How Sidney Crosby fired up Team Canada in quarterfinal comeback

When Canada found itself trailing against Czechia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, head coach Jon Cooper had a simple yet powerful message for his players: “We’re not making this Sid’s last game.”

Sidney Crosby had left the game earlier with an injury, leaving his teammates facing a tough uphill battle in Milan. But Cooper turned the absence of Canada’s legendary captain into motivation. The team dug deep, rallying around Crosby’s leadership and their shared determination to protect their captain’s Olympic journey.

After the second period, Crosby addressed the locker room as well, sending the kind of message only one of hockey’s all-time greats could deliver. Cooper shared the gist of Crosby's message:

"Go get it boys. There was a lot more than that, but he’s a true leader and they don’t want this to be the end of the tournament for him.”

“He gave us a lot of confidence heading into the third,” said star forward Mitch Marner, who scored the overtime winner.

“The message was to go out there and do it for Sid,” said Nick Suzuki, who tied things up late in the third frame.

Canada responded with a furious push in the final period, eventually forcing overtime and eventually pulling off a dramatic comeback to secure their win. While Crosby’s status for the semifinals remains uncertain, his presence in the room for a pep talk proved invaluable in lifting his teammates.

Cooper’s strategy highlighted how leadership can transcend injuries, using Crosby’s stature and experience to inspire a team to rise to the occasion.

For Canada, it wasn’t just about advancing to the next round it was about doing it for one of the best, for their leader.

Later on Wednesday, after the overtime win, Crosby underwent imaging to assess the severity of the lower-body injury he sustained. Coach Jon Cooper admitted after the game that Crosby’s status remains uncertain. “I don’t even have my poker face on either, because I honestly don’t know,” Cooper said, emphasizing the unknown nature of the injury as Team Canada looks ahead to the semifinals.

Per Pierre LeBrun, on Wednesday evening, "Team Canada is expected to have an update on Sidney Crosby on Thursday."