From the left, Canadian Women's Hockey team members Sarah Nurse, Marie-philip Poulin and Blayre Turnbull pose with their gold medals at the Wukesong Sports Centre, Beijing, China on Feb. 17, 2022JONATHAN ERNST/Reuters
The NHL may not be participating in the 2022 Winter Games, but many of its Canadian players and coaches have tried to keep one eye on the action unfolding in Beijing, even with the time difference proving to be just as disruptive to their schedules as it is to everyone else.
Attention on the women’s gold-medal game was understandably no different, with Canada ultimately edging its great hockey rival to the south, the United States, in a 3-2 decision late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning.
“They had an amazing tournament from start to finish and I was able to watch, I think, maybe half the game and I had to go to bed, but it’s great,” Connor McDavid said. “An amazing team and an amazing accomplishment and they should be really proud.”
The Edmonton Oilers captain was one of three players initially chosen for the Team Canada men’s squad, which was ultimately comprised of non-NHL players. Just like everyone else in the hockey world, McDavid marvelled at the scoring consistency of Team Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who scored her sixth and seventh goals in Olympic gold-medal games (Canada is 3-1 in those contests).
“It takes first and foremost a great player, it takes someone that doesn’t shy away from those moments, and she certainly hasn’t done that,” he added. “Like I said, she’s done it time and time again. It’s so so impressive to see what she’s done.”
Despite McDavid’s publicly stated disappointment at not being in Beijing – he was quick to say “It’s not about me today” when asked about his own feelings Thursday – Oilers teammate Darnell Nurse was arguably even more connected to the events unfolding in China. His cousin Sarah Nurse not only scored the first of Canada’s three goals, but she also became the first Black player to win gold in women’s Olympic hockey.
Sarah Nurse also added an assist in the victory over the U.S. to eclipse Hayley Wickenheiser as the leading scorer in a single Olympic tournament with 18 points. Darnell Nurse happily pointed to their respective families as the roots to their sporting success, with his sister, Kia, also an Olympian, having represented Canada in basketball.
“Both our fathers are very hardworking, very, very driven,” Darnell Nurse said. “So that’s kind of where it all starts. And then from there, you know, taking every opportunity and making the most of it, and that’s what she did. She’s very driven, works as hard as anyone I know and earns everything that she’s gotten to this point.”
The Olympics have also been something of a family affair for Toronto Maple Leafs centre Jason Spezza, who stayed up to watch the first period. In particular, the Canadian women’s hockey team has given his daughters, who have traditionally not been die-hard hockey fans, something to talk to their father about.
“I find they pay attention a lot more to the women than they do our games,” Spezza said. “They check our scores and see when the days off are coming. … We’ve talked quite a bit about you know how important this tournament was for the Canadian team amongst the house.”
Like many others involved in hockey, Spezza is hoping that Canada’s latest gold medal in Olympic women’s hockey – its fifth since the sports started at the Games in 1998 – can help with the development of the sport.
“I think this is hopefully a good springboard for them. I think even prior to COVID there was lots of talk about getting them into some NHL rinks and the Dream Gap tour and stuff like that and hopefully we can help them grow the game.”
Not everyone saw the gold-medal game as appointment viewing, however. Vancouver head coach Bruce Boudreau, who would have been in Beijing having been hired as an assistant on the men’s team before he got the Canucks gig, was more interested in a matchup between two Western Conference powerhouses taking place the same night.
“No, I did not,” the Toronto native said of tuning in. “I just know the score was 3-2 Canada and quite frankly, as much as I love hockey, I was more interested in watching Vegas and Colorado at that point.”
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