McDavid Fuels Hope of Sidney Crosby Gold Medal Game Return?

With Sidney Crosby unable to suit up due to a lower-body injury, Connor McDavid wore the “C” for Team Canada in Friday’s semifinal against Team Finland — a moment that, in some ways, symbolized a passing of the torch.

---

While everyone — McDavid included — would have preferred to have Captain Canada in the lineup and wearing the “C,” it was still a special honor for him to “borrow” it from his idol, keeping it warm in hopes of Crosby’s return for the gold medal game.

McDavid said so himself postgame:

“Yeah, hopefully just borrowing it. You know, keeping the seat warm for him. It’s a special thing to represent your country, and to wear the C for a group like this, it means everything to me.”

The 29-year-old McDavid added two more points (two assists), including setting up Nathan MacKinnon’s game-winning goal with just 35.2 seconds left in the third period. In doing so, he surpassed Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu for the most points by an NHL player at a single Olympics, now sitting at 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) through five games — with the biggest one still to come.

The Latest on Sidney Crosby

Despite missing the semifinals, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman revealed beforehand that Crosby and the medical staff did everything possible to get him into a position where he could play, and for a time, there was real belief that the captain might give it a go.

Friedman wrote:

“On Crosby: heard Team Canada and everyone around him did everything humanly possible for him to play — including searching for/putting together a custom brace. Unfortunately, he can’t go in the semifinal.”

That aligns with reporting from Penguins insider Josh Yohe, who indicated that Crosby avoided a worst-case scenario, leaving the door open for what would be a potentially amazing return story.

Head coach Jon Cooper did say after the win that he’ll have a better chance of playing Sunday than he did Friday, adding even more optimism to a situation that initially looked bleak.

Crosby will now have just over 40 hours to continue resting and recovering, giving Team Canada — and hockey fans around the country — hope that their captain can return for another massive moment on the Olympic stage.

Next: Oilers Insider Pegs Two Big Names as Ideal Second-Pair Defense Targets