Canadian hockey fans were all a little bit confused on Friday.
They tuned in to watch Team Canada play their second game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and they realized Brad Marchand wasn’t playing.
Marchand, the veteran, has long been a stalwart of the Canadian national team, and he had just suited up on Thursday.
Was he injured? What happened?
Well, now we know.
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Why didn’t Brad Marchand play?
Marchand didn’t play Friday intentionally. He was given a rest day, according to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox.
Canada had scratched its other forward, Seth Jarvis, for the first game. By giving Marchand a rest, Jarvis got a chance to play.
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Will Brad Marchand be back for Canada’s next game?
Yes, Marchand is good to go for what comes next.
Canada takes on France on Sunday. According to Fox, Marchand should have no problem getting back out on the ice.
The Canadians mixed the lines up on Friday a bit mid-game, so we’ll have to see where Marchand ends up, but he’ll be playing.
