Day 5 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics came and went, and while there were plenty of medal opportunities, Team Canada ultimately only added one after Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier captured an ice dance bronze medal, bringing the total haul to four.
Additionally, the men’s curling tournament got started with Brad Jacobs picking up a win against Germany. Also on the rink, the men’s hockey tournament finally got underway with a pair of Group B matches, between Finland and Slovakia, followed by Sweden and Italy. In terms of Canada, it begins its hockey tournament Thursday with a debut against Czechia.
Lastly, statements from prominent Canadian sporting organizations have been coming in, expressing their shock and grief over the mass shooting that happened in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., a day earlier.
Piper and Paul capture ice dance bronze after emotional performance
MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 11: Piper Gilles and partner Paul Poirier of Team Canada compete in the Ice Dance – Free Dance on day five of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
(Elsa via Getty Images)
Top Canadian ice dance duo Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier captured a bronze medal Wednesday at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The duo won the medal with a season’s best free dance score of 131.56, putting their total at 217.74 between what they did Monday in the rhythm dance and Wednesday in the free dance.
Gilles and Poirier performed to Govardo’s folk cover of Vincent, originally by Don McLean. A mesmerizing performance, when they completed their program Poirier broke down into tears, seemingly aware of what he and his longtime partner had just accomplished.
French pair Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron took home gold, while Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates won the silver.
This was the third Olympics for Gilles and Poirier, both 34, and the realization of a long-held dream of landing on the Olympic podium in what may be their final Games.
It wasn’t an easy road. Not only did the two overcome a potential wardrobe malfunction in their rhythm dance, Gilles also overcame ovarian cancer in 2023.
Now, at the end of it all, she and Poirier can call themselves Olympic medallists.
Fellow Canadians Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, and Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac also finished the competition in 10th and 14th place, respectively.
Canadian men’s hockey team shuffles lines ahead of Olympic opener
11 February 2026, Italy, Mailand: Olympia, Olympic Winter Games Milan Cortina 2026, ice hockey, men, training, Nathan MacKinnon (Canada) takes to the ice. Photo: Peter Kneffel/dpa (Photo by Peter Kneffel/picture alliance via Getty Images)
(picture alliance via Getty Images)
Ahead of Canada’s men’s hockey team’s Olympic opener against Czechia on Thursday, head coach Jon Cooper has been making some adjustments to lines.
According to reporting from Sportsnet, the apparent top line remains Connor McDavid at centre with Macklin Celebrini and Tom Wilson as his wings. The third line still seems like it’ll be Team Canada Captain, Sidney Crosby, centring for Mitch Marner and Mark Stone. Where things get interesting, however, is what looks like changes made to the second and fourth lines.
Nathan MacKinnon is etched in stone as Canada’s second-line centre, but the wingers have changed. Where once he was sandwiched between Brad Marchand and Nick Suzuki, the Colorado Avalanche superstar was seen at practice Wednesday with Brandon Hagel and Sam Reinhart.
Marchand and Suzuki have now dropped to the fourth line with Bo Harvat centring that group.
In other news at Team Canada practice Wednesday, Cooper wouldn’t reveal who his starting goalie on Thursday is yet. Jordan Binnington had a net to himself at practice, while Logan Thompson and Darcy Kuemper shared the other one.
Whether that means Cooper is leaning towards Binnington in this Olympic tournament like he did at the 4 Nations Face-Off is anyone’s guess at the moment.
Brad Jacobs’ Canadian rink opens Olympic campaign with win over Germany
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics – Curling – Men’s Round Robin Session 1 – Canada vs Germany – Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – February 11, 2026. Brett Gallant of Canada, Ben Hebert of Canada and Brad Jacobs of Canada in action during Men’s Round Robin Session 1. REUTERS/Issei Kato
(REUTERS / Reuters)
Brad Jacobs’ Canadian rink opened their 2026 Winter Olympic men’s curling tournament with a 7-6 victory over Germany in extra ends.
Jacobs and his German skip counterpart Marc Muskatewitz battled hard against each other all match long, trading two-point ends right up until Muskatewitz was able to tie the game back up at 6-6 in the 10th.
With hammer in the extra end, however, Jacobs made no mistake, landing a takeout to score one and earn his first Olympic victory since he won it all for Canada at the 2014 Games in Sochi.
It’s been an interesting journey back to the Olympics for Jacobs, the 40-year-old initially stepped away from curling in March 2022, but returned for the start of the 2023-24 curling season.
“I think I put too much pressure on myself for a lot of years,” Jacobs told the CBC. “When I stepped away, I wanted some perspective, I wanted to reconnect with why I love the sport so much.”
Jacobs and Team Canada will next play Friday against the United States.
