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Jon Cooper sends clear message on Sidney Crosby before Team Canada final
![[Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada forward Sydney Crosby (87) during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game against the United States at TD Garden.](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/644294.webp "[Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada forward Sydney Crosby (87) during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game against the United States at TD Garden.")
Photo credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Sidney Crosby might miss the Team Canada gold medal game, and Jon Cooper is refusing the “inspirational jersey” move.
Crosby skated Saturday in Milan, but his spot is not guaranteed.
Cooper flat-out said Crosby will not dress unless he can actually help.
That is cold, and it is also exactly right.
Canada beat Finland 3-2 in Friday’s semifinal without him.
The injury goes back to the quarterfinal against Czechia on Wednesday.
"It's too important. We don't want to have someone in there as an inspiration when we could have a player capable of helping in the game. You never know if guys are gonna get hurt."
- Jon Cooper
- Jon Cooper
Cooper’s quote hits because it is the Olympics, not a ceremony. He even mentioned the reality that guys get hurt mid-game.
If Crosby cannot push, cut, and win races, Canada needs a full-speed body in that sweater.
Sidney Crosby forces Team Canada to choose
Canadian fans are proud of the standard, but nobody wants to watch this end with regret.
This is also a bench decision, not just a medical one.
A compromised Crosby changes your matchup plan, your faceoff usage, and your late-game pace, especially if the United States is flying on the forecheck.
Cooper sounds like he will protect Crosby from himself, and protect Canada from sentiment.
It is not a small thing to sit the captain in a final, even if Connor McDavid takes the “C” again.
For context, Crosby is still producing at an elite clip this season with Pittsburgh at 27-32-59.
So if he is in, he is in to drive play, not to wave a flag from the fourth line.
Saturday night’s meeting between player and coach decides everything, and Sunday’s rivalry final is waiting.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Matthew Tkachuk sends blunt message about Sidney Crosby before Team Canada final
Matthew Tkachuk sends blunt message about Sidney Crosby before Team Canada final
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 21|388 ANSWERS Jon Cooper sends clear message on Sidney Crosby before Team Canada final Should Sidney Crosby dress for Team Canada only if he is 100 percent? | ||
| Yes | 303 | 78.1 % |
| No | 85 | 21.9 % |
| List of polls | ||