Crosby still center stage as Canada prepares for 2026 Olympics

CALGARY -- Nearly 16 years since his golden goal in Vancouver and almost 12 since he captained Canada to a second straight Olympic gold medal in Sochi, Sidney Crosby's presence, leadership, experience and expected impact means, even at 38 years old, he is still arguably his nation's greatest weapon as it prepares for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 this February.

"We talked yesterday about if there is any advantage any more for Canadians or for our Canadian team, and there is. There's one, and it's Sidney Crosby," said Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada's senior vice president of high performance and hockey operations. "When you look at our biggest competition, I don't think anyone else has that. It can't be overstated."

Crosby is one of 41 NHL players here this week at Hockey Canada's 2025 National Teams Orientation Camp. Crosby, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty and Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares are the only men's players here who have played in the Olympics.

Doughty, like Crosby, won gold in 2010 and 2014. Tavares won gold in 2014 despite sustaining a season-ending knee injury in the quarterfinals.

Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins center, is one of six players who already have been selected to be on the men's team in 2026, joining Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar, and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point.

All 24 players from Canada's team that won the 4 Nations Face-Off this past February are at the camp, but it's Crosby who is the de facto leader, the likely captain, and still the very famous face of Canadian hockey as a two-time Olympic gold medal winner, an IIHF World Championship gold medalist in 2015, a World Juniors gold medalist in 2005, a World Cup of Hockey winner in 2016 and 4 Nations Face-Off champion as Canada's captain this past February.

"We saw it again at the 4 Nations, he has this incredible ability to bring people together," Salmond said. "I believe that there's this belief within the team and the players that they don't want to let him down. These players have the weight of the nation on their shoulders, but they look at Sidney Crosby and they want to carry on that legacy that he's created. You can never underestimate it. What he brings to Hockey Canada, the way he carries himself, the way he represents Canada is incredible and it's a huge advantage for us, no question."

Crosby, though keenly aware of his place in Canadian sports history and what he still means to Canada's chances to win another gold medal, doesn't talk about advantages when he discusses his chance at playing in a third Olympics.

Instead, he said it's hard to put into perspective what the opportunity means to him considering he was 26 years old and just a one-time Olympic gold medalist and Stanley Cup champion the last time he was in Calgary for an Olympic orientation camp.

"I think just grateful for the chance to still be competing and having the opportunity to do this," said Crosby, now a three-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist. "You never know. It's a tough sport and it's competitive, so to be a part of this, just grateful. But I also know how special the opportunity is and what it means. I think knowing that, it's motivating. It's a lot of fun. You can feel the energy coming off of 4 Nations. That was huge. Everyone got a taste of international hockey and what the Olympics are going to look like. So, yeah, I think a lot of different emotions, but really just excited, motivated and being grateful for the opportunity to be at it again."

For Canada's new Olympic hopefuls, players such as McDavid, Reinhart, MacKinnon, Point, Makar and so many more, it's not only special to have Crosby here with them, it's vitally important for the knowledge he can share.

Crosby can speak to the importance and benefits of this orientation camp.

He knows how to prepare for an Olympics, the steps required to be playing your best hockey in the middle of a grinding 82-game regular season.

Crosby knows how the Olympics work, what it's like to live in the Olympic village, to be around all the other Canadian athletes from all the winter sports, how it's unlike anything players experience when they go city to city in the NHL season.

He knows the pressure associated with playing for Canada in the Olympics, and, more importantly, how to thrive in the environment.

Crosby had seven points (four goals, three assists) in seven games, including the golden goal in overtime against the United States in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

He had three points (one goal, two assists) in six games, including the gold-medal winning goal in a 3-0 win against Sweden in the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

"He's cut from the '06 team and in '10 he scores that goal and he's captain of the '14 team," McDavid said. "For our generation, for him to still be here and be the captain and still play a massive role, it's special. It's special for all of us."

Crosby said he never lost faith that another Olympic opportunity would come his way even after the NHL opted against participation in 2018 and had to withdraw from the Games in 2022 because of lingering impacts on the League from the pandemic.

"With the way things went with so many things out of our control the two prior times, you know, I try not to think too far ahead and try to let it play out, and I was pretty confident that we'd find a way to get back and I wanted to be a part of that obviously," Crosby said. "I guess I kept the belief but it wasn't something I gave a whole lot of thought to as far as missing out on the opportunity. I just tried to be optimistic and positive about it."

His positivity paid off and now Crosby, along with Doughty, can make Canada history with a third Olympic gold medal in men's ice hockey.

He is Canada's advantage. Still.

"It's not lost on us, our generation," Reinhart said. "The biggest motivation there is for us it doesn't look like the window is closing for him any time soon."