MILAN — Sidney Crosby skated Saturday morning with Team Canada, but no determination has been made yet on his status for the gold medal game Sunday against Team USA, coach Jon Cooper said.

Team Canada closed its practice to reporters, so there was no chance to see what Crosby looked like on the ice or with whom he skated with.

“I haven’t spoken to him yet,” Cooper said. “We’re gonna meet tonight and have a determination of what’s gonna happen tomorrow. He won’t put himself in harm’s way and he’s not gonna put the team in harm’s way. Obviously, we’d love to have him. That determination will be made tonight.”

Cooper said Crosby will not dress in a limited role, or to serve as an inspiration, a la Victor Hedman in Sweden’s quarterfinal game.

“It’s too important,” Cooper said. “We don’t want to have somebody in there as an inspiration when we could have a player that could be capable of helping. You never know if guys are gonna get hurt in the game. He wouldn’t want to do that either.”

He also fielded a question about whether it was allowed for Crosby to be behind the bench as a de facto assistant coach, saying he didn’t know, but it won’t happen.

Cooper did confirm that Canada will be without defenseman Josh Morrissey, who suffered an upper-body injury in the first game of the tournament.

2026 WINTER OLYMPICS

He deflected when asked whether Morrissey — who practiced fully before Canada’s preliminary-round finale against France and looked set to return — suffered a setback.

“Josh, in the end, he just wouldn’t be able to perform at what he could,” Cooper said. “We made the decision.”

Be sure to have your alarm clocks set Sunday morning.

Team USA and Canada men’s hockey are set to face off for Olympic gold at 8:10 a.m. ET on Sunday, so fans will have to wake up early to see the championship game.

There are a couple of reasons behind the early start time, with the main one being — like many of the events at the 2026 Winter Olympics — the six-hour time difference between the eastern United States and Milan Cortina.

The time difference means that the gold-medal match will start at 2:10 p.m. locally before the closing ceremonies that evening.

The championship game is also the last event for this year’s Olympics before the closing ceremonies, which are expected to kick off at 2:30 p.m. ET and 8:30 p.m. in Milan.

Men’s hockey is typically one of the last events of the Olympic Games, with the championship game often being held on the final day alongside women’s cross-country skiing.

Even NBC host Mike Tirico was apologetic about the early start time and sympathetic to the fans during the broadcast on Friday while explaining the reasons behind why the game starts in the morning for viewers in the United States.

Team USA secured its ticket to the championship game on Friday with a dominant 6-2 win over Slovakia, with center Jack Hughes scoring two goals in the effort.

Hughes’ performance comes after Team USA decided to shift the 24-year-old up to the third line, with coach Mike Sullivan saying that the Devils star “could impact the game more.”

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“We thought [Hughes] was playing real well, and so we thought by moving him up and getting him more ice time, he could impact the game more,” Sullivan told reporters Friday morning. “It was just a decision on our part based on how Jack has played and we think he’s getting better with every game he’s played.”

Team Canada’s semifinal win on Friday was not as easy, however, as they trailed Finland by two goals for a chunk of the game.

Canada then scored three unanswered goals, with Nathan MacKinnon scoring the game-winner with just 35 seconds left in the third period.

Amber Glenn needed to give herself some reassurance.

On Friday, the American figure skater hit the ice to complete the jump that knocked her down in the standings during Tuesday’s short program and ultimately cost her a medal at the Milano Cortina Games.

Glenn, 26, shared the moment on TikTok, taking viewers with her as she completed the jump — a triple loop — which she failed to execute Tuesday.

She completed a double loop instead and was given zero points for an invalid element, with her score of 67.39 dropping her to 13th place.

“Come with me to do the jump that cost me an Olympic medal,” Glenn said in the video.

Upon skating backwards, Glenn launched into the jump and landed it cleanly.

“That’s fine. I’m fine. I’m fine,” she said immediately afterwards in relief. “Everything’s fine.”

The Texas native’s short program left her in tears as she skated off the ice.

Glenn rebounded Thursday with a season-best free skate score of 147.52.

In the four-minute program, Glenn landed the triple loop and the triple axel, which she is known for, and pumped her fist after she finished.

Her only mistake came in touching the ice on her final jump.

“I just thought, ‘I’m going to do what I do best, which is enjoy skating,’” Glenn said, “and that’s what I did today.”

