During the team’s second practice for the Olympic games, coach Jon Cooper decided not to let the media watch Team Canada.
Media rush to see the practice area
In a video taken while practice was happening inside, Rishaug and some other reporters stood outside the building, chatting and looking a bit lost about what to do next, while the analyst talked about what was happening around him.
The reason for keeping the practice private was actually practical and not just to keep the scouts from other teams away.
“This (closed-practice) is allowed by the rules, but it’s pretty strange for an event like this. You can guess how many reporters want to cover this team, and it caused quite a buzz. ”
From @TSNRyanRishaug – After a late-night practice Sunday and an overnight in the Olympic Village, it was right back onto the ice for Canada Monday morning. However, Jon Cooper made the decision to hold a closed-door practice, which created quite a stir: https://t.co/Ahpnxotlbd pic.twitter.com/qWQ6d40IJX
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) February 9, 2026
Now we’re being taken to another location, where we’ll wait until the super-secret practice ends.
We think we might get taken to a third waiting area and finally allowed into the mix-zone once practice is done, where we can chat with the players. Any secrets Canada has are happening in that building right now.
– Ryan Rishaug
When asked about the practice, coach Cooper said there were no changes in the team lineup from the last practice. And about all the secrecy?
It turns out the practice space was smaller, which led Cooper to decide to have it closed.
“The practice area is cramped. It wasn’t about keeping others out. It was just to make sure that the team photo and other activities went on without any distractions. ”
At least that’s what he officially said. Whether there really were any changes to the lineup or strategies is still unknown.
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