![[Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada forward Sidney Crosby (87) skates in the warmup period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game against Team United States at the Bell Centre.](https://statico.profootballnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/09090953/sidney-crosby-addresses-pressure-winning-02-09-26.jpg "Sidney Crosby Addresses Pressure of Winning Gold in What Could Be His Final Olympics")
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are shaping up to be must-watch hockey. For the first time in 12 years, NHL players are returning to the Olympic stage. And all eyes will once again be on Team Canada and its captain, Sidney Crosby.
For Crosby, this tournament carries extra meaning. The Canadian legend is preparing for what could be his third, and possibly final, Olympic Games. It adds a different layer of pressure beyond the usual gold-or-bust expectations.
Sidney Crosby Reflects on a Possible Last Olympic Run
Crosby enters Milano Cortina following gold-medal triumphs in Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014. Now 38 years old, he’s aware that time may not be on his side. By the time the 2030 Winter Olympics roll around in the French Alps, Crosby would be 42, making Milano Cortina a likely last chance to represent Canada on hockey’s biggest international stage.
“You can look at it that way,” Crosby admitted. “I just can’t wait to get there, to be a part of it, to be surrounded by other Olympians.”
When asked what a third Olympic gold would mean, Crosby didn’t hesitate. “It would mean everything.”
Beyond the Olympics, Crosby’s international résumé is unmatched. He also led Canada in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, with Canada winning all four best-on-best tournaments he’s competed in. Crosby captained the team in three of those events.
Reflecting on his past Olympic experiences, Crosby spoke fondly of the memories.
“I had a great time in Vancouver and Sochi, just incredible memories and accomplishments for us as a team. So, to get to go one more time? I just look at it as a great opportunity more than anything. You never know when you’re going to get to go again.”
Pressure is nothing new for Crosby, especially with the “C” on his chest. As he explained recently, his approach now is rooted in trust. Trust in his preparation and in his game.
“At this point in my career, I’ve learned to draw on my own experiences,” Crosby said. “It’s a trust thing. Do you trust your game? Do you trust all the work you’ve put in? I trust my game, what I need to do, and what I believe in. It helps you deal with all the pressure.”
Team Canada opens Group A play on Thursday against Czechia, faces Switzerland on Friday, and wraps up the round-robin on Sunday against France.
Whether this truly is Crosby’s final Olympic chapter remains to be seen. If it is, he’s determined to make it count, with one last shot at gold on hockey’s grandest stage.