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Glenn finished fifth with a total of 214.91, with her teammate, Alysa Liu, taking gold to end the U.S. women’s 24-year figure skating drought with a score of 226.79.

Although her individual run at the Olympics didn’t result in a medal, Glenn is walking away from this year’s games with her head held high.

“I’m ecstatic. I’m happy that I did my job,” she said afterward. “Of course there’s so much that I wish I could have done better, and there’s going to be so many ‘What ifs?’ after this. But to tell myself that I did what I could, that’s enough.”

Glenn is the oldest woman to represent the United States in singles figure skating at the Olympics since 1928.

Blue gloves and hockey sticks flew in the air like confetti.

Hilary Knight skated toward the red, white and blue mosh pit on the ice after Megan Keller’s epic game-winning goal in overtime.

The U.S. women’s hockey team, the heavy favorites to win it all at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, ultimately did what everyone expected it to do Thursday afternoon when it clinched the goal medal with a 2-1 win against rival Canada.

It wasn’t easy. Thursday’s win tested the Americans in a way they hadn’t been throughout the Winter Games.

Alysa Liu, the 20-year-old American from California who won women’s single figure skating gold at the ongoing Winter Olympics 2026, has quite a background story, including Chinese spies. Yes, shocking as it may be, the Chinese government was reportedly spying on Liu’s family.

The disturbing episode came to light in 2022 when the US Justice Department charged five men with carrying out spying activities in the country on behalf of the Chinese government. One of the families they spied on was that of Alysa Liu.

Why?

This is where the story gets even more interesting. Alysa Liu’s father, Arthur Liu, is a former Chinese citizen who fled the country in 1989 after organising pro-democracy protests.

Alysa Liu spied by Chinese agents

Just before the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Arthur received a call from a person pretending to be a US Olympic official. That man asked him to share the copies of Arthur and Alysa’s passports, but the father refused.

“I felt something fishy was going on,” Arthur told the Associated Press in 2022.

Later the US Justice Department revealed that a man named Matthew Ziburis was allegedly hired by China to spy on the Liu family.

“In a weird way, I was like, ‘Am I in some prank show? Is this world real?” Alysa Liu had said in October while talking about the spying incident during a Team USA media event.

🇺🇸 THE ULTIMATE AMERICAN REVENGE STORY 🇺🇸
​The script couldn’t have written it better. In 1989, Arthur Liu fled China as a political refugee after the Tiananmen Square massacre. He came to America with nothing but a dream for a free life.
​Decades later, his daughter Alysa Liu… pic.twitter.com/VH6ScPB9Cu

— Afshine Emrani MD FACC (@afshineemrani) February 20, 2026

On Thursday, she now has reasons to forget the scary experience as she won the women’s single figure skating gold.

“I think my story is more important than anything to me, and that’s what I will hold dear,’’ Alysa said after winning the gold. “And this journey has been incredible and my life has just been, I have no complaints and I’m just so grateful for everything.”

How did her Alysa Liu’s father escape China?

Arthur was a student at Zhongshan University in 1989 when he organised multiple pro-democracy protests and hunger strikes. His political activity increased after hundreds of students and citizens were killed at Tiananmen Square by the military.

“I was outraged!” Arthur once wrote. “How could the People’s Liberation Army use its force against its own students and residents of Beijing? I organized another protest.”

But his growing political influence and activities put him on the “most wanted,” after which he escaped to Hong Kong with the help of an acquaintance. He risked his life while escaping on a boat.

“We got on the boat and he took off so quick that the four of us had to hold on to the boat so tight that a muscle on my chest area was painfully torn,” he wrote. “The boat was skimming on top of the ocean leaving huge waves behind us.

“I was told that this boat is faster than the boats the military and border (patrol) used to chase smugglers so that they won’t be caught. The smuggling business was booming between mainland China and Hong Kong in that era. Goods and people!”

After living in Hong Kong for a while, Arthur left for the USA, earning a law degree from Hastings College and starting his own firm.

MILAN — Megan Keller wouldn’t say she’s consistently practiced the jaw-dropping move she pulled off for the overtime golden goal of the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics on Thursday night at Santagiulia Arena. 

Her USA teammates, however, were unfazed. 

“The Megan Keller,” Hilary Knight called it. 

After collecting a long pass from Taylor Heise, Keller poked the puck around Canadian defenseman Claire Thompson before backhanding it past goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens to secure a 2-1 OT victory and the Americans’ spot at the top of the podium. 

