Sidney Crosby ruled out of Olympic gold medal game after injury in quarterfinal
sidney crosby, Team Canada's captain, left Wednesday's Olympic quarterfinal against Team Czechia with an injury in the second period, delivered a passionate intermission speech as Canada trailed 2-1, and will not play in the upcoming gold-medal game between Team USA and Team Canada.
Quarterfinal scare against Czechia
On Wednesday, Crosby went down with an injury in the second period of the quarterfinal matchup versus Team Czechia and did not return to the game. Canada trailed 2-1 heading into the third period but rallied to tie the game and then won in overtime on a Mitch Marner goal to advance to Friday's semifinal against Finland.
Sidney Crosby's presence still moved the room
Even off the ice, the 38-year-old captain's influence was decisive: Crosby delivered what teammates described as a "passionate intermission speech" in the dressing room when Canada trailed 2-1, a message players and coach Jon Cooper credited with getting the group on the same page. Cooper said, "A big thing walking out of the room [was], 'There's no way this was going to be Sid's last game. '"
Penguins teammates expected the leadership
Pittsburgh Penguins teammates, who have long been on the receiving end of Crosby's leadership, said his locker-room role on the Olympic stage was no surprise. Defenseman Ryan Graves said, "I saw that. I think, especially on that stage, as a Canadian, I just know what Sid has meant to the country and international play and things like that. He’s one of, if not the best, player to ever play, and in a country where hockey is everything, he’s been the best to do it for us. I know everyone in that locker room would be looking to him and would be wanting to play for him, so he wouldn’t really have to say much for guys to kind of rally behind him. "
How teammates described Crosby's standard and history
Defenseman Ryan Shea highlighted the standard Crosby sets and the longevity of his career, saying, "I think it’s just the standard he holds himself to and the level of play. He’s been going at it for 21 years, and I think that shows it all. " Shea added that even the best players in the world looked to Crosby in the dressing room: "When he comes into our locker room, no matter how many years you’ve been here or how well you know him, he’s still a presence in the locker room, and he’s still that guy you can lean on whenever you can. "
From the Golden Goal to this tournament's final
Shea and others framed Crosby's international résumé as part of why his words carry weight, pointing to his career-defining Golden Goal in 2010 against Team USA in Vancouver. That moment was cited as a touchstone for Crosby's impact, even as it was described as "just a small footnote in the context of a great" career — unclear in the provided context how the sentence concluded.
The immediate consequence is that Canada will arrive at the gold-medal game against Team USA without Crosby in the lineup. Canada reached that final after beating Finland in Friday's semifinal in overtime, following the quarterfinal comeback that began when Crosby left with an injury in the second period.
Recovery and roster details were unclear in the provided context; the confirmed next event is the gold-medal game between Team USA and Team Canada.
