Imago
Milano Cortina 2026, Milan, Italy, 12.02, 2026, MiCo2026, MiCo, 2026, Olympics, Olympic, Winter Olympic, Olympic Winter games, Winterspiele,Spiele, Summer games Ice hockey, Eishockey Canada, Czechia Sidney Crosby of Canada reacts during mens Premilinary round Group A Ice Hockey match between Canada and Czechia teams of Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, 12.02.2026. Photo: Roman Koksarov RKF Milan Italy Copyright: xRomanxKoksarovx 0B4A1781.JPG
Imago
Milano Cortina 2026, Milan, Italy, 12.02, 2026, MiCo2026, MiCo, 2026, Olympics, Olympic, Winter Olympic, Olympic Winter games, Winterspiele,Spiele, Summer games Ice hockey, Eishockey Canada, Czechia Sidney Crosby of Canada reacts during mens Premilinary round Group A Ice Hockey match between Canada and Czechia teams of Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, 12.02.2026. Photo: Roman Koksarov RKF Milan Italy Copyright: xRomanxKoksarovx 0B4A1781.JPG
Essentials Inside The Story
- Connor Bedard snub for the Winter Olympics now adds a rumor
- Even at 38-years-old, Sidney Crosby continues to push himself for his team
- Crosby not riding the pine in the finals could've helped Team Canada in the overtime loss to Team USA
Losing the gold medal to Team USA in an overtime defeat was already a heartbreaking story of the day for Canada. However, before they could swallow that hard pill, they were handed a rumor about Captain Sidney Crosby’s involvement in the roster selection process that might have cost them the gold.
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“Breaking story : Sidney Crosby lobbied strongly according to sources close to Jim Nill and Brad Treliving toward @HockeyCanada NOT selecting Connor Bedard,” Hockeyy Insiderr wrote on X.
“Bedard declining team Canada invitation for the 2025 IIHF WC apparently didn’t sit well at all with Crosby , who played at the tournament and developed a friendship with Celebrini. A 19-year-old declining the invite while 37-year-old Crosby went ended up costing Bedard a spot in the Olympics according to sources.”
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Going into the IIHF World Hockey Championship last year, Crosby embraced the opportunity of being a mentor to the youngsters on the roster. In fact, he even accepted that “if anything, I remind myself daily that I’d better get to work if I want to play with these guys because they’re special players and it’s incredible what they do out there.”
Seemingly, Crosby would’ve wanted to see a similar push from Bedard, which he didn’t. But the 20-year-old’s decision was hardly from a lack of patriotism but more from the understanding that his presence wouldn’t have helped the team enough. Then, Blackhawks insider Charlie Roumeliotis had revealed that Bedard “didn’t feel he was anywhere close to the best version of himself.”
However, playing with his childhood idol, Sidney Crosby, and close friend Macklin Celebrini was always a dream for Bedard, something he could’ve accomplished in the Milan Olympics. He certainly worked out his plan.
“That realization pushed him to radically change his offseason regimen so he could become the player he expects of himself moving forward, not just for the Blackhawks but for Team Canada long-term too,” Roumeliotis had said then.
Bedard’s reasoning was simple: He aimed to be an asset to the team rather than a liability. But that’s not how the optics looked, costing him his Olympic opportunity, and Canada, its gold.
Breaking story : Sidney Crosby lobbied strongly according to sources close to Jim Nill and Brad Treliving toward @HockeyCanada NOT selecting Connor Bedard. Bedard declining team Canada invitation for the 2025 IiHF WC apparently didn’t sit well AT all with Crosby , who played at…
— Hockeyy Insiderr (@HockeyyInsiderr) February 22, 2026
The World Championship took on additional significance as a proving ground for Olympic consideration, with NHL players using the tournament to showcase themselves months before roster decisions would be finalized. And the results said it all.
Celebrini took the spotlight, while Bedard faded from the equation, eventually unseen at the Milan Olympics. But whether Crosby’s reported lobbying actually occurred remains unconfirmed by any official source.
Team Canada certainly missed their captain in the final.
Sidney Crosby’s absence was felt on the ice
“He’s Sidney Crosby. He’s going to have a big influence, no matter what. In the lineup, not in the lineup. That’s what he does,” said Connor McDavid, who assumed the captain role in the absence of the Pittsburgh Penguins star.
Even talking to EssentiallySports after the semifinal, the Oilers captain said, “We missed him obviously, he is our captain, and our leader. Missed him a lot.” So what really happened to Crosby?
The 38-year-old got hurt when his leg got bent in an unnatural direction after taking a hit from defenseman Radko Gudas in the quarterfinal against Czechia. And even if Team Canada continued to thrive without him, they still felt his absence.
Reports confirmed that he was training before the final, but here came head coach Jon Cooper’s tough decision.
“No. It’s too important. We don’t want to have somebody in there as an inspiration when we could have a player capable of helping. You never know if guys are going to get hurt. He wouldn’t want to do that either,” the coach said, explaining the reason behind choosing to sit him out, rather than keeping him even as a substitution option.
Despite all the tries, Team Canada fell in overtime against the United States.
