Team Canada stays undefeated with blowout win over France

Make it a perfect preliminary round for Team Canada’s men’s hockey team.

Nine different players scored to help Canada defeat France 10-2 on the final day of preliminary round play at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Canada, who had already secured top spot in Group A, improved to 3-0 with the win.

By winning Group A, Canada has earned a bye through to the quarterfinals, which will take place on Wednesday. The three group winners and the next best team earn automatic spots in the quarterfinals while the remaining teams will have to play in Tuesday’s qualifying round.

Canada is in Group A along with France, Switzerland and Czechia. Group B features Finland, Sweden, Slovakia and Italy while Group C includes the United States, Germany, Latvia and Denmark.

Against France, Macklin Celebrini had a pair of goals while singles came from Tom Wilson, Devon Toews, Mark Stone, Cale Makar, Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Bo Horvat and Brandon Hagel. Jordan Binnington, in his second start of these Olympic Games, made 12 saves in the win.

Shots were 6-2 Canada in the first period when Pierre Crinon was called for a hold on Celebrini, creating the first power play of the game. MacKinnon had Canada’s best chance on the man advantage but had an open net blocked by a French defender.

Shortly after the power play ended, Wilson opened the scoring at 8:41. French goaltender Julian Junca stopped a Drew Doughty point shot but produced a big rebound, giving Wilson an open net to open the scoring.

France responded quickly. Just 13 seconds later, a Canadian turnover led to a Binnington rebound, allowing Floran Douay to find the back of net. It was the first goal Binnington has allowed at Milano Cortina 2026 after posting a shutout in Canada’s opening game.

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The goals kept coming from there. On a three-on-one, Crosby found a trailing Toews who beat Junca to put Canada back in front.

Canada made it 3-1 with a shorthanded goal with just four seconds remaining in the first. With Travis Sanheim in the box for holding, Stone went in alone and beat Junca with a soft backhand shot, giving the Canadians a two-goal lead at intermission.

Canada struggled to generate dangerous scoring chances early in the second period but that changed near the midway mark with Thomas Harley and Hagel both having great opportunities to extend the lead.

Canada went to their second power play of the period at 11:54. Sixteen seconds into the man advantage, Makar crept in from the blue line and fired a wrist shot through traffic and top corner on Junca, making it 4-1.

READ: Team Canada defeats Czechia to open Olympic men’s hockey tournament

With 2:44 remaining, Celebrini was interfered with on a breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot. On his free attempt, Celebrini netted his third goal of the tournament to make it 5-1 Canada.

Just 19 seconds later, Crosby tried to make a pass but the puck went off the stick on a French defender and rolled past Junca to give the Canadians a commanding 6-1 advantage heading into the third. The goal gives Crosby 15 points in his Olympic career, surpassing Jarome Iginla for the most by a Canadian in the National Hockey League era of the Olympic Games.

Antoine Keller took over the French net in the third and McDavid quickly welcomed him to the game. Just 20 seconds in, Celebrini fed McDavid who sped towards the net and slid the puck past Keller, making it 7-1.

Just over a minute later, France got another one when Sacha Treille beat Binnington under the arm with a hard shot. Canada would restore the six-goal advantage at 5:14 with a goal from Horvat, who beat Keller from a sharp angle.

At 10:46, MacKinnon carried the puck in and found Hagel in the circle who scored to make it 9-2. Soon after on a power play, Celebrini netted his second of the game to get Canada into double digits. That power play came after Crinon put a high hit on MacKinnon, who dropped the gloves for a brief fight with Wilson later in the period.

This was the first meeting between Canada and France in an Olympic men’s hockey tournament since Lillehammer 1994. Canada improved to 4-0 against France with Sunday’s victory.

Canada’s previous preliminary round games saw them defeat Czechia 5-0 and Switzerland 5-1. Like in that game against the Swiss, defenseman Josh Morrissey and forward Brad Marchand remained out of the Canadian lineup on Sunday.

Following Wednesday’s quarterfinal games, the semifinals will be held Friday. The bronze medal match will take place next Saturday followed by the gold medal game on Sunday.