MILAN (AP) — Hockey Canada had a lot of big decisions to make when choosing a roster and forming a lineup for the Olympics. Some of those were more hotly debated than others.
Canada has a long way to go, but the tournament favorite's 5-0 opening victory against Czechia on Thursday showed why management and the coaching staff went in some of the directions they did.
Goaltender Jordan Binnington stopped all 26 shots he faced, 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini scored while playing on Connor McDavid's left wing on the top line, and bubble pick Bo Horvat also had a goal.
“Happy that we had different guys contribute,” captain Sidney Crosby said. “Binner played really well for us. We want to continue to get better in front of him, but he made some great saves. For Mack to score that first one there, first Olympics and that sort of thing, it was huge to get us going, and then that was a big goal from Bo.”
Binnington was in net when Canada won the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago. Even after struggling this season with the St. Louis Blues, it was never in doubt that Binnington was coach Jon Cooper's guy for the first game — for quite some time.
“Well, probably 358 days ago,” Cooper said. “Listen, in the end, you have to perform. This isn’t a loyalty thing ... but I have the utmost confidence in that kid. He’s proven it. Even when he’s had little stumbles, when pushes come to shove the kid’s been there for us.”
It's been decades since Crosby was known as “Sid the Kid” — he's now Canada's oldest player at 38 and Celebrini is the youngest. Bringing someone of his age was a risk, but being in the MVP conversation in the NHL with more than double the points of his next-closest San Jose Sharks teammate got him on the team ahead of more experienced players.
General manager Doug Armstrong told Celebrini he was on the radar since the fall of 2024, a few months after getting taken with the first pick in the draft. Celebrini then had Canada's first goal in Milan, tipping in a shot from two-time Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar.
“My heart was racing,” Celebrini said. “I wanted to get out on the ice and start playing.”
Horvat had dreamed of playing in the Olympics since he was a kid. He didn't seem close to making the 4 Nations roster, and then a high-scoring start to this season with the New York Islanders made him a prime candidate.
Canada arguably has more playmakers than pure goal-scorers, and Horvat delivered in the opener by getting in all alone and beating Lukas Dostal. One of the thoughts darting through his head was disbelief about scoring a goal in the Olympics.
“Pretty special moment,” Horvat said. “I feel fortunate to be here. And to be playing and to get this opportunity. Just trying to make the most of it all.”
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Canada's Macklin Celebrini celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Czech Republic and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Czechia's Martin Necas, right, takes a shot at Canada's goalkeeper Jordan Binnington during a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Czech Republic and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Canada's Bo Horvat shoots and scores his team's third goal past Czech Republic's Lukas Dostal, during a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Czech Republic and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)
LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Chloe Kim fell short in her bid to become the first Olympic snowboarder to win three consecutive gold medals, finishing second to Choi Gaon of South Korea in the women's halfpipe on Thursday.
Choi dethroned the two-time defending champion after she bounced back from an ugly crash that had silenced the crowd. The 17-year-old drew another gasp when she jumped into the lead with a score of 90.25 on her final run.
Kim had one more shot to get back on top, but the 25-year-old American wiped out on her final run and settled for silver. Japan’s Mitsuki Ono claimed bronze.
Kim, whose parents emigrated to the U.S. from South Korea, had encouraged Choi throughout her young career. Now she has handed over the Olympic title to the teenager she inspired.
“It’s all about passing the torch, so there’s no one else I would have rather stood next to on the podium than her,” Kim said. “I’m so proud of her and I’m so excited to see what she does next.”
Choi's chances in the final looked to be in jeopardy when she slammed into the incline of the halfpipe and slid to the middle of the course, where she remained for several minutes. After being attended to by medical staff, she rode off the course unassisted.
“After I took my first half I thought, ‘Do I need to give up?’” Choi said. “I cried, clenched my teeth, and started walking and felt the energy came back into my legs. I thought I can keep trying and I could get back into these Games.”
It wasn't clear that she would even come back for her second run, but she did and got it down. Then came her turn down the halfpipe that was good for gold.
“This feels surreal. I can’t believe my first Olympic medal is gold,” Choi said.
Choi became the youngest X Games winner in 2023 at age 14. Now the first-time Olympian is first non-American woman to win gold in snowboarding’s premier event since Torah Bright of Australia in 2010. Kaitlyn Farrington won for the U.S. in 2014 at the Sochi Olympics, and Kim triumphed in Pyeongchang and Beijing.
Kim injured her shoulder four weeks ago, disrupting her lead-in to the Games. She competed wearing a brace, which didn’t stop her from dominating the field in qualifying.
But after Thursday's final, the California native said she would need surgery on her shoulder — and that winning an Olympic medal of any color was a victory given that she was riding hurt.
“I think that there was a lot of conversation happening about the three-peat,” she said. “I was thinking about it before, but I think the minute I injured myself I was like, that doesn’t matter anymore. So this feels like a win to me because a month ago it didn’t seem too possible.”
Another gold-medal celebration had looked likely after Kim scored 88 points on her first run, while Choi and most of the other finalists wiped out.
But Kim couldn’t stay upright on either of her remaining runs, and her score from the first wasn’t good enough.
Kim is not alone in letting the milestone of golds in three consecutive Winter Olympics slip away at these Games. Czech Ester Ledecka fell short in Alpine snowboarding’s parallel giant slalom, as did Austria’s Anna Gasser in big air. Both were also two-time defending champions.
American snowboarding great Shaun White won three gold medals on the halfpipe, but not consecutively. He won in 2006, 2010 and 2018. He finished fourth in 2014.
White was in the crowd Thursday and cringed after Kim fell on her final run. Kim's boyfriend, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, was also in her cheering section, along with Snoop Dogg. Like many in the crowd, they had gathered to watch one of the biggest names in snowboarding go for Olympic history.
Instead, they watched Choi wipe away tears as she held up her medal, one step up on the podium from the rider who has been her idol.
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
From left, silver medalist United States' Chloe Kim, gold medalist South Korea's Choi Ga-on and bronze medalist Japan's Mitsuki Ono celebrate after the women's snowboarding halfpipe finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
South Korea's Choi Ga-on competes during the women's snowboarding halfpipe finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Gold medalist South Korea's Choi Ga-on reacts after winning the women's snowboarding halfpipe finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Silver medalist United States' Chloe Kim, left, claps as gold medalist South Korea's Choi Ga-on celebrates winning the the women's snowboarding halfpipe finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
United States' Chloe Kim reacts after her second run during the women's snowboarding halfpipe finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
United States' Chloe Kim competes during the women's snowboarding halfpipe finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett and United States' Chloe Kim kiss after Kim won the silver medal in the women's snowboarding halfpipe finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
South Korea's Choi Ga-on celebrates with team members after her run during the women's snowboarding halfpipe finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
United States' Chloe Kim waits for her score during the women's snowboarding halfpipe finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
United States' Chloe Kim crashes during the women's snowboarding halfpipe finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
South Korea's Choi Ga-on reacts to her run during the women's snowboarding halfpipe finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
