Defenseman Josh Morrissey is out and the availability of captain Sidney Crosby is uncertain as Canada prepares for Sunday’s gold-medal hockey game against the United States at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Morrissey left in the first period of Canada’s group-stage opening win over Czechia with an undisclosed injury and hasn’t returned to Olympic ice since.
Crosby suffered an apparent right leg injury in Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime quarterfinal win over the Czechs.
Canada coach Jon Cooper told reporters after practice on Saturday that Morrissey, 30, would not play. He also missed the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game in Boston between the two countries — won by Canada — last year due to an illness.
“We want Josh in this game, he helps us with puck moving and everything he does, but in the end if you’re not physically able to do it,” Cooper said. “… The one selfless thing about this team, and the way I’ve watched these players … when it comes to the flag, no one is getting in the way of it. If they’re incapable of giving what they think is optimal effort, they don’t want to put the country in harm, they understand what we have here.”
Crosby is trying to lead Canada to its first gold medal since the 2014 Sochi Games — the last Olympics to feature NHL players. The United States has not won the Olympic tournament since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team in Lake Placid, N.Y.
The 38-year-old Crosby took part in practice on Saturday.
“We’ll see. I watched him skate today,” Cooper said of Crosby. “I haven’t spoken to him yet. We’re going to meet tonight and have a determination of what’s going to happen tomorrow. He won’t put himself in harm’s way. He’s not going to put the team in harm’s way.
“Obviously we’d love to have him, but that determination will be made tonight.”
Crosby has six points (two goals, four assists) in four games in the Olympics.
–Field Level Media
