Canada will attempt to secure a place in the men’s hockey gold‑medal game at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Friday without one of its most iconic players.
Sidney Crosby, injured during Canada’s dramatic 4-3 overtime win against Czechia in the quarterfinals, has been ruled out of the semifinal matchup against Finland.
Hockey Canada confirmed that Connor McDavid will assume the captaincy for the game, with Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon serving as alternates.
Joining Crosby as scratches are Josh Morrissey and Darcy Kuemper. Sam Bennett draws in for Canada and will centre the fourth line between Brandon Hagel and Brad Marchand to start the game.
Canada and Finland also met at this stage during the Vancouver 2010 Games, and both nations arrived in Milan Cortina after surviving quarterfinal scares. Canada needed overtime to eliminate Czechia, while Finland mounted a comeback from 2–0 down to defeat Switzerland in overtime.
Like Canada, Finland has the star power
The absence of Crosby adds another layer of uncertainty to a Canadian roster that has leaned heavily on its star power. McDavid (11 points in four games) enters the semifinal tied for the all‑time points record in an Olympic tournament featuring NHL players. Macklin Celebrini, playing in his first Olympics as a 19-year-old, is second with nine points entering Friday’s semis.
Finland, the defending Olympic champion, remains one of the most structurally disciplined teams in international hockey and is headlined by Mikko Rantanen, Miro Heiskanen, Sebastian Aho, and goalie Juuse Saros. The club has been without star centre Aleksander Barkov, who missed the Olympics due to injury.
Should Canada prevail without its longtime captain, the team will advance to Sunday’s gold‑medal game, where they will face either the United States or Slovakia. A loss would send them to the bronze‑medal game on Saturday.
On the women’s side, the U.S. capped a comeback of its own against Canada on Thursday, securing the gold with a 2-1 overtime win courtesy of Megan Keller’s heroics.