(VIDEO) Canada Rallies Past Czechia 4-3 in Overtime Thriller to Advance to Men’s Hockey Semifinals

Mitch Marner scored the overtime winner 1:22 into the 3-on-3 extra period, lifting top-seeded Canada to a dramatic 4-3 comeback victory over Czechia in the men’s ice hockey quarterfinals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Wednesday, avoiding a stunning early exit and advancing to Friday’s semifinals.

Trailing 3-2 with under four minutes left in regulation, Nick Suzuki tied the game at 3-3 with 3:27 remaining on a deflection off a Devon Toews shot. Marner’s backhander in sudden-death sealed the win after Canada overcame an early deficit and the loss of captain Sidney Crosby to injury.

Macklin Celebrini opened the scoring for Canada in the first period, but Czechia responded with goals from Lukas Sedlak and David Pastrnak to take a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Nathan MacKinnon tied it on the power play in the second at 12:16, assisted by Connor McDavid, who extended his Olympic points record to 11 with two helpers in the game.

Ondrej Palat put Czechia back ahead 3-2 in the third with a hash-mark strike off a Martin Necas pass, but Canada’s relentless pressure — outshooting Czechia 41-24 overall — forced overtime. Goaltender Jordan Binnington earned the win with key saves, including during a tense third-period push.

The victory avenged a closer-than-expected rematch after Canada’s dominant 5-0 group-stage win over Czechia on Feb. 12. Czechia, which scraped into the quarters with a qualification-round win over Denmark, pushed the tournament favorites to the brink with strong goaltending from Lukas Dostal and physical play.

Crosby left early after a hit from Radko Gudas, limping off and not returning — a concern for Canada as it prepares for the semifinals against the lowest remaining seed. McDavid’s performance continued his dominance, tying the NHL-era Olympic points record in a single Games.

Canada improves to 4-0-0-0, while Czechia ends its campaign at 1-1-1 in the knockout stage. The Canadians dominated possession but faced resilient defending from Czechia, which blocked shots and countered effectively.

The quarterfinals wrapped with Finland vs. Switzerland (12:10 p.m. ET) and U.S. vs. Sweden (3:10 p.m. ET) following Slovakia’s earlier 6-2 win over Germany. Semifinals are set for Friday, Feb. 20, with the gold-medal game Sunday, Feb. 22.

Canada’s path to a potential 10th Olympic men’s hockey gold remains on track despite the scare. Coach Jon Cooper praised the team’s resilience: “We showed character when it mattered most.” Marner, celebrating his OT heroics, called it “a battle we needed to win.”
The win keeps the star-studded Canadian roster — featuring McDavid, MacKinnon, Suzuki, Celebrini and others — alive in pursuit of gold, with the semifinals promising another high-stakes clash.