Congrats to alternate captain @katbt617, head coach @TroyRyanHockey, assistant coach @KoriCheverie, and athletic therapist Danielle McNally who represented our province so proudly on the Olympic stage.
Millions of Canadians tuned in coast-to-coast, in what is sure to be one of the most watched hockey games in history.
One of them at ‘Big Leagues’ in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, just minutes from where Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon grew up playing.
Cole Harbour MLA Leah Martin was also in attendance, and said it was a celebration.
“We are so excited to be here, with our whole community coming out to celebrate. We could not be more proud to be from Cole Harbour. We’re gritty, tough and resilient,” said Martin during the game.
Big Leagues in Cole Harbour during the gold medal game between Canada and the U.S. (Caitlin Snow photo)
The flag bearers for the Milano Cortina 2026 closing ceremonies have been chosen for Team Canada.
The Canadian Olympic Committee has named Olympic champions Steven Dubois and Valérie Maltais.
Milano Cortina 2026 is the second Olympic appearance for Dubois and the fifth for Maltais. Dubois won short track speed skating gold in the men’s 500m and silver in the mixed team relay. Maltais won three medals in long track speed skating – gold in the women’s team pursuit and bronze medals in the women’s 1500m and 3000m races.
For Dubois, the Olympic title won in the men’s 500m at Milano Cortina came after a difficult start to the season, suffering a hip injury and returning to training just weeks before the opening stop of the ISU World Tour in Montreal. The perseverance and determination that Dubois displayed throughout the season and throughout the Games were rewarded with two medals at Milano Cortina, making him a five-time Olympic medallist.
“I came into these Games and really wanted to enjoy the experience and bathe in the Olympic spirit. There is no better way to enjoy and experience this than being the flag bearer for your country. This is a bonus, and it means a lot; it’s the cherry on top to represent every Canadian athlete who has worked so hard to get here,” stated Dubois.
Maltais’ bronze in the women’s 3000m was Team Canada’s first medal won at Milano Cortina 2026. Her success continued with gold in the women’s team pursuit and bronze in the 1500m, her first medal at that distance. Maltais is now a five-time Olympic medallist, with medals in both long track and short track speed skating.
She is one of only three five-time Olympians on the Canadian Olympic Team for Milano Cortina 2026.
“I’m really proud, and I’m accepting this role really humbly because I know there are so many great athletes on this team. I think my Games were more than what I expected, and I celebrated every medal, every moment. I feel that I did this with all of Canada, the crowds and my family who were in the stands,” Maltais expressed.
The President of the Canadian Olympic Committee and also a four-time Olympian, Tricia Smith, said this will be a celebration of the unique and amazing journeys of all of the athletes.
“Steven and Valérie have been shining stars at these Games, both on and off the ice. Not only through their electrifying gold medal-winning races, but also their resilience and positivity throughout the Games,” Smith added.
Canada’s got two more short-track speed skating medals.
Steven Dubois won gold in the men’s 500 metre event at the Winter Olympics in Milan.
The women’s short-track relay team of Moncton, New Brunswick’s Courtney Sarault, along with Kim Boutin, Danae Blais and Florence Brunelle took third in the 3000 metres.
It’s Sarault’s fourth medal of the games, the most ever at a single Olympics for a short track speedskater.
Canada now has 14 medals in Milan, four gold, four silver and six bronze.
TEAM CANADA ON THE PODIUM 🤩 Women’s 3000m Short Track Relay claims 🥉 at Milano Cortina 2026! 🇨🇦✨ https://t.co/04a4TDI71e
Canada’s Meg Oldham has taken us to our second gold medal of the Olympic games in Milan.
She stood at the top of the podium on Monday for women’s big air ski.
She landed in second place after her first run with 91.75 points and pushed into the lead after her second got her 89 points. No one could touch her 180.75 total, so by the third run, it was a victory lap, according to the Team Canada Olympic page.
Oldham also won bronze in slopestyle skiing earlier in the games.
Speed skating
And Courtney Sarault has done it again, too.
The Moncton, N.B., speed skater took the silver medal in the 1000 metre short track speed skating competition Monday morning.
She also placed second in the mixed relay and bronze in women’s 500 metre, and becomes Canada’s first tiple medallist of the games, according to the Team Canada website.
Team Canada’s Courtney Sarault celebrates after winning a bronze medal in 500m finals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter competes in SPORT at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy on Thursday, February 12, 2026. Photo by Leah Hennel/COC
Overall, Canada has 10 medals now. That is one gold, four silver, and five bronze.
We have one more shot at a medal Monday in figure skating.
Canada has earned their first gold medal of the 2026 Olympic games, courtesy of Mikaël Kingsbury in the men’s dual moguls.
In Milan on Sunday, Kingsbury beat one of his longtime rivals, Ikuma Horishima of Japan, in the final battle for the gold medal, according to the Team Canada Olympic website.
Kingsbury, hailing from Quebec, also has a silver medal in men’s moguls from Milan.
He has been a major force in the event for years, winning silver in Beijing in 2022, Gold in PyeongChang in 2018, and silver at the 2014 Sochi games.
Our new total is nine medals, with the one gold, three silver, and five bronze.
There are lots of medal chances Sunday with ski jumping, speed skating, skeleton, biathlon, snowboarding, and alpine skiing.
Team Canada has added another to their Olympic total.
Laurent Dubreuil took home the bronze medal in the men’s 500 metre speed skating competition.
That brings our medal total to eight so far, with three silver, and five bronze.
