Nova Scotia fans can't wait to watch province products on ice for Canada

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: Paul Mason, who has coached minor hockey and minor baseball in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, for 47 years, including several NHL players, notably Team Canada’s Sidney Crosby.

COLE HARBOUR, Nova Scotia -- This time it feels different.

The 4 Nations Face-Off tournament last February was exciting because we hadn't had best-on-best hockey for so long.

We wondered if it would deliver the excitement of previous experiences that brought our country together. And it delivered, with Connor McDavid scoring the overtime winner for Team Canada in a thrilling 3-2 win against Team USA in the title game.

It was a needed hockey experience.

Now comes the Olympics, the world's greatest sporting stage and the pinnacle of sports excellence. Having NHL stars participating again, this time at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, brings us back to the excitement of Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014.

In Nova Scotia, we are spoiled by the heroics of Sid in Vancouver. I will always remember being at my friend's for a viewing party when Sid scored the Golden Goal in the championship game, a memorable moment in overtime that gave Team Canada a 3-2 win against Team USA.

We were surrounded by dozens of friends, locals and CBC reporters. Our party, and similar parties all across Canada, erupted at the same time. That moment will live forever.

Like I said, this time, when it comes to the Olympics, it's different. We are, of course, watching Sid here, but also Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Marchand. This time it’s a Nova Scotia trio wearing the Team Canada jersey, just a year after doing it at 4 Nations.

We’re proud to have them representing both our local community and our province.

Nova Scotia is well represented in Olympic hockey. Forward Blayre Turnbull is on the Canadian women's team. Coach Troy Ryan and assistant Kori Cheverie also are proud to call Nova Scotia home.

As NHL fans, we’ve been OK with not having hockey for more than a week; it has helped build the anticipation of seeing our local stars on the ice on the grandest of stages.

At the local rinks and coffee shops you can hear discussions about the line combinations. It started from the moment the players stepped onto the ice for their first practice in Milan. Some people are still moaning about who was and wasn't selected for the roster. It’s hockey talk. It’s what we do.

And though we may disagree on team composition or who should be on which line, we are fully invested.

Beginning Thursday morning, here at home on the beautiful East Coast, we will be glued to the television to watch our Team Canada begin the tournament with a game against Team Czechia (10:40 a.m. ET; Peacock, USA, Ici Tele, CBC Gem, RDS2, CBC). We’ll be on the edge of our seats for each game with the expectation our team will advance to the qualification playoff round.

Our local heroes, Sid and Nate and Brad, all with different skill sets, have the ability to greatly impact the outcome of each game. Pretty much every local watering hole will have the games on television for brunch, lunch and/or early supper patrons for all round-robin games. The Oval, a local outdoor skating facility in Halifax, is even hosting a viewing party courtesy of Halifax Regional Municipality on Feb. 15 for Canada's final preliminary round game vs. France.

The excitement of the event will continue and spontaneously grow, with people, businesses and minor hockey associations organizing watch parties and events to cheer for Team Canada and, of course, our three local boys who we grew up watching.

We’ll try not to put the cart ahead of the horse. We’ll all be on the edge of our seats cheering during the preliminary round games.

Look, as fans, we’ve all felt the roller coaster of emotions, be it pride, joy, or the devastation of crushing defeat. It's difficult, especially when anything less than a gold medal will be disappointing.

But we do know one thing. We know our Nova Scotia boys will do all they can to bring home gold.

Win or lose, that’s why we’re proud of them.