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Will Sidney Crosby play in Canada's Olympic semi-final game? Here's the latest

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Feb 19 2026, 4:04 pm
Will Sidney Crosby play in Canada's Olympic semi-final game? Here's the latest
Geoff Burke/Imagn Images

The hearts of many Canadian hockey fans were crushed after seeing Sidney Crosby head down the tunnel on Wednesday.

Crosby, who is wearing the “C” for Canada at the 2026 Olympics, was forced to exit Wednesday’s quarter-final matchup versus Czechia after taking two big hits from defenceman Radko Gudas.

Crosby appeared to be in plenty of pain following the second hit and headed straight to the bench before leaving to the dressing room a short time later.

The good news is that Canada was able to advance to the semi-final with a 4-3 win in overtime. Whether Crosby is able to suit up, however, remains to be seen, though head coach Jon Cooper informed reporters that he has not been ruled out.

“We’re not going to put anyone in harm’s way,” Cooper said, as per ESPN. “But if he can play, he’s definitely going to. We’ll know more in again in 24 hours.”

Crosby was having himself a solid tournament prior to the injury, as he headed into Wednesday’s game with six points through three outings. He was logging plenty of minutes at even strength while also playing on the top power play unit.

It doesn’t appear that Cooper’s optimism is simply gamesmanship, either. Pittsburgh Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe is also reporting that the 38-year-old may have an opportunity to suit up.

“Very much in line with what Jon Cooper said today, a source of mine says it’s ‘iffy’ that Crosby will play tomorrow or Sunday but that he very much desires to play,” Yohe wrote on X.

Canada is set to take on Finland in the semi-final on Friday at 10:40 a.m. ET/7:40 a.m. PT. Later in the day, the U.S. will take on Slovakia in the other semi-final to determine who will play for gold on Sunday.

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