Nick Suzuki has just revealed the true condition of Sidney Crosby before gold medal game

Canada has lived in injury limbo since Crosby went down in the Olympic quarterfinal. The bench survived, but it did not feel normal without the captain.

Saturday’s practice was closed, so the rumour mill was always going to spin. Then Suzuki stepped to the mic and basically poured water on the panic.

He did not dance around it. He sounded genuinely encouraged by what he saw.

"Looked really good out there on the ice today," said Suzuki. "Hopefully he’s in."

That is the whole story, right there. If Suzuki is comfortable saying it out loud, Crosby was moving well enough to be seen.

It still is not an official “he’s playing” stamp. Team Canada can keep the plan quiet until the last possible moment.

But this is the first player-driven hint that feels real. It is also the kind of hint that changes how you prep for a final.

Crosby is not just another center in a deep lineup. He is the voice guys follow, even when legs are heavy and nerves are loud.

You can feel the fanbase shifting from dread to stubborn belief, because nobody wants this Olympic run to end with a “what if.”

Head coach Jon Cooper has publicly kept it simple and day to day. That lines up with a team trying to protect its leverage and its leader.

The stakes are obvious with gold on Sunday, February 22. If Crosby can take even a regular shift load, the matchup changes.

It also changes the trickle-down roles. Suzuki can stay in his strengths, win matchups, manage the puck, and jump into offense instead of carrying extra weight every shift.

The last time Canada had to rally without Crosby, the group leaned on belief and sheer pushback. This time, they might get the captain back between the faceoff dots.

Now it becomes a waiting game. The warmup, the pregame skate, and then that final lineup sheet.