Five things to watch on Wednesday, Feb. 18 – National
GOLD MARCH
Team Canada takes on Czechia in the quarterfinals of the men’s hockey tournament after earning a bye as the top seed. The Canadians opened the tournament with a 5-0 win over the Czechs and finished undefeated in three Group A games, outscoring opponents 20-3. There is some concern ahead of the knockout round, however, with Nathan MacKinnon and Sam Bennett missing Tuesday’s practice for what the team described as “maintenance days.”
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ANOTHER ONE?
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Moncton’s Courtney Sarault will be in pursuit of her fourth Olympic medal when she leads Canada into the women’s 3,000-metre short-track speedskating relay final. The Canadians team, with Kim Boutin, Florence Brunelle and Danae Blais, finished second in their semifinal heat on Saturday to South Korea by 0.127 seconds. Italy and the Netherlands are also in the final. Canada’s men’s 500 relay team competes in the quarterfinals.
PODIUM SHOT IN SLOPESTYLE
Weather delays reshuffled the schedule in Livigno, where Laurie Blouin and Juliette Pelchat are set for the postponed women’s snowboard slopestyle final. Blouin, an Olympic silver medallist in 2018, is chasing another podium, while Pelchat is making her Games debut. The women’s freestyle aerials competition was also pushed back after poor visibility halted qualifying.
THE RETURN
Mark McMorris cruised through qualifying to advance into the men’s snowboard slopestyle final, placing third. The 32-year-old from Regina was only cleared to compete last Thursday. His Feb. 4 crash left him with a concussion, pelvic bone bruising and strained abdominal muscles after being stretchered off the course for a hospital visit. McMorris has won bronze in this event each of the last three Olympics.
FACING HOSTS
Canada’s men’s and women’s curling teams each face Italy in round-robin play. Brad Jacobs’ rink has been rolling for most of the tournament, firmly in the playoff mix. Meanwhile, Rachel Homan’s side saw some early struggles with a three-game losing skid but snapped that with a trio of wins, including an 8-6 victory over previously unbeaten Sweden on Tuesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 17, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
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