\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
![\"Petr](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3978925_web1_CP175781176.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
Petr David Josek \/ The Associated Press<\/p>\n
Winnipegs Mark Stone (right) scored his first Olympic goal, the second on the night for Canada, and Jordan Binnington (left) recorded his first Olympic shutout in Canada\u2019s 5-0 win over Czechia Thursday in Milan.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel for Josh. Hopefully he\u2019s OK,\u201d said his blue-line partner, Colton Parayko.<\/p>\n
Canadian head coach Jon Cooper didn\u2019t have an immediate update following the game, saying he had not yet spoken with Morrissey or team doctors.<\/p>\n
This must feel painfully familiar to Morrissey, who was a member of last year\u2019s 4 Nations Face-Off team but ultimately missed the gold medal final \u2014 which his team won 3-2 in overtime over the United States \u2014 due to severe illness.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t see what happened, I just hope he\u2019s all right,\u201d said Canadian captain Sidney Crosby. \u201cObviously, given (the 4 Nations), that\u2019s difficult. We all want to be out there on the ice, with him it\u2019s the same thing. Just hoping he\u2019s all right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morrissey spoke about that heartache on Wednesday with the Free Press, saying he was looking forward to this golden opportunity at his first-ever Olympics. Approximately 20 family members and friends came to Italy to cheer him on.<\/p>\n
Now, his status is very much up in the air after playing just 13 shifts for 7:10 of ice time. Canada returns to action on Friday against Switzerland (2:10 p.m. CT), then closes out pool play on Sunday against France (9:40 a.m. CT). Puck drops on the quarterfinal round Feb. 18.<\/p>\n
Morrissey\u2019s injury was the only dark cloud on an otherwise terrific day which began with a bang \u2014 literally \u2014 as Connor McDavid threw a huge bodycheck on his first shift, flatting one of his opponents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen guys pull their country\u2019s jersey on, it\u2019s a bolt of energy that goes through you,\u201d said McDavid. \u201cSo just trying to contribute any way I can. And we want to be a hard forechecking team, and it\u2019s my chance to contribute to that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canada took it to Czechia early and often, with 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini opening the scoring in the waning seconds of the first period, tipping a perfect Cale Makar shot past goaltender Lukas Dostal.<\/p>\n
\u201cNerves, excitement, all of the above,\u201d Celebrini said of his Olympic debut. \u201cMy heart was racing, I wanted to kind of get out on the ice and start playing. This is kind of what we\u2019ve been waiting for ever since the team was selected, so it was good to get out there and start the process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Winnipeg\u2019s Mark Stone made it 2-0 early in the second period, followed by a Bo Horvat breakaway beauty later in the middle frame. A tick-tack-toe power-play goal featuring Canada\u2019s three biggest stars \u2014 Crosby to McDavid to Nathan MacKinnon \u2014 early in the third really put this one to bed. Nick Suzuki closed out the scoring.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo of the best players ever to play passing it to me is cool, you know?\u201d said MacKinnon. \u201cI didn\u2019t do much for that one. Just blessed to be on the back side. Anyone would have put that in.\u201d<\/p>\n
McDavid led the way with three assists, while Crosby and defenceman Thomas Harley each had two helpers.<\/p>\n
\u201cA pretty wild environment. Very, very cool to be a part of,\u201d said McDavid of the NHL\u2019s long-awaited return to the Olympics, which included plenty of dueling chants between Canadian and Czechia fans.<\/p>\n
Goaltender Jordan Binnington, the 4 Nations hero, at least temporarily silenced critics of his selection to the Olympic team by stopping all 26 shots he faced.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a big-moment guy. That\u2019s the best compliment,\u201d said McDavid. \u201cHe\u2019s been in the big moments and really flourished and succeeded. No different tonight. We had all the confidence in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
A pair of Manitobans were the two healthy scratches for Canada: forward Seth Jarvis and defenceman Travis Sanheim, who would draw in for Morrissey.<\/p>\n
Hellebuyck backstops Team USA to first win<\/p>\n
Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck arrived in Italy this past weekend not knowing where he stood on the depth chart. But the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner answered the call on Thursday night, stopping 17 of 18 shots he faced to pace his star-studded team to a 5-1 victory over Latvia.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was awesome,\u201d he said. \u201cI was going to be ready no matter what, if my name was called or not. I think the guys played great in front of me. Just to be part of this team is fun, it\u2019s really fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jets teammate Kyle Connor had a quiet night, registering no shots on goal in 11:20 of ice time. <\/p>\n
Hellebuyck, who is a creature of habit, said he was battling some butterflies before the puck dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, a little bit. There\u2019s a lot going on, it\u2019s not your every day NHL life over here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just try to adjust to essentially dorm life, late games, time zone. So yeah, there\u2019s a lot going on, but that\u2019s what\u2019s exciting about it. It\u2019s a new challenge and a new way to adapt, and that\u2019s what I love the most.\u201d<\/p>\n
Niederreiter\u2019s Swiss team blanks France<\/p>\n
This felt like a home game for Jets forward Nino Niederreiter. There was no shortage of Swiss support on hand as a team many puck pundits think could be a dark horse medal contender made relatively easy work of an overmatched French club.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe atmosphere was so fantastic. There were so many Swiss fans coming down from Switzerland to watch us play,\u201d said Switzerland\u2019s opening-ceremony flagbearer Niederreiter.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s kind of what it\u2019s like for us (in Europe). Which is great. We love our fans from Switzerland coming down here and supporting us. It\u2019s a great feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leonardo Genoni, a 38-year-old who has spent his whole career playing pro in Switzerland, stopped all 27 shots he faced for the 4-0 shutout.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n
\t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \u201cIt\u2019s great to start off the tournament with a win, that\u2019s what we came here to do,\u2019\u2019 said Niederreiter.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish we could have played 60 minutes the way we started off the first 10, it\u2019s human nature you let it up a little bit. But at same time, we got the job done and that\u2019s all that matters.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Now, a much stiffer test with Canada up next.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously a big team coming up,\u201d said Niederreiter. \u201cWe\u2019re going to try our best to poke the bear a little bit and see if we can go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/mikemcintyre<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Mike McIntyre Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Reporter
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n