‘Better chance’ Canada’s Crosby plays in Olympic gold medal game

MILAN — Canada captain Sidney Crosby is aiming to play in the Olympic gold medal game Sunday, though his status is still unconfirmed.

“He’s got a lot better chance of playing in the gold medal game than he did today,” coach Jon Cooper said after Friday’s 3-2 semifinal win against Finland.

Crosby, 38, missed the Finland game with a lower-body injury sustained in the quarterfinals against Czechia, with many Canadian players saying they found out either on the way to the arena or at the venue that their captain could not go.

“We heard he was, we heard he wasn’t, and then we were on the cab ride over and our team services guy was kind of like keeping it quiet,” Tom Wilson said. “We’re like, ‘Wait. We don’t even get to know?’ We kind of heard like pretty last minute, but we’ll see.”

Canada held a closed morning skate Friday, and it’s believed that Crosby used that time to test out his injury. Cooper has said that the team is taking a day-by-day approach and that the team has “the best of the best” experts trying to help the veteran center. Crosby later attended Friday’s game, and players said he was instrumental in between periods identifying tactical adjustments against the Finns.

“He’s watching the game closely and trying to dissect what they’re doing,” Connor McDavid said. “Giving out little pointers here or there of what we can look for. He was definitely there and having those conversations.”

Canada won after storming back from a 2-0 deficit. Nathan MacKinnon, who was an alternate captain in the game after McDavid was promoted to captain in Crosby’s absence, scored the go-ahead goal with 35.8 seconds left.

According to IIHF rules, all teams must have a captain in the lineup.

“Just keeping the seat warm for Sid,” McDavid said. “Hopefully we can see him out here on Sunday. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him to miss tonight. I’m sure it was a long game to watch.”

Imaging revealed that Crosby avoided the worst-case scenario with his injury, sources told ESPN. Crosby was hurt midway through the Czechia game as he was trying to brace for a hit from defenseman Radko Gudas. The play ended awkwardly with Gudas toppled over Crosby.

Crosby tried to stay in the game, but got pinned to the boards shortly after and exited the game after hobbling to the locker room, favoring his right leg.

Crosby is the oldest player on Canada’s roster and the most decorated — especially after scoring the golden goal in overtime to defeat the United States at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

“There was a lot of talk about doing that for Sid,” Sam Bennett said. “He’s meant the most for all of us and I think all of Canadians for a long time. He’s done so much for the game of hockey. Yeah, we’re hoping we can get him back.”