MILAN – Jon Cooper felt his team sagging.
Despite leading 2-1 late in the first period of Canada’s second game at the Milan Cortina Olympics, the country’s head coach decided on a nuclear option when the opportunity presented itself on a faceoff.
The trio of centres, all No. 1 overall picks at the NHL draft, clicked immediately — and pushed their nation to another convincing victory in men’s hockey at the 2026 Games.
Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists each as Canada stayed perfect, and clinched top spot in Group A with Friday’s 5-1 victory over Switzerland.
Macklin Celebrini chipped in a goal and an assist as the third member of an outrageously talented trifecta.
“Phenomenal players — generational, these kids,” said Cooper, whose group still has another preliminary round game to go. “You don’t know how that chemistry is going to go all the time … now some guys have to play a little bit out of position. They’re three guys that want the puck, need the puck, and there’s only one puck.
“Sacrifices have to be made, but ultimately they did it.”
Sidney Crosby and Thomas Harley also scored for Canada (2-0-0-0). Logan Thompson made 24 saves.
Pius Suter replied for Switzerland (1-0-1-0), which got 34 stops from Akira Schmid. Swiss forward Kevin Fiala had to be stretchered off and taken to hospital late in regulation with an apparent leg injury after a collision with Tom Wilson along the boards.
“It’s a nothing play,” Wilson said. “I feel terrible that he may not be able to keep playing and just sending his family and him my best.”
The Canadians, who have two regulation victories, six points and a plus-nine goal differential, opened their tournament with Thursday’s relentless 5-0 victory over Czechia in the first Olympic game involving the country’s NHLers since 2014.
Next up for Canada is a meeting with France on Sunday. The Czechs (1-0-1-0) picked up a 6-3 win over the French (0-0-2-0) in Friday’s early game.
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“We’re a deep team no matter how (Cooper) puts the lines,” McDavid said. “It just gives us a bit of a different look.”
Celebrini, the youngest player in the tournament at age 19, was already playing alongside McDavid before MacKinnon swapped out with Wilson.
“The two best players in the world and two legends that are in the prime of their careers,” Celebrini said. “It’s easy to play with them when they’re buzzing.”
MacKinnon said he had to adjust his game slightly moving to the wing.
“I know Connor is going to attack or delay, so I’m just trying to get some space,” he explained. “I feel like I can read most plays and most situations.”
Cooper indicated earlier this week two of Canada’s three goaltenders — Thompson, Jordan Binnington and Darcy Kuemper — would split the first pair of games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Binnington picked up a 26-save shutout Thursday with Thompson backing up, while Kuemper dressed as the No. 2 option Friday.
“A little nervous, I don’t usually get that anymore,” Thompson said. “But it was awesome.”
Canadian defenceman Josh Morrissey, who left Thursday’s victory early in the second period, didn’t dress against the Swiss. Travis Sanheim took his place and skated as the seventh defenceman. The final addition to the roster after Brayden Point was left at home injured, Seth Jarvis replaced Brad Marchand up front.
Cooper said Morrissey won’t play Sunday, but isn’t ruled out of the event. Marchand will be back in the lineup against France.
Swiss fans were in full voice ahead of puck drop as a European-heavy crowd whistled and booed the Canadians when they hit the ice ahead of puck drop for a second straight contest.
McDavid, who had three assists in the opener, scored his first Olympic goal on a power play at 5:45 of the first period off a great pass from MacKinnon inside the 11,600 rink that was finished just in time for the Games.
Crosby was denied with a desperation flying skate save from Schmid on a breakaway later in the period, but Canada made it 2-0 at 10:45 when Harley scored five-hole after McDavid found him off the rush.
Switzerland, which topped France 4-0 in its Thursday opener, cut the deficit in half on a man advantage at 12:42 when Sven Andrighetto’s point shot fell kindly to Suter.
McDavid delivered a huge hit on the forecheck for a second straight game that rocked Andrea Glauser — much to the delight of a group of fans with a “Connor McJesus” banner — before the superstar took a big check from Timo Meier later in the period.
Cooper tweaked his lines shortly thereafter.
“As wonderful as they are with the puck, how I’m grading them is on how they played without it,” he said of McDavid, MacKinnon and Celebrini. “You keep doing the right things without the puck, good things are going to happen.”
Canada killed off a penalty early in the middle period to set the stage for Celebrini to score his second goal in as many nights off a Mackinnon pass from the corner at 4:14.
The plucky Swiss, whose fans tossed a couple of beer cups on the ice during some heated moments, held firm the rest of the second and had a push in the third.
But Crosby put things out of reach moments later when he redirected a Mitch Marner pass at 7:28. MacKinnon rounded out the scoring at 13:03 from McDavid and Celebrini as a line that’s combined for 270 points this season connected again.
“When you’re up in the score, it doesn’t mean you’re playing well,” Cooper said of the line switch. “We don’t have a whole ton of time here to see what we have. Our job is to find the mix.
“The group’s done a pretty good job.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2026.