MILAN -- Team Canada executives, coaches and players had the town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, in their thoughts Wednesday as they went through their last pre-tournament practice at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Nine people were killed and 25 others injured in a mass shooting Tuesday in Tumbler Ridge, a small community in the central-east part of the province. The suspect's body was also found at the scene.
Canada general manager Doug Armstrong opened his press conference Wednesday by extending the thoughts and prayers of Team Canada to the community.
"We're with you," Armstrong said.
He later added, "It affects everybody. This is sport. We understand there is real life and that trumps anything we are doing here. But all we can do is send our love, send our support and then go out and do our jobs."
Canada coach Jon Cooper is from Prince George, British Columbia, which is approximately a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Tumbler Ridge.
"I've stayed in the hotel there growing up," Cooper said. "When that town kind of became an instant town, I had friends go over there and work there. Obviously, I haven't been back in a long time, but you think about tragedies that happen, usually they kind of happen somewhere else, so you never really feel the effect of it touching close to home. But this one is close to home, and my heart goes out to all the families."
Since the shooting occurred Tuesday afternoon in British Columbia, a nine-hour time difference from Milan, many of the Canadian players and staff members were unaware of it until waking up Wednesday morning.
"My thoughts and prayers are with everyone you know that's affected," Canada captain Sidney Crosby said. "Obviously, you don't expect to see that. It was tough to see."
The National Hockey League echoed the thoughts of Armstrong, Cooper and Crosby in a statement released Wednesday.
