Marner, Binnington coming up big for Canada at Olympics: Brodeur

NHL players are competing at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, the first time they've been on this global stage for a best-on-best competition in 12 years. In order to provide an inside look at the Games experience, NHL.com has enlisted former Olympic players, coaches and those around the game to provide insight. Today: two-time Canadian gold medal-winning goalie Martin Brodeur, now an executive with the New Jersey Devils.

Sheldon Keefe called it.

I was watching the Team Canada-Team Czechia quarterfinal game with the Devils coaches on Wednesday, and it was nerve-wracking, especially when it went to overtime with the score tied 3-3.

Early in overtime, Sheldon, the Devils coach, spoke up when he saw Macklin Celebrini make a drop pass to Mitch Marner.

"Watch this," he told us. "Mitch is going to skate through all those guys and score the winning goal."

Moments later, that's exactly what happened. And yes, there was some cheering from those Canadians in the group.

Remember, Sheldon knows Mitch. He coached him with the Toronto Maple Leafs. I know Mitch got some criticism there for how he played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Well, Mitch wouldn't be the first guy that it takes time to get going in the postseason.

That doesn't, nor should it, take away from the special moments he's had for Canada. He scored the overtime winner against Team Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off last year. He set up Connor McDavid for the overtime tournament winner in the championship game against Team USA. And now this.

I obviously don't know Mitch as well as Sheldon does, but what I see, from a goalie's perspective, is how patient he is with the puck. And he's so deceiving. You didn't know if he would try to skate through those three defenders or drop the puck to a teammate. And you could tell those Team Czechia players had no idea how to defend him.

Still, even after that, you have to finish. And to score on a backhand like that, well, the backhand is the most difficult shot to stop for a goalie. You don't know where it's going. That one went into the back of the net.

Marner's goal was part of the best day of hockey I can remember. Three of the four quarterfinals went to overtime. Amazing theatre.

And yes, I was nervous watching Canada. Far more than when I ever played, even during the Olympics or a Stanley Cup Final. When you are in the crease, you can affect the outcome. When you are watching, well, there's nothing you can do. And that very much is a helpless feeling.

You know who did affect the outcome for Canada?

Jordan Binnington.

Let's take time to give him the accolades he deserves.

As a fellow goalie, I can't say enough about how this guy comes through at money timea.

History shows us he rises to the occasion in the biggest moments. In 2019, he helped St. Louis win Game 7 of the Cup Final against the Bruins in Boston, a tough place to play. Last year, he made a number of huge saves in overtime in the 4 Nations final that that set the stage for McDavid to score the winner in a 3-2 victory against Team USA. And look at the saves he made against Team Czechia Wednesday, both in the third period and overtime.

Team Canada does not win that game without those stops.

People get far too wrapped up in how things have gone for him this season in those 56 games or so the Blues have played. Yes, it hasn't been ideal for either. The season hasn't gone his way.

But I've always had a lot of confidence in him because the environment when playing for Canada is so different. He's playing with the top players in the world, and when everything is structured in front of him, he's able to be himself and make the save that he wants to and challenge the guys that he needs to.

People are quick to judge his play in the NHL. But he's won in big moments for Team Canada. And I personally know how much their management values that. He's come through for them. And because of that, I knew they were going to give him a shot to start the tournament and go the whole way from there because they trust him. It's a trust he's earned.

Of course, now comes the hardest test yet: the semifinal game against Team Finland on Friday (10:40 a.m. ET; Peacock, USA [JIP], ICI Tele, CBC Gem, CBC, SN [JIP], RDS2).

It's going to be a grind. Team Finland is a tough, tough team to play against. They'll try to slow Canada down by being physical. You just have to be patient.

I remember in 2002, when we were on the way to winning Canada's first Olympic gold medal in 50 years, we grinded our way to a 2-1 win against Team Finland in the quarterfinals. It wasn't an easy game, but we stuck with it.

It's a recipe Canada needs to follow Friday.

And I'll have some nerves watching them, yes.

Again.