It was a thrilling conclusion to a thrilling game. The stage was set for the quarterfinal matchup at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics between Canada and Czechia. It was a must-win contest. Moreover, beyond this game, these two teams are fully entrenched in a budding rivalry. With the stakes so high in today’s game, each team knew there was a birth in the tournament’s semifinals as the top prize.
Jon Cooper didn’t have an update on Crosby but he did say much of the talk in the room in the 2nd intermission among the players was:
“This will not be Sid’s last game at the Olympics.”
— Kyle Bukauskas (@sportsnetkyle) February 18, 2026
Canada Wins Olympics Quarterfinals against Czechia in Overtime
Before we discuss Mitch Marner‘s beautiful, upstairs backhand finish, let’s revisit the great hockey landscape for a moment.
Canada already handled Czechia easily in the preliminary round. However, beyond this tournament, there has been a brewing rivalry for the two countries. Recently, Czechia has had the upper hand against Canada at the World Junior Championship level. They are the first team to knockout Canada three years in a row since Russia at the Christmas-time tournament. This just added to the prestige of this must-win contest.
But for Canada at these Olympics, they glided through the preliminary round. Going down to a 3v3 overtime, in a must-win contest, you knew the great players would rise to the occasion, build their own path to legendary status. These are the moments that create that magic.
Canada has come off a string of strong performances, now having won four games in a row at the Olympics. This includes today’s overtime thriller against the team from Czechia, thanks to a fantastic finish on Mitch Marner’s game-winning goal.
Canada With Some Injury News to Add
Postgame, there was some important discussion.
One major concern for Canada was the injury to Sidney Crosby, who was uncertain to return to action during today’s game. But according to reports from Kyle Bukauskas, head coach Jon Cooper was optimistic about Crosby’s chances of return to the Games. The latest is that Crosby will get an MRI to know the true extent as soon as possible. And even without Crosby, Canada had plenty of firepower, as Macklin Celebrini stepped up with a stellar performance.
Sidney Crosby will undergo an MRI after leaving the quarterfinal game vs. Czechia in the early second period
Full story: https://t.co/oZD8mgQku6 pic.twitter.com/Muzxbylfc4
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 18, 2026
On top of his play to assist on Marner’s winner, Celebrini was very complimentary of one teammate.
Macklin Celerini on Jordan Binnington “he was unbelievable….he was a brick wall.” One play in particular, was the breakaway late in the third period of action off Martin Necas.
Jon Cooper didn’t have an update on Crosby but he did say much of the talk in the room in the 2nd intermission among the players was:
“This will not be Sid’s last game at the Olympics.”
— Kyle Bukauskas (@sportsnetkyle) February 18, 2026
Marner’s winning goal was the cherry on top of an electric performance by the Canadians. It was a testament to the depth and talent of the team, and a sign of good things to come. It truly was an amazing moment, and one that would be remembered for a long time. This will go right up there with Connor McDavid‘s 2025 4 Nation Face-Off winning goal. It is on to the semifinals now for Canada, as they will play for a medal at the 2026 Olympics. Depending on the USA and Sweden quarterfinal result, Canada awaits either Sweden or Finland. Given the re-seeding thay takes place, they can’t play Team USA.
Main photo credit: Mike Segar/Reuters via Imagn Images
Some things to look for today, if No. 6 seed Germany beats No. 3 seed Slovakia, and the remaining top seeds all win out (No. 1 Canada, No. 2 USA, No. 4 Finland), the semifinals would be:
Germany vs Canada
Finland vs. USA
If Slovakia wins this early QF game and the remaining top…— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 18, 2026
