Don’t blink, you may be seeing the golden era of Nova Scotian Olympic hockey
This isn’t normal, don’t take it for granted
Four Nova Scotian hockey players are playing best-on-best hockey at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina.
They aren’t just filling in on the fourth line either. Blayre Turnbull, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Marchand are integral pieces to the Canadian national teams.
Turnbull, born in Stellarton, N.S., is competing in her third Olympics, serving as an assistant captain in 2022 and 2026. While she has recorded just one goal and an assist at this year’s Games, she is still one of Canada’s most trusted centres.
Crosby, from Cole Harbour, N.S., is, of course, wearing the C for Canada, and brings his winning experience as one of two returning players from Canada’s 2014 gold medal-winning team — the last time NHL players were at the Olympics. Crosby broke Canada’s all-time points record for Olympic Games featuring NHLers after scoring two points against France on Feb. 15.
Despite battling injuries, Cole Harbour’s MacKinnon racked up seven points in six games. He fits in nicely on Canada’s nuclear line option of himself, Connor McDavid and young gun Macklin Celebrini. “Nate Dog” had his moment when he scored the game-winner against Finland with 35 seconds left in the third period to send Canada to the gold-medal game.
Marchand, from Hammonds Plains, N.S., missed two preliminary games but returned for the quarterfinal against the Czech Republic. He injects his typical tenacity into Team Canada, along with experience that includes winning two Stanley Cups, World Cup of Hockey gold and a 4 Nations Face-Off championship.
The cherry on top for Nova Scotian hockey is that the Canadian women’s hockey team head coach is former Dalhousie University coach Troy Ryan, assisted by New Glasgow, N.S. native Kori Cheverie.
Golden era of hockey Olympians
Nova Scotia has seen an unprecedented run for women’s hockey representation since 2018.
Halifax native Jill Saulnier represented Nova Scotia at the 2018 and 2022 Olympics, alongside Turnbull. Before them, no other women had represented Nova Scotia in women’s hockey at the Olympic Games.
For the men, the sample size is larger. The Olympics introduced women’s hockey at the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, but men have been playing since 1920. Before Crosby scored the golden goal in Vancouver in 2010, Nova Scotian representation in Olympic men’s hockey was relatively sparse.
Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Al MacInnis suited up for two Olympics, in 1998 and 2002, bringing home a gold medal in Salt Lake City. He is one of the greatest Nova Scotian men’s hockey players ever, scoring over 1,250 points as a defenseman across his NHL career.
He was also awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1989 as the NHL playoffs’ most valuable player during the Calgary Flames Stanley Cup run. However, he was the lone Nova Scotian on those two Canadian Olympic teams, as was Crosby in 2010 and 2014.
Beyond 1998, Fabian Joseph suited up in 1994 for Canada, totalling two assists in eight games. But an asterisk has to go next to that, as NHLers weren’t at those games.
The 2026 Olympic Winter Games are a unique experience for Nova Scotians. We’re in a transition from the older generation of Nova Scotian greats like Crosby, Marchand and Turnbull — who may be playing in their last Olympic Games — while MacKinnon will likely be on Olympic teams to come.
These Olympic Games were Nova Scotia hockey history in the making.
