Article by Cosmin Nistor – Published on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, 21:11 / Updated on Wednesday, 11 February 2026 21:13
Canada's men's ice hockey team has decided to break the mold at the 2026 Winter Olympics. After a short stint in the Olympic Village, the players opted to stay at a five-star hotel in Milan. Even more surprising is the fact that they traveled by subway, being seen by ordinary people who used the same means of transport.
However, team officials claim that it is not about luxury, but about performance.
PHOTO. Canada's national team travels by subway
Both passers-by and journalists present caught the Canadians in action, along with civilians who were also traveling by subway. Meanwhile, the “citizens” of Canada, as the national team is nicknamed, decided to break tradition and stay at a five-star hotel, instead of the Olympic village.
According to Hockey Feed, the final decision to not stay in the Olympic Village, as they used to in the past, rested with the group of leaders in the locker room. General manager Doug Armstrong stepped in to quell the discussion surrounding the topic and pointed out that Canada's Olympic teams have always had the option of staying at the hotel.
Players have always had a hotel room at all previous Games in Vancouver and Sochi. They stayed with their families. They had a room in the Olympic village, but also one provided by the NHL and the NHLPA outside of it. I think the topic has become exaggerated. It is nothing different from the previous tournaments. We just wanted to give players the option to sit where they feel most comfortable to prepare.
– said Armstrong, according to the cited source
No Olympic gold for 12 years
Canada hasn't won Olympic gold since 2014, when it triumphed in Sochi, repeating its success at home in Vancouver 2010.
In the first days in Milan, the team has already been criticized for several decisions:
In addition, the players took advantage of the city's public transport facilities, which are heavily used these days, to shorten travel times. Thus, the Canadians used the transport not necessarily for training, the session scheduled for 14:30 in Santagiulia had been cancelled, but rather to return from the Forum in Assago, where many watched the first short track competitions, Canada obtaining the silver in the mixed relay, behind Italy, notes gazzetta.it.
