Sidney Crosby Ruled Out for Team Canada’s Gold Medal Game vs. Team USA

Team Canada will be without its team captain for Sunday morning’s bout vs. Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
According to SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman, Sidney Crosby will not play in the gold medal game due to a lower-body injury. Connor McDavid will wear the “C” in his absence.
Crosby was injured during Canada’s quarterfinal win over Czechia on Wednesday and missed their semifinal victory over Finland on Friday. The 38-year-old will now miss his second consecutive game as Team Canada looks to capture its first gold medal since 2014.
Puck drop from Milan's Santagiulia Arena is set for 8:10 a.m. ET. Follow along with Sports Illustrated’s live, up-to-date coverage of the gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics here.
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Mike Kadlick is an NFL writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.