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The 5-0 win was, in a single word, surgical. Every member of the Canadian men’s Olympic hockey team contributed in one way or another. Like a well-oiled machine, the forwards were fast and physical. The defence was smothering. And the goaltending was calm and consistent.
The only concern any of us would have was the one raised when it was obvious that defenceman Josh Morrissey’s day ended after just seven minutes of ice time. While Team Canada is saying little about the injury — shades of some sort of national security breach — it would appear that the Winnipeg Jets defenceman was hurt late in the first period, and tried to come back for the second, to no avail.
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Such is the way of the world with the Jets this season. And such is the price players and their NHL teams pay for participating in the Olympic experience.
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Morrissey might be the first casualty of the tournament, but he certainly won’t be the last. Who can forget how John Tavares’ Olympics ended in 2014, and with it any playoff hopes of his then-team, the New York Islanders?
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Now, at this point, we don’t know the severity of the injury, but everyone who is in Milan, and everyone who works in and around the NHL, knows the inevitability of players possibly getting hurt. It is, after all, part of the game.
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Now, if we are to be honest, I’m not sure it scuttled the Jets’ playoff chances, simply because those chances are slim to none. But it certainly didn’t help.
And it might just change the team’s attitude as the trade deadline approaches less than two weeks after the Olympics end. The domino effect of a Morrissey injury could have a long-lasting effect, even well after he returns from injury.
It’s a heavy price to pay to be in the Olympics, but the players insisted — no, demanded — it be part of the collective bargaining agreement. In theory, we all understand their desires. In practice, potential injuries like Morrissey’s are a steep price to pay.
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