MILAN — The passing of Canada’s captaincy torch officially began in the semifinals of the Olympic Games.
It wasn’t until close to game time that Team Canada found out Sidney Crosby would not play due to a lower-body injury he sustained in the quarterfinal.
Luckily for the Canadians, the succession plan has essentially been in place for years.
Connor McDavid skated out with the “C” embroidered on his No. 97 red and white jersey for the first time.
Posting his fifth straight multipoint game of the tournament, McDavid assisted on the first goal and the go-ahead score to help Canada snag a 3-2 win over Finland on Friday and reach the gold medal game.
“Just keeping the ‘C’ warm for Sid,” he said.
It’s been an Olympic debut to remember for McDavid.
After his latest two-assist performance, the 29-year-old set an Olympic record for an NHL player with a tournament-leading 13 points.
McDavid has operated at the highest level since arriving in Milan, but he somehow hit another gear in the face of adversity — a 2-0 deficit — when it mattered most.
The world’s undisputed best player also became the first active NHLer not named Sidney Crosby to wear the “C” for Canada at the Olympics since Scott Niedermayer in 2010.
“It means a lot,” McDavid said. “Hopefully, we get to see [Crosby] back here on Sunday. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him to miss [Friday night], and I’m sure it was a long game to watch. I know that. It means a lot to represent our country here as a team and the sport we love, that’s what it’s all about.”
Canada head coach Jon Cooper couldn’t say if Crosby would be able to play in the gold medal game against the United States.
When the injury initially happened in the second period Wednesday, when Crosby fell awkwardly after a hit from Czechia’s Radko Gudas, Cooper said the future Hall of Famer was “by no means” ruled out for the tournament.
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It’s difficult to imagine the Canadians taking the ice with gold on the line without Captain Canada.
On Friday, Crosby’s absence was a motivating force. Canada set out to win this game to keep Crosby’s Olympic Games going. At 38, it’s very possible this will be Crosby’s third and final Olympic Games.
“We have 48 hours to decide that,” Cooper said. “But I will tell you that he’s got a better chance of playing in the gold medal game than he did [Friday].”
