Sidney Crosby Protege Stepped Up When Canada Needed Him Most

Without Sidney Crosby in the lineup for Team Canada, it was a Colorado Avalanche superstar and Crosby's protege who powered his country to the gold medal game.

Feb 18, 2026; Milan, Italy; Nathan MacKinnon of Canada chases after the puck against Ondrej Palat of Czechia in a men's ice hockey quarterfinal during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

For the second straight game, Canada's elimination contest came down to overtime. And for the second straight game, a player not named Sidney Crosby was the hero for Canada. After suffering a lower-body injury in their quarterfinals matchup against Czechia, the veteran center was ruled out for the semifinal contest against Finland.

Without Crosby, Canada needed their next generation of stars to step up. For nearly the entire contest, Canada's supporters waited impatiently for the nation to wake up in its semifinal. Down 2-0 halfway through the game, it appeared that Finland had outlasted Canada.

Fourteen minutes into the second period, Canada finally scored a goal thanks to Sam Reinhart on the power play. It took another 15 minutes of game action before the Canadians tied things up at 2-2, but Finland responded. With less than a minute left in the third period, Colorado Avalanche center and Crosby's protege Nathan MacKinnon, stepped up as the hero to push Canada into the gold medal game.

Nova Scotia's Finest

Crosby and MacKinnon have been viewed in a similar light for years. Both were first overall picks in their respective drafts and entered the NHL with immense expectations. Following different paths, both have achieved greatness on the biggest stages. They each led their teams to Stanley Cups and have been honored with multiple individual accolades.

Bonding these two even further is their shared hometown of Cole Harbour, located in Nova Scotia, Canada. The small village in the municipality of Halifax has produced two of the game's greatest stars and two of the most important players in the NHL's salary cap era.

Feb 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada forward Nathan MacKinnon (29) and teammate forward Sidney Crosby (87) prepare for a face-off against Team United States in the second period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images | Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Can Nate Dogg Do It Again?

It's only fitting that a fellow native of Cole Harbour brought Canada to the gold medal round. Crosby has been the leader of excellence for Canada since entering the scene, and there was a long stretch of that semifinal contest where it felt like his absence was insurmountable.

Instead, MacKinnon rose to the top. With less than a minute to go, he buried a beautiful feed from Connor McDavid behind Juuse Saros. In the same exact mold as his mentor and best buddy, MacKinnon took up the mantle and came in clutch.

Can MacKinnon have another clutch performance and lead them to the promised land? When Canada needed a new savior against Finland, MacKinnon stepped up. If he does it again, they have the chance to capture their first gold medal since Crosby led them there in 2014.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!