MILAN – Mitch Marner’s overtime goal secured a dramatic 4-3 victory for Canada over Czechia in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 Winter Olympics on Wednesday, averting a stunning upset and keeping Canada’s medal hopes alive.
The game, played at the Santa Giulia arena, saw a back-and-forth battle with three lead changes. Czechia took a late 3-2 lead with Ondřej Palát’s goal at 7:42 of the third period, threatening to send the heavily favored Canadian team packing. Although, Nick Suzuki responded just over three minutes later, tying the game at 3-3 with a deflection, extending the contest.
With just 1:12 remaining in regulation, Czech forward Martin Nečas broke free for a breakaway, presenting a golden opportunity for Czechia. Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington, however, made a crucial save with a timely leg extension, denying Nečas and preserving the tie.
“He was solid as a rock,” said Devon Toews, praising Binnington’s performance. Cale Makar added, “He made some big stops, kept us in the game,” and head coach Jon Cooper affirmed, “He kept us in the match.”
The overtime period was short-lived. Marner, entering the offensive zone on a three-on-three rush, navigated through defenders and scored with a backhand shot just 82 seconds into the extra frame, securing the win for Canada.
“When I got past the blue line, I had Macklin [Celebrini] somewhere to my right,” Marner explained. “I was trying to develop a play to him, but I saw two Czechs cheat over that way. I saw a hole and managed to get through.”
The victory was tempered by an injury to Canadian captain Sidney Crosby, who left the game in the second period after a hit from Radko Gudas. Crosby did not return to the ice, but visited the bench during an intermission to encourage his teammates. “Go get it, boys!” he reportedly told them.
“He’s a true leader,” said Jon Cooper. “The guys didn’t seek his tournament to finish like that,” with a loss to Czechia. The severity of Crosby’s lower-body injury remains unknown.
Canada will now advance to the semifinal round on Friday, where they will face either Sweden or the winner of the Finland/Switzerland quarterfinal. The tournament has re-seeded following the quarterfinal matches.
“It was a rollercoaster,” Marner said. Thomas Harley added, “Even more intense than the Game 7s [of the playoffs] I’ve been a part of.” Brad Marchand expressed confidence in the team, stating, “With five minutes left in the game, nobody felt like that was going to happen.”
“We won our first three games easily 5-0, 5-1, 10-2,” noted Nathan MacKinnon. “It’s excellent to have adversity like this. It helps keep us humble.”
