Brad Marchand reacts to Canada’s Olympic gold loss, says they “let Sidney Crosby down”

Marchand’s quote landed like a thud after Canada’s 2-1 overtime loss to Team USA in the Milano Cortina 2026 gold medal game.

He called Crosby one of the best ever, and admitted it “feels bad” letting him down. That’s not spin, that’s a teammate wearing it.

The gut punch is Crosby never even got to dress for the final, after a lower-body injury earlier in the tournament.

Canada still pushed, but the finish line came fast in overtime, with Jack Hughes ending it for the Americans.

On the ice, it looked like Canada wanted to win every inch, and still couldn’t buy the one play that matters most.

Crosby’s absence changes matchups, too, because it steals a center who lives on faceoffs and details, especially on the man advantage.

If you’re a Canadian hockey fan today, you’re not even mad first, you’re just drained.

Marchand doesn’t get to hide behind clichés, not when he’s a leader himself and his NHL year has been loud, 25-25-50 with the Florida Panthers.

Crosby’s NHL season has been loud too, 27-32-59 with Pittsburgh, which is why this Olympic ending feels so wrong.

This is the part nobody wants to say, silver is still failure in that room.

Now the story shifts to what Team Canada looks like in the next best-on-best, and whether this was Crosby’s last real shot at that medal with NHL stars.

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