2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey: Top standouts from Canada vs. Switzerland
Canada has become the second team to improve to 2-0 after beating Switzerland 5-1 in Group A men’s Olympic hockey action on Friday evening in Milano.
Canada will finish group play against France and will play in next week’s quarterfinal. Switzerland will play Czechia on Sunday, with the fight likely being for second place in the group.
A pair of first-period goals from Connor McDavid and Thomas Harley helped set the tone for Canada. Pius Suter would cut Canada’s lead in half at 12:42, ending the team’s shutout streak in games involving NHL goaltenders dating back to the quarterfinal against Latvia in 2014. But it wouldn’t matter in the end, as Macklin Celebrini, Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon would score goals of their own to seal the deal for the team in red, white and black.
Here’s a look at the top standouts from the final game on Friday evening:
Canada
#20 Thomas Harley, D (Dallas Stars): You can make an argument that Harley has been Canada’s best defenseman at this tournament. Sometimes, you just need a calm presence in your own zone – and he does that perfectly. Other times, you need a shooter – and he scored. Harley might not be the biggest name defender on Canada, but his impact has been massive.
#10 Nick Suzuki, LW (Montreal Canadiens): I didn’t love Suzuki’s opener against Czechia, especially early. But I thought he was much more solid today, being a defensive menace against the Swiss. He was one of Canada’s better-skating two-way forwards and continuously stole pucks away from the Swiss attack while forcing them into trouble. He also had a couple of nice shots, too.
#17 Macklin Celebrini, LW (San Jose Sharks): With a goal and an assist, Celebrini continues to be one of Canada’s best players. We know he’s young – you’ve heard that a lot already. But the fact that coach Jon Cooper has been willing to play him alongside Canada’s top players shows you how highly they value the budding superstar.
#29 Nathan MacKinnon, RW (Colorado Avalanche): That game just looked easy for Mack. He had a goal and two assists, dominating with his quick hands, great shot and relentless work ethic. The Hart Trophy candidate took his game up another level once he joined Celebrini and McDavid on the top line – pure dominance on every level. You have to wonder if they’ll stick together.
#87 Sidney Crosby, C (Pittsburgh Penguins): McDavid might have had the bigger game, but Crosby didn’t want to be left behind. The team captain got robbed on a breakaway goal early in the game and then nearly added two more goals in the first. Crosby finally scored in the third period, capping off an outstanding performance. He was fast, made some excellent feeds in the attacking zone and Switzerland couldn’t figure out how to slow him down.
#97 Connor McDavid, C (Edmonton Oilers): With a goal and an assist in the first period, and another assist in the third McDavid showed he meant business. His first goal – the 1-0 marker – was a long time coming, 11 years after getting selected first overall. McDavid was Canada’s best forward in Game 1, the second best in Game 2 and an early contender for the MVP award. He’s clearly playing at his best right now.
Switzerland
#90 Roman Josi, D (Nashville Predators): Josi didn’t do anything particularly special, but his overall own-zone play was solid enough to be happy with his night. He doesn’t get beaten easily often and will usually outsmart an attacker when playing at speed. Josi is willing to push guys around and skates really well, too. Overall, a solid effort.
#44 Pius Suter, C (St. Louis Blues): The goal was solid, with Suter knocking in a rebound to end Canada’s shutout bid. But he also played a strong defensive game, throwing the body around while winning puck battles. A lot of what he does is more detail-oriented and won’t show up on a scoresheet, such as simple stick lifts and chip passes out of danger. But there’s a reason why he was rarely on the ice for a dangerous scoring chance against.
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