Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid expressed relief that a missed officiating call did not derail Canada’s Olympic medal pursuit. The tournament scoring leader addressed the controversial moment Thursday following Canada’s 4-3 overtime victory over Czechia in the quarterfinals at Milano Cortina 2026.
Czechia had six players on the ice when they scored their third goal to take a 3-2 lead in the third period. The too many men infraction went unnoticed by officials and both benches during the crucial sequence at Santagiulia Arena.
Suzuki and Doughty struggled to sort out the 3-on-2 coverage on the goal that almost ended 🇨🇦’s Olympic tournament. Why? 🇨🇿 got away with having 6 players on the ice.
Credit eagle eye @DimFilipovic for noticing, but this screen shot is from right after Harley’s shot got blocked. pic.twitter.com/f58ydhjbrI
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) February 18, 2026The Missed Infraction
The penalty should have negated Czechia’s go-ahead goal that put Canada in jeopardy with under eight minutes remaining. Video evidence captured by media members confirmed the violation. Six Czech players were clearly visible on the ice during the play leading to the goal.
The infraction occurred organically during the flow of play rather than a line change mishap. Most Czech players reportedly did not realize they had too many skaters on the ice. Only one Czech player acknowledged afterward that he knew about the extra man.
Accountability and Awareness
McDavid took responsibility for missing the violation from the bench alongside his teammates and coaching staff. The Oilers captain emphasized collective accountability rather than blaming officials for the oversight.
“I’m upset we didn’t see it either but everybody’s on the bench watching the game, and none of us saw it, so the refs didn’t see it; it nobody saw it seemed like,” McDavid told reporters. “Glad that it didn’t cost us our tournament, with that being said, we definitely gotta be more aware of what’s going on out there.”
McDavid on the missed too many men
“ I’m upset we didn’t see it either but everybody’s on the bench watching the game and none of us saw it so refs didn’t see it, nobody saw it seemed like, Glad that it didn’t cost us our tournament, with that being said we definitely gotta be…
— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) February 19, 2026
Canada rallied after the controversial goal when Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki scored to tie the game 3-3 with four minutes remaining. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner completed the comeback by scoring the overtime winner just 82 seconds into the extra frame.
Semifinal Awaits
McDavid extended his Olympic point total to 11 with an assist during the quarterfinal victory. His tournament production ties him with Finnish legends Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu for most points in an NHL Olympic tournament. The 27-year-old captain continues leading all scorers at Milano Cortina 2026.
Canada advances to face Finland the semifinal. The matchup pits two teams that did not meet during preliminary play. Finland defeated Switzerland 3-2 in overtime during quarterfinal action to secure their semifinal berth.
Captain Sidney Crosby remains questionable after leaving the Czechia game in the second period with a lower-body injury. His status for the semifinal will be determined closer to puck drop as Canada pursues its first Olympic gold medal since 2014 in Sochi.