As Team Canada waits to find out whether Sidney Crosby will play in the gold medal game, two of his teammates said the team gave its all for him in the semifinal.
MILAN, Italy - Sidney Crosby missed Friday's semifinal win against Finland with a lower-body injury, but the Team Canada captain has not been ruled out of Sunday's gold medal game.
"We have 48 hours to determine," said Team Canada coach Jon Cooper. "He has a better chance of playing that then he did of playing today."
Crosby, who has two goals and six points in these Olympics, left the quarterfinal win against Czechia after receiving a hit from Radko Gudas. The severity of the injury is not known, but the 38-year-old reportedly skated during the team's closed morning skate on Friday, leading some players to believe he might have dressed against Finland in the semifinal.
"We heard he was, we heard he wasn't," said Canada's Tom Wilson. "And then we were on the cab ride over, and our team services guy was kind of keeping it quiet. We were like, 'Wait — we don't even get to know?' We kind of heard last minute."
In the end, Crosby could not play, and Canada named Connor McDavid the temporary captain for Friday's 3-2 win against Finland, where Crosby was front and center on players' minds.
"It's cliche, but Sid's one of those guys that every guy who laces up his skates wants to make him proud," said Wilson. "You know he's watching. You want to give it all for him. He's one of the highest respected players in the league. When he's leading the way for us, and he can't play tonight, every single guy was trying to play to the best of their ability for him.
"Hopefully, moving on here, he gets another shot."
Crosby won gold for Canada in 2010 and 2014. His teammates said they are hoping he will get a chance to win a third.
"Obviously, he's a guy you want to show up for, and what he's done for the game, for our team and for all of Canada, you want to show up for him and give him another opportunity," said Canada's Brad Marchand. "But you want to do it for every single guy in that room and every single guy that got you to this point and for the entirety of Canada.
"But obviously, with what's going on with Sid, he's definitely a big rallying point."
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