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Greg Wyshynski
Multiple Authors
Canada made its mark as the heavy favorites for the gold medal in the 2026 Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament.
After their first game, they reaffirmed that reputation.
With a squad brimming with NHL talent, they scored their initial goal in the dying seconds of the first period, subsequently adding four more to secure a commanding 5-0 victory over Czechia in Group A.
Here are the key takeaways from the opener, along with the standout player, an overall team assessment, and a pressing question to consider before their matchup with Switzerland on Friday.
Takeaway 1: The newcomer shines
Welcome to the Olympic stage, Macklin Celebrini. The 19-year-old San Jose Sharks standout—who has an impressive 81 points in 55 games, significantly outpacing his closest teammate—earned his spot on Team Canada and received accolades from players like captain Sidney Crosby, with whom he played at the 2025 IIHF World Championships. In his Olympic debut, he netted a vital goal that allowed Canada to take a lead after the first period.
The play began with Mark Stone attempting to pass to Connor McDavid, who was being pursued by Czech defenders. McDavid’s speed made goaltender Lukas Dostal, who was outstanding throughout the game, dump the puck to the boards as time was winding down. McDavid recovered it and sent a backhand pass to the high slot where defenseman Cale Makar was waiting.
With the Czechs granting Celebrini ample space in front of the net, Makar found an easy target for a pass that Celebrini tipped in just below the crossbar with 5.7 seconds left in the first period.
Would a scoreless first period have shifted the game’s momentum? Likely not, considering Canada’s eventual scoring prowess and Czechia’s limited offensive threats. Still, it was a significant psychological blow for Canada after what could have been an uplifting first 20 minutes marked by a crucial penalty kill and a Nathan MacKinnon goal that was called back due to a tripping penalty on Nick Suzuki.
MACKLIN CELEBRINI GOAL. CALE MAKAR ASSIST.
Team Canada grabs their first goal of the Winter Olympics! pic.twitter.com/Y9g95czCNp
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 12, 2026
Takeaway 2: Florida unity
The Olympics allow fierce NHL rivals to temporarily set aside their rivalries to represent their countries. Coach Jon Cooper reminded us of this by deploying a line featuring Brandon Hagel from the Tampa Bay Lightning alongside the Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand. Could the Battle of Florida teammates work together? in the end, it didn’t matter as Cooper later formed an all-Panthers line with Bennett, Marchand, and Sam Reinhart.
That group saw limited ice time in Canada’s opening victory, but Marchand made a critical contribution, assisting Bo Horvat’s decisive goal in the second period with a brilliant pass that left Horvat racing to make it 3-0. The poetic nature of Marchand making that play in front of the penalty box was not lost on anyone.
Takeaway 3: Power play excellence
In the third period, while leading 3-0, Canada earned a power play. MacKinnon won the faceoff, McDavid settled the puck and passed to Makar, who returned it to McDavid. He switched places with Crosby, who received the puck back and then set up MacKinnon for the fourth goal, which took just 12 seconds.
Canada’s power play isn’t infallible; they went 1-for-3 against the Czechs. Yet, when it functions, it showcases one of the most talented Olympic rosters witnessed in the tournament’s history—an offensive unit that feels like it should be outlawed.
The best strategy for any team hoping to challenge them in the medal rounds—cough, Team USA, cough—is to simply avoid the penalty box.
For Binnington, the goal in Canada’s Olympic opener was to avoid any major blunders. He received the starting nod nearly a year after leading Canada to gold at the 4 Nations Face-Off. His memorable playoff performance against Team USA is still fresh in everyone’s minds, even if conversations prior to that game had centered around whether he should be the starting goalie.
While Canada’s goaltending may not quite match Team USA’s trio of netminders—Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, and Jeremy Swayman—it’s looking stronger. They’ve swapped Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault for Darcy Kuemper and Logan Thompson, both solid goaltenders that may have Binnington looking over his shoulder.
A strong performance against the Czechs certainly helps build Binnington’s confidence, particularly considering his challenging regular-season stats with the St. Louis Blues (minus-24.9 goals saved above expected, via Money Puck).
He wasn’t flawless, conceding some awkward rebounds, but with the support of his teammates, he only needed to perform capably, making 26 saves for the shutout victory.
Pressing question for the next game: Has Jon Cooper figured out his lines?
All four of Team Canada’s lines were able to find the net against the Czechs:
Macklin Celebrini-Connor McDavid-Tom Wilson
Brandon Hagel-Nathan MacKinnon-Nick Suzuki
Mitch Marner-Sidney Crosby-Mark Stone
Brad Marchand-Bo Horvat-Sam Reinhart
(Sam Bennett was also in the mix as the 13th forward for the game.)
With such a commanding win, it seems logical for Cooper and his staff to maintain the current lineup. but, the group stage provides opportunities for experimentation. Will Cooper explore new combinations against the Swiss, who also showed promise in their opener against France? Or is this lineup set to carry on (barring injuries)?
Another consideration for the Canadians that will affect their roster is the condition of defenseman Josh Morrissey. The Winnipeg Jets defenseman logged a game-low 7 minutes and 10 seconds before leaving in the second period for treatment for an undisclosed injury. Cooper mentioned that Morrissey attempted to return, but was unable to do so.
Shea Theodore from the Vegas Golden Knights, who was the seventh defenseman, stepped up to play 15:25 in Morrissey’s absence.
As of now, there is no update regarding Morrissey’s status for Canada’s upcoming game against Switzerland on Friday. Once a team has competed in its first Olympic game, they cannot add new players to the roster. The only defenseman not in the lineup against the Czechs was Travis Sanheim from the Philadelphia Flyers, who can play on Morrissey’s left side, though he lacks Morrissey’s offensive skills.
Fingers crossed that Morrissey will be ready to go for the remainder of the tournament. Remember, he sat out the 4 Nations Face-Off final, where Canada triumphed in overtime, due to illness.
Overall team rating: A
There’s little to critique in this performance. Perhaps the slow start is one concern? Team Canada excelled in every aspect of their victory over the Czechs. They effectively rolled four lines, while the power play delivered when it was most needed. Binnington managed the few chances the Czechs created, which were limited.
On paper, the matchup against Dostal in goal and a few capable scorers (David Pastrnak, Tomas Hertl, and Martin Necas) might have seemed precarious. but, it wasn’t, and Canada firmly established itself as the tournament frontrunner following this opening victory.