Men’s hockey tournament gets underway with a Slovakia stunner
MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 11: Juraj Slafkovsky #20 of Slovakia celebrates after scoring a goal during the Men’s Preliminary Group B match between Slovakia and Finland on day five of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by RvS.Media/Robert Hradil/Getty Images)
(RvS.Media/Robert Hradil via Getty Images)
The marquee event of the winter Olympics began Wednesday, with the men’s hockey tournament finally dropping the puck.
It all started with Finland getting stunned by Slovakia, falling 4-1 in Group B play. Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovský scored twice for Slovakia in the victory.
Later in the day, Sweden went down 1-0 early to Italy before rallying back and eventually pulling away for a 5-2 victory in Group B play. Buffalo Sabres defencemen Rasmus Dahlin led the way with three assists for a Swedish side that really wasn’t all that successful until Italian starting goalie Damian Clara was forced to leave the contest with an injury.
The highly-anticipated debut of Canada’s men’s hockey team awaits one more day, as they get ready to face Czechia Thursday at 10:40 a.m. EST/7:40 a.m. PST.
Canadian Olympic Committees issue statements regarding Tumbler Ridge shootings
Vehicles are parked outside the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, the site of a deadly mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, February 10, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. Trent Ernst/Tumbler RidgeLines/via REUTERS
(Reuters / Reuters)
With word that nine people died following a shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., Tuesday, the Canadian Olympic Committee issued the following statement:
“We are heartbroken by the news of the horrific school shooting that occurred in British Columbia. Our thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones, those who are injured, and the entire Tumbler Ridge community. Team Canada stands with everyone affected as they navigate difficult days ahead.”
The Canadian Paralympic Committee also issued a statement:
“We are deeply saddened by the devastating school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. Our hearts go out to the families grieving the loss of loved ones, to those recovering from injuries, and to the entire community. In this moment of profound sorrow, the Canadian Paralympic Team holds the people of Tumbler Ridge close and shares in their grief.”
Hockey Canada, as well, released a statement:
More Team Canada news on Day 5
Women’s halfpipe snowboard: Elizabeth Hosking was the lone Canadian to qualify for the women’s halfpipe snowboard competition final. She qualified with a score of 80.25, which she managed to put down in the second qualifying run, and will enter Thursday’s final in eighth. Fellow Canadians Felicity Geremia and Brooke Dhondt finished 17th and 23rd, respectively.
Women’s freestyle skiing moguls: Maïa Schwinghammer was the only Canadian to reach Final 2, but was unable to land on the podium, finishing fifth at in the women’s moguls event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert, Jessica Linton and Ashley Koehler all made it to the first final, but couldn’t reach the top-eight cut required to compete in the second final. Ultimately, the U.S.’s Elizabeth Lemley and Jaelin Kauf won gold and silver, while France’s Perrine Lafont took the bronze.
Men’s Super-G alpine skiing: Canada’s James Crawford, Cameron Alexander and Brodie Serger finished the men’s Super-G in 16th, 17th and 22nd Wednesday at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Riley Serger, Brodie’s younger brother, was unable to finish the course. Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen and Marco Odermatt took the gold and bronze in the event, while the silver went to American Ryan Cochran-Siegle.
Women’s 15 KM individual biathlon: Pascale Paradis was the top Canadian finisher in the women’s 15-kilometre individual biathlon, Wednesday at the 2026 Olympics. She finished 24th. Nadia Moser and Shilo Rousseau finished 67th and 78th, respectively. Benita Peiffer, unfortunately, was unable to start her race. Winning gold and silver were France’s Julia Simon and Lou Jeanmonnot while the bronze was claimed by Lora Hristova of Bulgaria.
Women’s doubles luge: Canada’s Beattie Podulsky and Kailey Allan finished in 10th place in the women’s doubles luge event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Italy’s Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer won gold, Germans Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina took silver, while the bronze went to Austrian duo Selina Egle and Lara Kipp.
Men’s doubles luge: Just like the Canadian women competing in doubles luge at the Milan Games, Canadian men’s double lugers Devin Wardrope and Cole Zajanski finished their race in 10th place. The gold went to Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner of Italy, silver was claimed by Asutria’s Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl, while bronze went to Germans Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt.
Men’s 1000 M speed skating: Laurent Dubreuil led the Canadian contingent in the men’s 1,000-metre speed skating event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, finishing eighth. David La Rue and Anders Johnson finished the event in 18th and 22nd place, respectively. America’s Jordan Stolz won gold in an Olympic-record time of 1:06.28. Dutch skater Jenning de Boo won silver, while China’s Ning Zhongyan captured bronze. Despite the result, the main news came in the form of a bad mishap during a crossover, affecting Dutch speed skater Joep Wennemars, the reigning world champion.