No media access and sleeping outside the Olympic Village: Team Canada draws criticism

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
No media access and sleeping outside the Olympic Village: Team Canada draws criticism
Credit: Getty Images

Team Canada will be under pressure at the men's hockey tournament.

After all, even if the goalies aren't up to par with what Team Canada has had in the past, we can all agree that if the gold medal slips through the Canadiens' fingers, it will be a huge disappointment.

There would be an outcry across the country, at the very least.

Canadian hockey players, who have been seen cheering on their colleagues in other disciplines in recent hours, are nevertheless (despite themselves) attracting some criticism, which may add to the pressure.

Who is criticizing them? The media and fans.

First, Jon Cooper's decision to hold a practice away from the media yesterday did not exactly please the journalists who traveled to cover the Olympic Games.

According to Pierre LeBrun, Cooper, who is at his first Games, had no reason to act this way. And clearly, he must not be the only media representative who thinks so.

But the players also put pressure on the Canadiens.

The team leaders decided not to just sleep in the Olympic Village with the others. Instead, the guys chose to stay in a hotel—after spending a few days in the village.

Normally, this isn't a decision Olympic athletes can afford to make. And those who can do so don't always do it. The Americans, for example, don't.

The Canadiens, who are in business mode these days (Nathan MacKinnon said he's not in Italy to enjoy himself: he's there to win gold), think it will help.

But despite everything, fans are criticizing them for it.

At this point, the guys will just have to stay focused on the task at hand and not listen too much to the criticism people have for them over the next few days. That will be their challenge.


Overtime

– Vladdy is the talk of the town these days.

– Interesting.

– Worth noting.

– Wow.

– Indeed.

– Nothing less.

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