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Sidney Crosby’s Stanley Cup comment sparks debate in Canada and Pittsburgh
![[US, Mexico Canada customers only] Feb 13, 2026; Milan, Italy; Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, Darcy Kuemper and Logan Thompson of Canada celebrate after the match against Switzerland in men's ice hockey group A play during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marton Monus/Reuters via Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/i/photo/642218.webp "[US, Mexico Canada customers only] Feb 13, 2026; Milan, Italy; Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, Darcy Kuemper and Logan Thompson of Canada celebrate after the match against Switzerland in men's ice hockey group A play during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marton Monus/Reuters via Imagn Images")
Photo credit: Marton Monus/Reuters via Imagn Images
Sidney Crosby put the Stanley Cup above Olympic gold, and Pittsburgh Penguins and Team Canada fans just felt that jolt.
The clip making the rounds frames it like a simple ranking, Cup first, flag second.
What Crosby actually said was more nuanced, but the takeaway still stings if you grew up on the golden goal glow.
He described the Olympics as “right up there with playing in the Stanley Cup finals,” then pointed to how different the event feels because it’s short-term.
That sounds respectful. It also sounds like he’s telling you the Cup grind still sits on top.
Here’s the post people are reacting to, in full context.
From the Penguins side, it’s honestly the most Crosby thing ever, loyalty to the room, the city, the two-month war.
He’s backed it up this season too, 27-32-59 in 56 games, with Pittsburgh sitting 29-15-12 heading into the Olympic pause.
From the Canada side, it lands weird because he’s literally the face of modern Canadian hockey mythology.
And he’s still doing it in Milan, Canada opened 2-0, and Crosby has three points in two games.
Sidney Crosby and Team Canada still chase gold
Canadian fans are proud, but also a little annoyed, because we want our captain to say the quiet part louder for the maple leaf.
The truth is the Cup asks for four rounds of pain, injuries, matchup hunting, and surviving your own doubts.
Olympic gold is pressure-cooker hockey, but it’s also a sprint with a stacked roster and less nightly wear.
As for the “Miracle vs Cup” debate, Americans would argue both ways, but plenty of NHL guys still call the Cup the hardest trophy in sports.
If Crosby sounds like he’s choosing Pittsburgh, it’s because he is, and that’s exactly why both fanbases trust him.
Now the next test is simple, can he turn that same Cup obsession into one more gold run for Canada.
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