimination match, but at the same time guys step up and we’ll be just fine.”
Cooper reinforced that the experience in pressure-filled games will be something Canada can and will rely on moving forward in Milan.
“This group has never really failed that [do or die] game before,” the Tampa Bay Lightning coach said. “I didn’t want this one to slip through the cracks. It didn’t. Now we’re ready.”
After three blowout victories, there hasn’t been a ton for Cooper or the team to focus on improving in practice. But still, with a group of players of this calibre and Olympic gold waiting at the end of the ride, it is hard for the team to be satisfied with their effort and performance.
“We’re going in the right direction,” Doughty said, “but I know for sure we haven’t played our best yet.”
