Criticism for Team Canada’s general manager started long before the Olympics and has increased since the team’s overtime loss to the US for the gold medal.
Loss of Morrissey weakens defense strength
The injury, which led to Josh Morrissey’s absence, put a strain on the defense, making players take on bigger responsibilities than expected. Even though it was only one player, the impact was significant.
Some people thought that both coach Cooper and GM Armstrong picked players based more on loyalty and what they knew instead of choosing the best ones for the job. A lot of criticism centered on management’s choice to use the same team from last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, putting more importance on size and defensive skills rather than newer, quicker players who can handle the puck well.
Many observers said this was a mistake because the USA had faster defense players who outskated Canada’s team in that game.
On the other hand, Canada’s defensemen seemed slower and struggled to get the puck out of their zone, even though Canada spent much of the game in the USA’s attacking area.
The choice to include Drew Doughty was often questioned, as many noticed his speed had dropped to a level where he could be a problem under pressure.
I don’t ever want to see Doug Armstrong’s name associated with Hockey Canada ever again. Absolute garbage D core.
— Klima’s Lid (@thackattack41) February 22, 2026
There was a lot of disagreement over the decision to leave out top offensive and puck-moving defensemen like Evan Bouchard, Jakob Chychrun, and especially the impressive rookie Matthew Schaefer.
Fans and experts believed these choices were short-sighted because the team was missing the fast play needed to assist Canada’s star forwards.
It was evident that the GM preferred bigger players instead of more skilled ones. Doug Armstrong clearly liked tall players like Colton Parayko (6’6″) and Travis Sanheim (6’4″) for their reach, even if it meant sacrificing speed and puck-handling skill.
Leave a Reply