The first day of the men’s hockey tournament underscored the importance of not overlooking any team in the Olympics. Can the Canadians kick off their Olympic Games on the right foot against the Czechs? (10:40 a.m. EST, CBC/CBC Gem)
Game Day Quotes
Jon Cooper on the process of finding chemistry on his lines ahead of a short tournament:
We don’t have a lot of time. This isn’t about throwing darts at a dartboard. Who can keep up with who? Can we peek at a little chemistry in practice?
13 guys will dress. Someone has to sit. But as we saw in 4 Nations, everybody ended up playing. You have to mix in guys and see where they fit.
Cooper on his patience level with the lines:
It is hard to answer that question until your patience is tested. We’ll see.
Sidney Crosby on 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini’s readiness for a big moment on the international stage:
I think he is ready. He is a competitive guy. He earned his spot on this team for a reason. He likes the challenge. He has proven time and time again that he likes these kinds of opportunities. He’s earned it.
He looks great out there. I think he is ready to go.
Brad Marchand on the importance of keeping the mood light amid the intense pressure on the Canadian team:
The guys here are so competitive. Everyone is here for a reason. But you have to enjoy it, too. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, except for Sid and Drew.
You have to enjoy the moment and have fun with it. There is a time and a place where you have to be really dialed in and focused, but there is definitely a place for playing around and having a good time.
Jordan Binnington on the uncertainty around the starting goaltending decision ahead of game one:
I am just enjoying the moment and each day, one day at a time, taking it all in. It has been fun. Practicing with guys of this calibre is a lot of fun as a calibre. It is just clean, precise plays. You get to make a lot of big saves in practice, if you can. It’s a lot of fun.
Tom Wilson on what it means to play on a line with Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini:
It means a lot. For me, it doesn’t matter where I am. I am going to try to play my game and do my thing. I’ll do whatever it takes for this country. If I am playing with Connor, I’ll try to help him any way I can and help this team win. It doesn’t matter the role.
Wilson on finding chemistry with his two high-octane linemates:
Two of the best players in the world. A lot of skill, speed, and IQ. Get them the puck. It’ll be in good hands. Get to the net.
McDavid is one of the best skaters in the world. I have a lot of speed to my game. There are times when I don’t need to be over where he is because he is going to catch up.
Doug Armstrong on the external question marks about his goaltending:
I just go back to January last year, hearing the same things, and we saw how that turned out. It made me quite comfortable.
Armstrong on the identity of the Canadian team:
We want to be a strong 200-foot team. We believe we’ve built a group where the coach doesn’t have to worry about matching up. We hope to have teams react to us. It is going to be built a little bit like that.
The level of hockey around the world has risen since 2014. I was fortunate to start with Hockey Canada in 2002 at the Worlds. I did feel, at that point, selfishly, that Canada was able to start on third base. Everyone else was on second or first. Now, there are a lot of other countries on third base, and that is great for hockey. It is unreal to see the level of players from all around the world. It’s great.
I think this team will create its own identity. We are not trying to be a team of the past. That is the beauty of this. They can write their own script.
David Pastrnak on the immense challenge presented by the Canadians:
They have so many world-best players out there. Incredible strength and a lot of talent. We know it will take a perfect game. We will try our best. We are confident that we have a good group.
Team Canada Projected Lines
Forwards
#17 Macklin Celebrini – #97 Connor McDavid – #43 Tom Wilson
#38 Brandon Hagel – #29 Nathan MacKinnon – #10 Nick Suzuki
#93 Mitch Marner – #87 Sidney Crosby – #61 Mark Stone
#63 Brad Marchand – #14 Bo Horvat – #13 Sam Reinhart
#9 Sam Bennett
Defensemen
#7 Devon Toews – #8 Cale Makar
#44 Josh Morrissey – #55 Colton Parayko
#20 Thomas Harley – #89 Drew Doughty
#27 Shea Theodore
Goaltenders
Starter: #50 Jordan Binnington
#48 Logan Thompson
Extras: Travis Sanheim, Seth Jarvis, Darcy Kuemper
Team Czechia Projected Lines
Forwards
#98 Martin Necas – #48 Tomas Hertl – #88 David Pastrnak
#18 Ondrej Palat – #64 David Kampf – #73 Ondrej Kase
#10 Roman Cervenka – #23 Lukas Sedlak – #98 David Tomasek
#93 Matej Stransky – #12 Radek Faksa – #81 Dominik Kubalik
Defensemen
#51 Radim Simek – #17 Filip Hronek
#6 Michal Kempny – #3 Radko Gudas
#44 Jan Rutta – #7 David Spacek
Goaltenders
Starter: #1 Lukas Dostal
#50 Karel Vejmelka
