Through three games of the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s ice hockey tournament, Canada has not had much reason to worry.
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With a 10-2 win over an overmatched France team on Sunday, the Canadians are a perfect 3-0-0-0, and likely headed to a No. 1 seed in the knockout round thanks to a plus-17 goal differential.
Canada had nine goal scorers in this game: Tom Wilson, Devon Toews, Mark Stone, Cale Makar, Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Bo Horvat, Brandon Hagel, and two for 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini, whose meteoric rise continues.
Here’s what we learned in this final preliminary-round game for Canada, including the biggest takeaways, an overall team grade, the top player of the contest, and a big question ahead of the next matchup.
Takeaway 1: Connor McDavid is a bad man
The Canadians’ top-line center was a threat all over the ice against France, collecting two assists early in the game to give him a tournament-leading eight points. That number tied Jonathan Toews for the most points ever in a single Olympics — and McDavid did it in just three games.
He wasn’t done at that point, either. We all anticipated that McDavid would be driving Canada’s offense, but he’s surpassing even the loftiest expectations set upon his shoulders. McDavid was creating one odd-man rush chance after another for Canada on Sunday, repeatedly getting loose behind France’s defense and pressuring goaltender Julian Junca.
The Edmonton Oilers’ captain could have scored multiple times, but it wasn’t until early in the third when McDavid hit the twine to reach nine points in nine periods (two goals, seven assists and 13 shots on goal) to pass Toews and take sole possession the Olympic record.
There are few superlatives left to describe the type of player McDavid is, but he’s treating each matchup like it’s Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final, and he’s determined to win them all.
Takeaway 2: Jordan Binnington came back down to earth
Canada’s goaltender rightly earned his accolades for a superb shutout performance against Czechia to start the tournament. Binnington was less impressive versus France.
He gave up his first goal of the Olympics just seconds after Canada took a first-period lead — and it was an ugly rebound by Binnington right into the slot that allowed Florian Duray to answer Tom Wilson’s opening salvo.
Canada and France combine for THREE goals in one minute in a wild start at Milano Santagiulia Arena. 👀 pic.twitter.com/zwerijrLSj
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 15, 2026
Granted, it was difficult from there for Binnington to get in a groove, given Canada’s overall dominance and France’s lack of offensive zone time. But when Binnington was called upon, he didn’t show much confidence.
Right after McDavid extended Canada’s lead to 7-1 in the final frame, Binnington once again allowed a quick response goal — this one from Sacha Treille — that fluttered under the goaltender’s arm. That gave the French two goals on just eight shots. It was a tough look for Binnington, especially considering Canada’s sensational efforts in front of him.
So which performance is from the real Binnington? Perhaps only he knows for certain.
Takeaway 3: Canada can do it all
It’s easy to point at Canada’s opponent on Sunday and say the wildly lopsided outcome was predictable. But it’s not just the final score. It’s how the Canadians did it.
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Canada got contributions from forwards and defensemen, at 5-on-5 and short-handed and even on a penalty shot from Celebrini, who continues to impress in his Olympic debut.
Even the presence of Wilson, who completed the Olympic Gordie Howe hat trick after picking a fight when France’s Pierre Crinon delivered a high hit to Nathan MacKinnon late in the game, showed the many facets of Canada’s roster.
And yet there’s still room for improvement. MacKinnon — who was playing on a line with McDavid and Celebrini against Switzerland — hasn’t had the same chemistry with Nick Suzuki on his wing, which could encourage coach Jon Cooper to move Suzuki down the lineup and put Brad Marchand on the second line alongside MacKinnon. Not that Canada has had many issues putting pucks in the net during this tournament, but it’ll want to be finely tuned for the quarters.
Player of the game: Mark Stone, LW
We really don’t appreciate Stone enough. True, the veteran forward will never be the speediest skater. But he has been terrific in just about every aspect throughout Canada’s Olympic run so far, and he was especially good in Sunday’s win over France.
It’s not just that Stone can produce a momentum-swinging moment like he did when scoring short-handed with seconds left in the first period to give Canada a 3-1 lead. It’s all the little parts of Stone’s game that make him special. He’s so smart with the puck, puts himself in the right spots to be an effective linemate, and his instincts are second to none (the setup on Crosby’s goal late in the second was a great example).
Stone is like a chameleon in the way he can slide into whatever role Canada needs him to play and make it look easy. He’s the ultimate teammate and deserves a share of the spotlight Canada’s superstars have been hoarding.
Big question for the next round: Who will Canada start in net?
It seemed like Binnington would be the Canadians’ No. 1 option between the pipes after his shutout of Czechia to open the tournament.
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But Logan Thompson was stellar as well against a tough Swiss squad, and Binnington’s shakier performance on Sunday calls into question who Cooper can trust when the knockout stage begins.
Cooper has been a staunch advocate for Binnington despite the netminder’s struggles in St. Louis this season, and it was Binnington who led Canada to gold at last February’s 4 Nations Face-Off.
But Cooper can’t afford to be too sentimental in his decision making. This is a different challenge; the stakes are higher. Given Canada doesn’t even know its next opponent just yet, there’s no reason for Cooper to reveal a decision about his starter at this point. But it’s a more difficult decision than it was prior to Sunday’s game, when it looked like Binnington or bust. Thompson might be the better option.
Overall team grade: A
The goals allowed by Binnington notwithstanding, this was a demolition by the Canadians that should secure them top seeding for the knockout stage with a plus-17 goal differential.
They have proved through three games to be exactly as advertised: Canada is fast and flashy, a scoring powerhouse but with elite defensive habits. And it has an unmatched depth of talent at its fingertips.
There’s almost too much to talk about in terms of how the Canadians can expose the opposition. There will be tougher battles ahead than the one that played out on Sunday, but Canada can execute a high-level team game against any opponent.
