Team Canada’s forward depth just sent a Milano Cortina 2026 warning
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Daniel Lucente
Feb 13, 2026 (11:49)
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Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Connor McDavid and Team Canada just stomped Czechia 5-0, and every opponent at Milano Cortina 2026 felt that message in their ribs.
This was not a “one line carries you” win.
It was four lines rolling, hunting, and turning shifts into long, ugly minutes for Czechia.
Macklin Celebrini opened it with 5.7 seconds left in the first period, and the building changed instantly.
Celebrini is 19, drafted in 2024, Round 1, first overall by the San Jose Sharks.
That is the kind of “kid” Canada can hide on a deep roster, which is ridiculous.
Mark Stone and Bo Horvat scored in the second, and Canada never let Czechia breathe.
Jordan Binnington did his part too, stopping 26 shots for the shutout.
"The Canadians showed Thursday their forward depth is so potent that the rest of their lineup only needs to be good, not even great, for the team to dominate."
- Matt Larkin
- Matt Larkin
Matt Larkin saw Team Canada’s depth break Czechia
Canadian fans have been waiting years to feel this kind of best on best swagger again, and Thursday felt like the moment the worry finally shut up.
Nathan MacKinnon put the game away on the man advantage in the third, fed by McDavid across the seam.
Nick Suzuki made it 5-0, and it somehow still felt like Canada left goals on the table.
Suzuki is a 2017 pick, Round 1, 13th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights, and he plays like a guy built for tight Olympic games.
McDavid finished with three assists, the kind that pull defenders out of shape like a zipper.
Canada is 1-0-0-0, and the bigger point is the blueprint.
When your forwards tilt the ice this hard, your blue line only has to be solid, not perfect.
Now the standard is set, and Switzerland gets the first test of how long Canada can keep that throttle down.
Also read on HockeyLatest :
Josh Morrissey exits vs Czechia and will not return, Team Canada and the Jets hold their breath
Josh Morrissey exits vs Czechia and will not return, Team Canada and the Jets hold their breath
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 13|143 ANSWERS Team Canada’s forward depth just sent a Milano Cortina 2026 warning Did Team Canada’s forward depth make a gold statement against Czechia? | ||
| Yes | 136 | 95.1 % |
| No | 7 | 4.9 % |
| List of polls | ||