Team Canada will close Saturday’s practice to the media as they prepare to take on the rival United States in Sunday’s gold medal game at Milano Cortina 2026.
Team 🇨🇦 announces that Saturday’s practice will be closed to the media
Will be the second closed practice for the team in Milan & first since before the tournament began@TSN_Sports
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) February 21, 2026
This is the second time the Canadian men’s team will run a closed practice since arriving in Milan and first since before the tournament began.
The biggest question mark is the status of captain Sidney Crosby, who missed Friday’s dramatic semifinal victory over Finland with a lower-body injury suffered in the quarter-final round against Czechia.
“We have 48 hours to decide that, but I will tell you he’s got a better chance of playing in the gold-medal game than he had playing in tonight’s game,” Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper said after the win on Friday.
With Crosby out of the lineup, Connor McDavid wore the “C” for Canada against Finland, posting two assists in the comeback victory.
“Just keeping it warm for Sid,” McDavid said post-game, with multiple players noting Crosby played a leadership role in the locker room between periods Friday.
Crosby, who has two goals and six points in four games at the tournament, was hurt when his leg bent in an unnatural direction after taking a hit from Czech defenceman Radko Gudas.
The 38-year-old Crosby has had several memorable Olympic moments for Canada over the years. He scored the overtime winner to beat the Americans in the gold medal game at Vancouver 2010 and scored again in the final against Sweden four years later in Sochi, Russia.
In addition to the 2010 gold medal game, Canada also defeated the United States in the 2002 final in Salt Lake City.