It was a blow for Canada not to have Crosby, whose golden goal gave Canada a 3-2 overtime victory over the United States at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He had six points (two goals, four assists) in the 2026 tournament.
Even though Crosby wasn’t able to be there to help on Sunday, his decision to play didn’t go unnoticed.
“I didn’t know until this morning, I wasn’t going to ask him,” said his teammate and friend Nathan Mackinnon“But I know he did it for us. He thought he couldn’t fight completely. He could have said he wanted to play and just be on the bench, but we needed everyone and he did it for his country.”
When asked how close he was to playing, Crosby responded, “I don’t know how you put a number on that.” It’s a gold medal game, the Olympics. If I could play, then I would. »
He said looking at the speed at which both teams were playing made it even clearer that sitting out was the right decision.
“You saw that game, it was unbelievable hockey,” Crosby said. “It was a tough decision. In your head, you still want to be out there and find every way possible, but not at the expense of what needs to be done.”
It is highly likely that this will be the last Olympic Games where Crosby will represent Canada as a player. He will be 42 years old when the 2030 Olympic Games are played in the French Alps. Again, he said, the decision was about the team, not him.
“It might have crossed my mind,” Crosby said. “But at the end of the day, it was about what was best for our group and what gave us the best chance to win. And it becomes pretty clear at that point that if I’m not able to go, I’m not going to jeopardize our team or sideline myself. It may have crossed my mind, but at the end of the day, that’s not how you make your decision.”
Crosby took the ice in uniform after the game, joining up with the other Canadian players who hadn’t skated. He said he watched most of the game from the training room, then put on his gear with a few minutes remaining.
“It’s just a disappointment,” Crosby said. “I think, for a lot of reasons, it’s not fun to lose, no matter how it happens or the outcome. I just feel for the whole group and the whole situation.”
