Team Canada players react to heart-stopping Olympic hockey win: 'I was praying we'd score'
What can you say after that game?
Canada looked unbeatable in the preliminary round, rolling over Czechia, Switzerland, and France with ease.
So there was always a danger of complacency in a rematch against the Czechs.
And boy did it rear its ugly head.
Czechia gave Canada a good scare, taking the lead with under eight minutes left in the third period, after Thomas Harley’s shot got blocked.
Harley was feeling pretty terrible about it, but then Nick Suzuki tied things up.
“I was praying we’d score, and Zukes came through for me, so I was pretty happy,” Harley said.
Nobody on the bench was happier to see the game tied again.
“Oh, I was fired up! I was pretty fired up.”
The 24-year-old defenceman, who plays for the Dallas Stars, has already played in some big games. But this was the most nerve-wracking.
“Iāve been in Game 7 OT before and [tonight] was more stressful,” he said.
Adversity’s not a bad thing
Team Canada players mob Mitch Marner after his OT goal (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)
Mitch Marner described the game as a “roller coaster.” Nathan MacKinnon said it was “humbling.”
I do wonder if Canada came into the game with enough intensity. The first period felt like Czechia was playing playoff hockey while Canada was still in regular-season mode.
“I think it’s good to have a little bit of adversity like this. Humbling, hard game,” said MacKinnon.
What Marner was thinking before the OT winner
Marner was in the middle of a Czech triangle when he surprised them by cutting through and ripping a backhand past Czech goaltender Lukas Dostal.
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CANADA WINS CANADA WINS CANADA WINS šØš¦ pic.twitter.com/sKICnjLnA6
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 18, 2026
After the game, he told reporters that he was looking to pass.
“Just tried to see what my options were when I got over the blue line,” Marner said. “I saw Mack (Macklin Celebrini) on my right side, was looking to make a play to him,tĀ and kind of saw two guys cheat over to it.”
Brad Marchand was impressed.
“Unbelievable,” said Marchand. “I mean, that’s what he does. He’s so silky and so poised with the puck. He can make something out of nothing. Just a huge, huge play.”
Celebrini described it as relief.
“It was a weight lifted off our shoulders for sure, just seeing that puck go in,” Celebrini said.
Losing Crosby
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While the win was huge, it came with a cost.
Sidney Crosby exited the game with an injury after being hit twice by Radko Gudas. The status of Canada’s captain is uncertain going forward.
“It’s tough when you lose a guy like that. That’s one of the best to ever play the game,” Marchand said. “Such a big character, on the bench, in the room, big presence and big moments. But I mean, you don’t have a choice, you have to keep going. It was great the way the team came together and battled through that adversity.”
What’s next?
By winning their quarter-final game, Canada is assured of two more games in Milan.
We know they’ll play in the semi-finals on Friday.
Lose that, and they’ll play for bronze on Saturday. If they win, they’ll be in the gold medal game on Sunday.
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