Every contender at the 2026 Winter Olympic men’s hockey tournament is going to have superstars.

The Canadian team will be loaded with a who’s who of NHL game-breakers, but so will the teams representing Sweden, the United States, Czechia and Finland. Talent alone won’t be enough to get anyone on the podium.

If you’re looking for an X factor, though, Canada thinks it’s got one.

“We talked yesterday about if there’s any advantage anymore for Canadians and our Canadian team and there is. There is one, and it’s Sidney Crosby,” said Scott Salmond, senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations for Hockey Canada. “When you look at our biggest competition, I don’t think anyone else has that. It can’t be overstated.”

This week in Calgary, Hockey Canada has brought together pla

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