OverDrive - Masters on MacKinnon's injury status, Matthews' elite tournament and McDavid's prominence 

Episode Date: February 17, 2026

TSN Olympics Reporter Mark Masters joined OverDrive to discuss Canada set for the quarterfinal tilt against Czechia, Auston Matthews' vibe with the United States, Macklin Celebrini's spotlight on the team, Nathan MacKinnon playing through an injury and his status for the game. 

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He does it all. Here's Mark Masters. How you doing, Mark? I am doing great. Good to be on with you guys. It's crazy. We're just kind of mapping out the travel plan for the Leafs coming out of the break and I'm like, oh man, back to the grind. I'm here at the Olympics and gearing up for

what feels like one of the biggest games I'll ever cover maybe coming up and then we're like, when are we going to fly to Tampa and Florida? And we got this back to back next week. So, yeah, the grind is going to be real coming up here. No kidding, man. And I saw you caught up with Austin Matthews today. Anything different from him, like from an Olympic perspective based on how you cover him on a daily basis with the leaves. What did you take from your conversation with Austin? You know, not much. I don't think he's given away much.

He's really liking where his game's at, where his lines at with Gensel and Boldie. They're coming on after maybe a bit of a slow start to the tournament. He seems to be enjoying it. I was just kind of talking to him about the late starts. The Americans are kind of the night owls. I'm sure the NBC has something to do with that. All their games have been 9, 10 p.m. starts again tomorrow night.

it looks like they'll be playing Sweden's up right now they'll be playing Sweden tomorrow in their quarterfinal at 9-10 so he was talking about getting used to that and hanging out with the women's team in the village and how determined they are and how he'll be brooding for them on Thursday and you know not giving away much but seems to be in a good place and his line mates have been raving about him

and he was taking a little heat from the American media early in the tournament and it seems like he's kind of rounding into form right now Masters you just mentioned the woman's tournament like just being there, do you think sooner or later another nation has to compete? And it just, I know it's been Canada, USA forever, but somebody told me years ago, it's like, don't you worry sooner or later another nation is going to compete. And I don't think it's even really close right now. Do you think that needs to happen in that side of it?

I mean, you'd hope it's going to happen and sooner than later. And these other countries have to, you know, get going a bit. but Switzerland, as much as they were outshot and dominated it to territorial yesterday, it was still ended up being a two-one game. Obviously, Canada hasn't really found its top level or maybe just this is

their reality right now with this group, but that game ended up being tighter. Yeah, it wasn't close in terms of the shots in the territorial. At least the score though was tied and, you know, the Swiss captains at the podium afterwards calling Canada shaky and beatable. So, yes,

no, you're right, it would be great. It would be, it would it would be better, obviously, if there was more teams that felt like they were legitimate gold medal contenders, and everyone kind of saw this coming Canada, U.S. in the final. So it would be nice, and hopefully we'll get there at some point soon. Mark, let's get to the Team Canada men's. What do you think is the biggest storyline coming out of it right now from you being around the team, you being around and, you know, the buzz with that group? So the biggest story for Canada, it feels like, is just Nathan McKinnon right now.

He missed practice today. He seemed to hurt his leg. It felt like on a hit late in that game, he was obviously incredibly agitated after taking that high hit that led to the Tom Wilson fight. So he leaves, he didn't look, you know, he didn't look great physically at the end of that game. He doesn't practice today. And on the ice, he's been fine, but he hasn't been as explosive as like Connor McDavid, obviously who's on another level right now. but McKinnon's the guy who's leading the NHL and goals this season.

He's right up there in the Hart Trophy race. You'd think that the line he's on is going to be, you know, a dominant line as well. And it hasn't quite been that way for him. So they say he's going to play. John Cooper says he has zero concern about his status. He's a bull. He's a powerful kid. But I think that that's the story right now,

is Ken Nathan McKinnon kind of joined McDavid and have that crazy great line. And then Canada's really rolling there because the Crosby line with Martin Stone's been good. and the McDavid line, especially McDavid's on another level. So, you know, if McKinnon gets going, already Canada's a favorite, it's hard to see him being beat if McKinnon gets up to his top gear. Mark, you've been around Austin Matthews moving the needle. You know what kind of needle McDavid moves. What are we talking about with Celebrini here?

Like, where do you think he can go? And what kind of feedback is he getting from teammates and different people from around the tournament? It's the loving continues. I mean, it just feels like, I think I was talking to our friend Chris Johnston, and he was writing an article earlier this year about Celebrity's kind of your, your favorite NFL player's favorite player, and that just keeps growing. I mean, we had a moment earlier this tournament where Nathan McKinnon said that

Celebrini is maybe the second best player in the world right now. And he's just the way that penalty shot played out where he says, you know, he didn't know that they could choose anyone. He just went there and then took it and scored. Didn't look at the bench, just did his thing. Like he, great move, great poise. Sam Bennett is like ice in the veins. And this is the reigning consmite trophy winner.

So it's an absolute love in, you know, Pierre Edward Balmar, the French captain's like, if this is the way, if this is the future of the NHL, it's a good thing. I'm out of the league right now because he is just looking like the next one, right? Right now. That's how it feels. With Mark Masters, and, you know, you mentioned McKinnon and his status, obviously it sounds like Brad Marchand is going to go into the lineup. And Josh Morrissey was skating today.

And he looks like he's ready to return. That is a pretty big impact, you know, considering what he can do if he's at 100%. Is that your read on the situation masters? And if so, does he just team back up with Pareko and the defense is back to where it was for game one? Yeah, I think Morrissey looked great to my eye at practice. He was skating beside Colton Pereco. I would expect he's going to play. play. Certainly, John Cooper said he expects

everyone to be available. So Brad Marchand back in and Canada will be at full strength in terms of everyone that they want to dress being there. It looked like Sanheim's probably the odd man out just like the way it started. Theodore, Shea was quarterbacking the second power play unit. So assuming there isn't some

last minute kind of setback or something, it looks like Josh Morrissey's going to play. He spoke to Ryan Rashog so he did an interview today and he seemed to be in pretty good spirit. So I expect Morrissey and that's important, right? there's a, you know, Achilles heel, you're thinking goal-tending or defense for Canada, right? We know the forward group is clicking along the incredible depth there, but if they were going

to have an issue in this tournament, the defense might be shaky and they might not get the saves. They've been mostly getting the saves, obviously. We had the parade go turnover that led to a goal against France, but for the most part, the defense has been holding up, but certainly a stronger group when Morrissey is back and healthy. And again, he looked really good at practice today. Awesome. Great catching up with you, Mark. enjoy the week. We'll do it again soon.

Any questions for William Nealander after this game? How's he looking? Is he healthy? Is Willie going to be able to get through the Olympics and play 25 games for the Leaves? What do you think about that? I don't know. He practiced yesterday, so he had missed a couple practices, so it was good that he was practicing. He seemed pretty good. He hasn't played Matthews in like forever because he missed him at the Four Nations. So it's going to be fascinating. If Sweden gets this done tonight, Sweden, U.S., one of those teams not in the medal round, much pressure on both those countries, if that's the quarterfinal we see tomorrow night. So I'm sure

he'll be pumped, and he always seems to take it to another level. He loves playing for Sweden, loves playing these pressure games. So I'll be watching. He'll be talking to him in a few minutes here after this game. Can't wait. We'll catch you online, reporting on Nat and SportsCenter tonight. Thanks, Mark. Thanks, guys. Mark Masters. I'm Dylan Playfair. And I'm Tyler Smith.

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