Canada entered the elimination stage as the No.1 seed, winning all three round‑robin games with a +17 goal differential. The quarterfinal against Czechia exposed how quickly fortunes can shift when key players are sidelined.
After Sidney Crosby suffered an injury, coach Jon Cooper moved Nathan MacKinnon to the top line with Connor McDavid and Celebrini. The adjustment aims to keep Canada’s offensive firepower intact as the team targets Olympic gold.