In the same bout, Canada’s Anders Johnson placed 16th and Cedrick Brunet came 23rd.
Dubreuil, from Quebec, broke the Olympic record with 34.26 seconds, before the silver medalist, Jenning de Boo from the Netherlands, clocked 33.88 seconds. And the American, Jordan Stolz, also beat that time for the gold medal, setting another Olympic record of 33.77 seconds, according to Team Canada’s Olympic web page.
Across the country, Canadians are still waiting for that first gold on the podium.
We have more chances to medal coming up Saturday, with the women’s skeleton, men’s large hill ski jumping, and men’s 1500 metre short track.
Rikki Doak learned to skate when she was just five years old.
At 27, the Fredericton, New Brunswick native is at the Winter Olympics in Milan, where she’ll compete as a short track speed skater in the 3000 metre women’s relay. It’s her first time qualifying for the Olympic Games.
“I remember when I was five, I was watching the Olympics in my basement on my TV. And I thought, that doesn’t even seem possible in my mind at that age. And then as I got older, I started to train harder. I think maybe like six years ago is kind of when it started to hit me that this was actually possible, and if I worked hard enough, it could become reality,” Doak told our newsroom.
Four-year training plan
She said her coach created a four-year plan, “You just kind of have to trust the process. Two years ago, I might not have been feeling my best, but it’s all a plan to be here at our strongest. So it really started four years ago, when I put all my trust into my coaches and did what they wanted me to do.”
She added that she has been training really hard, but the past four years have been specific to the Olympic Games.
“I like to go fast. I like going into the corner, super leaned and feeling like I’m into the ice with my blades and having the power in my legs to take all the speed I can. So I think going fast, as fast as I can. Of course, winning is always fun. I like winning as a team, like in the relay. I find that more exciting and fun than winning individually in a medal, that really keeps me motivated.” Rikki Doak
Doak will compete on February 14, as a member of the 3000 metre women’s short track relay team, but she says whether she wins a medal or not, just going to the Olympics, is a goal completed.
“Just experiencing this whole month here, that’s what I wanted when I was a kid. So I think just coming here is already a check off my bucket list. Winning obviously would just be a little cherry on top of everything,” Doak said.
An inspiration to other speed skaters
Doak isn’t the only speed skater from New Brunswick. Courtney Sarault, who is from Moncton, has already won two medals in Milan, a bronze and a silver. Doak says they each received a gift of a New Brunswick flag, with signatures from their fellow speed skaters.
Working her way to the Olympics, she is now looked up to by younger speed skaters who aspire to be just like Doak and Sarault. “It’s possible. You’re small, you’re young, and have fun, but also once you see that you’re able to do it, put in all the work, do everything you can, and hard work pays off,” Doak encouraged.
Canada has won their fourth medal of the Winter Olympics.
Figure skaters Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier took bronze in the mixed ice dance competition on Wednesday in Milan.
It’s the first ice dance medal for Canada since Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir in 2018.
That gives the country one silver and three bronze medals.
Canada ranks 13th overall in medal standings.
🥉 FOR PIPER AND PAUL! After two incredible performances in ice dance, they earn their place on the podium at Milano Cortina 2026! 👏✨ https://t.co/NiBBrzJEfY
A Saint John boxer is adjusting her season plans after being selected for a Youth Olympic Qualifier in Thailand.
Seventeen‑year‑old Suri Pafford earned the spot after a week‑long assessment camp in Montreal, where athletes were evaluated through sparring, training sessions and seminars.
She said it was an honour to be chosen for the 60‑kilogram category and described the camp as an intense week that helped her learn at a level she hopes to reach in her career.
Athletes take part in a national training camp in Montreal. Image: Submitted by Suri Pafford
Balancing a difficult decision
Pafford said she learned after the camp that the Thailand qualifier is scheduled just three days before the Canadian Nationals in Calgary.
The 14‑hour time difference and travel demands would leave her with only one day to recover before competing again, which she felt would not be safe in a sport as physical as boxing.
She added that the qualifier also does not guarantee a Youth Olympic spot, as countries may only receive a limited number of entries.
“The Youth Olympic qualifier doesn’t secure a spot on Team Canada,” she said.
“Nationals gives me a seat on Team Canada, and the world championships are this year. I feel like I’m not giving anything up — I’m just aiming higher.”
Pafford said her long‑term goal is to compete at the 2032 Olympics, which also influenced her decision.
She explained that choosing Nationals and the world championships offers a clearer development path toward that goal.
She discussed the decision with her coaches, Joe and Ed Blanchard, along with her family, and now feels confident in her choice.
Suri Pafford with her coach, Joe Blanchard. Image: Submitted by Suri Pafford
Growth inside and outside the ring
Pafford began boxing at eight and has now competed in 23 matches, including international bouts in Ireland.
Her mother, Krista Beshara, said she has watched her daughter grow through each stage of the sport.
Beshara said she has seen major changes in Pafford’s confidence and independence, especially during recent trips where she travelled and trained without family.
“Where she is now at the boxing level compared to even this time last year, she’s grown a lot,” Beshara said.
“But the biggest growth I see is almost outside of the ring.”
Pafford said those experiences helped her prepare mentally for high‑level competition, describing mental toughness as a key part of the sport.
Pafford will compete at Nationals in Calgary in March, with hopes of advancing to the world championships later this year.
She will also headline the Saint John Golden Gloves card on April 25 at the Lord Beaverbrook Rink, where boxers from the United States, Ireland and across Canada are expected to compete.
