Canada captain Sidney Crosby out for Olympic gold medal gameEmily Kaplan
MILAN — Sidney Crosby is not in the lineup for Sunday’s Olympic gold medal game.
The Canada captain missed the semifinal game against Finland with a lower body injury he suffered in the quarterfinals against Czechia. Canada coach Jon Cooper had called Crosby a game-time decision on Saturday.
Imaging revealed that Crosby avoided the worst-case scenario with his injury, sources told ESPN. Crosby did everything he could to return to the tournament, including consulting with several experts on hand in Milan.
Editor’s Picks
Tkachuk on Canada rivalry: ‘There’s hatred there’
Live updates from the 2026 Olympic gold medal hockey game: USA vs. Canada
X factors, key players to watch and picks for the USA-Canada gold medal game
Sources reported it had been trending in the right direction for Crosby to play in the gold medal game.
Crosby skated both Friday and Saturday, but Canada closed those sessions to the media — which went against the team’s practices earlier in the tournament.
Crosby was hurt midway through the Czechia game as he was trying to brace for a hit from defenseman Radko Gudas. The play ended awkwardly with Gudas toppled over Crosby.
Crosby, 38, is the oldest player on Canada’s roster and the most decorated — especially after scoring the golden goal in overtime to defeat the United States at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