“Just saw the change happen. Had some space. [Taylor] Heise made a great pass,” said Keller, who finished tied for the most points in the tournament (nine) with fellow defenseman Caroline Harvey. “Taking a chance trying to get to the net. But, obviously, we would not be in this position if our goaltender didn’t play outstanding in Aerin Frankel. Huge late goal by [Hilary Knight]. Top to bottom, this entire group, we stuck together the whole way. Really proud to be a part of this group.” 

Some of her U.S. teammates saw the game-winning goal in real time. Others did not at all, as the Americans halted the 3-on-3 overtime.

Their celebration took over the ice, making it difficult for anybody to see the replay. 

Keller said the team talked about playing to win and not to lose in overtime. In such a situation, she noted, it’s easy to get a little nervous about making a move.

When she saw she had a 1-on-1 with a Canadian defender, Keller said she thought: “Why not?” 

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“I saw her open her hips, and I’m like, ‘Oh, she’s gone,’ ” Kendall Coyne Schofield said. “I didn’t see the end. It happened so fast, but when I saw her open her hips, get the puck and like she had legs. I’m like, ‘This is going in the net.’… I look forward to seeing the replay.” 

The golden goal secured a second Olympic gold medal for Keller, as well as her third overall, after she won with Team USA in 2018 and settled for silver in 2022. 

Named captain of the PWHL’s Boston Fleet ahead of her third season, Keller went into the Olympic break with five goals and six assists through 14 games.

The Farmington, Mich., native emerged as one of the most dominant defensemen in NCAA history while skating for Boston College. 

“I thought it was Connor McDavid out there,” said Laila Edwards, who later corrected herself and said Auston Matthews in order to name an American NHLer. 

Jutta Leerdam, the Dutch speed skater and fiance of internet star and boxer Jake Paul, will not face any punishment after revealing her bra following her gold medal win at the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina last week.

Leerdam took gold in the 1000m speed skating event on Sunday and was seen by cameras unzipping part of her tight speed suit, revealing a white Nike sports bra. The moment quickly went viral after being shared on Nike’s Instagram account. She also won a silver medal in 500m event.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has strict rules about advertising during the Games, which led to speculation that Leerdam might face sanctions. However, IOC Television & Marketing Services Managing Director Anne-Sophie Voumard clarified the situation.

Why Leerdam will escape punishment

Voumard explained that unzipping the suit after a race is “normal practice” in speed skating because the uniforms are very tight. She added, “It is normal practice and not a case of ambush marketing.”

“I’m not an expert in speed skating. But I understand this (unzipping the uniform after a race) is normal practice for speed skaters when they finish their race because the suit is very tight. It is normal practice and not a case of ambush (marketing),” she said.

Leerdam, who has 6.4 million Instagram followers, is also known for sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of her life, including private jet trips with Paul and a new Hermes Birkin bag she bought after her Olympic victory.

The IOC has welcomed such content as it helps bring a new dimension to the Games. Kaveh Mehrabi, IOC Director of the Athletes’ Department, said, “Athletes have generated over 1.3 billion social engagements, about half a million per athlete, and we are proud they want to show their own experience.”

Jutta Leerdam alone has generated over 100 million engagements. The most appealing content has been behind the scenes. We changed the guidelines since Paris (2024 Olympic Games), allowing athletes to show their experience first hand.”

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A husky with lots of enthusiasm but no credentials gatecrashed a women’s team sprint cross-country race on Wednesday, giving an impromptu performance that had spectators howling with delight.

The dog wandered onto the stadium course in Tesero during the qualifying event, spotted a couple of athletes on the finishing straight and decided to join the action.

The canine sniffed around for a bit before racing across the line ahead of the skiers to wild cheers from a crowd clearly entertained by the unexpected addition to the field.

“It was so fun. I like dogs, we have a dog at home,” said Sweden’s Jonna Sundling, who went on to win gold with teammate Maja Dahlqvist.

“When it came to the finish line I was like, ‘Okay we have a new member.’ He or she wanted to go through the mixed zone as well, so it was fun,” she added referring to the area where competitors speak to the media

Not all racers agreed.

“I was cooling down on the bike, and I saw the dog and I was like, ‘That’s crazy’ and I was just happy I wasn’t skiing next to the dog because I’m a bit afraid of dogs. I was happy I was already at the finish,” said Nadja Kaelin of Switzerland.

