Five stories to watch on Monday - The Globe and Mail

Sebastien Toutant of Team Canada performs a trick during the Men's Slopestyle training ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games at the Genting Snow Park on Feb. 2, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China.Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Canadian men looking to rip it up in snowboard slopestyle

Led by Pyeongchang silver and bronze medallists Maxence Parrot and Mark McMorris, Canada has a strong men’s snowboard slopestyle team that should threaten medals on Monday. In addition to Parrot and McMorris, Canada’s slopestyle team also features 2021 world championship silver medalist Sébastien Toutant. The competition is fierce in this event, but a Canadian sweep of the podium isn’t out of the question.

John Morris of Canada sweeps during a mixed curling game against China at the Beijing Olympics on Feb 4, 2022.EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/Reuters

Semi-finals begin in mixed doubles curling

Canadian mixed curling rink of Rachel Homan and John Morris will conclude its round robin with a match against Italy. There’s an expectation that the pair will be competing in one of the semi-final matches that will be held on Monday. Canada is the defending Olympic champions in the mixed doubles curling event. Morris won in the inaugural event with then-partner Kaitlyn Lawes.

Canada's Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier skate at the Beijing Olympics on Feb. 4, 2022.ALEKSANDRA SZMIGIEL/Reuters

Medals being handed out in figure skating team competition

Defending Olympic gold medalist Canada will find out if it can retain its crown in the team figure skating competition on Monday, with three events concluding the contest: the pairs free skate, the free dance and the free skate in women’s singles. Canada has a different team from the one that won gold in 2018.

Sarah Nurse of Canada celebrates scoring a goal with teammates against Finland at the Beijing Olympics on Feb. 5, 2022.BRIAN SNYDER/Reuters

Women’s hockey team faces off against Russia

Both the men’s and women’s Canadian hockey teams are in action on Monday. For the women, they’ll continue their official Olympic campaign with a match against the Russian Olympic Committee, the team’s second-last game in the group phase before its showdown with the United States on Tuesday.

Team Canada forward Eric Staal laughs during a practice at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Feb. 5, 2022.Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press

Men’s hockey team unofficially begins Games

As for the men’s hockey team, they won’t officially begin their Olympic tournament until Thursday, but are scheduled to play an exhibition match against the United States. Like in Pyeongchang, Canada doesn’t have access to its current NHL stars – an issue that all teams in the tournament face. Led by 37-year-old captain Eric Staal, a 16-season NHL veteran who won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and an Olympic gold medal with Canada in 2010, the Canadian men will be hoping for a better result than the bronze they won in 2018 at the Pyeongchang Games.

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Five stories to watch on Monday - The Globe and Mail
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