Watch: Husy gatecrashes women’s team sprint cross-country race

GIVE THE DOG A MEDAL.

🎥 @dog_rates | #WinterOlympicspic.twitter.com/1OJ2bRChzl

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) February 18, 2026

The Swiss skier won the silver medal with teammate Nadine Faehndrich in the finals race.

Officials eventually got hold of the tail-wagging interloper but not before timekeepers preparing for a photo-finish in the race captured an image of the dog crossing the line.

Skiing star Eileen Gu is among those making heads turn at the ongoing Winter Olympics in Italy. The 22-year-old, competing in her second Winter Games, has already won a pair of medals – silver in Women’s Freeski Big Air as well as in the Slopestyle events. And this Sunday, Gu could add a third, possibly gold, when she competes at the Halfpipe event.

Why then is Gu is in the spotlight in the Milano-Cortina Games for negative reasons despite being one of the greatest female freestyle skiers ever? She had after all won two gold medals along with a silver at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne as well as the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, and also has gold medals at the Freestyle World Ski Championships as well as Winter X Games.

How’s Eileen Gu’s career-choices have been met with anger in the US

Gu finds herself at the centre of a heated debate in the United States due to her nationality. Though she was born and brought up in the US, specifically San Francisco in California, Gu has been representing China since 2019.

What many an American, particularly the conservative-leaning ones, finds offensive is the fact that Gu not only turned her back on the country that had raised her and helped her take her baby steps in elite sport, but that she chose to represent a nation with one of the worst human rights records in the world.

Also Read |
Why Jutta Leerdam remains a polarising figure despite record-breaking success at Winter Olympics

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom went to the extent of labeling her a “traitor” who represents a regime that is “literally running a concentration camp”.

“I’m just going to say it, she’s a traitor. She was born in America. She was raised in America, lives in America, and chooses to compete against her own country for, literally, the worst human rights abuser on the planet, China. She built her fame in a free country, and then chooses to represent an authoritarian regime,” Freedom told Fox News.

“She chose to play for a country that is literally responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of its own people, and literally running a concentration camp while we’re talking,” he added.

Eileen Gu is a US-born skier who is working for Communist China, a regime that wants to destroy our country.

There must be consequences for those who betray the United States and support our adversaries. pic.twitter.com/Qo7LBigrNa

— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) February 17, 2026

Vice-president JD Vance, who has seen as a strong Republican candidate for 2028 after Donald Trump second term at the White House comes to an end, was a lot more measured in his assessment of Gu’s citizenship compared to Freedom.

“I certainly think that somebody who grew up in the United States of America, who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that make this country a great place, I would hope that they want to compete with the United States of America,” Vance said.

“So, I’m going to root for American athletes and I think part of that is people who identify themselves as Americans. That’s who I’m rooting for this Olympics,” he added.

It is, however, highly unlikely that Gu will be letting the heated discussion around her nationality and the traitor accusations affect her training as she sets her sights on gold this Sunday.

U.S. figure skater Isabeau Levito joked that “you can’t evict me” after living it up in the Olympic Village at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games.

During an interview with NBC New York, Levito gushed over her experience in the Italian Alps ahead of her Winter Olympics debut in the women’s figure skating short program on Tuesday.

“I’ve spent every night in the village,” Levito,18, said. “It’s been everything and more. And you can’t evict me. … I don’t think there’s anything not to enjoy.

“I haven’t even gotten to compete yet and I feel like my experience is already complete — Not complete, but just, I’m having a blast, the best time.

“… I feel like I’m exactly where I want to be and I’m so glad that things have aligned and worked out for me to be here. And I’m excited for the opportunity to compete.”

Levito, who was born in Philadelphia, and raised in Mount Holly, New Jersey, is the 2024 world silver medalist and 2023 U.S. national champion.

“You can take isabeau out of the village, but you cannot take the village out of isabeau,” her TikTok bio states.

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Levito is known for her smooth transitions and her technical ability with musical interpretation.

Her skating style has drawn comparisons to legends, Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen.

Levito and her U.S. teammates, figure skaters Alysa Liu and Amber Glenn — nicknamed the “Blade Angels” — will skate in the fifth and final group of six of the short program, beginning at 12:45 p.m. ET on Tuesday.