Canada also won the gold medal in the women’s tournament.

Crosby was one of 11 teammates who played on the men’s gold medal team in Vancouver. He had four goals and three assists in that tournament, including the goal in overtime that clinched the gold medal. Crosby has regained his form with the Pittsburgh Penguins after several seasons battling injuries.

In the gold medal game, as always, he remained a major threat. With less than five minutes left in the second period, as Canada poured on the shots and stifled Sweden’s momentum, Crosby raced down the left side, shifted to his right and flipped a backhand shot beyond the left skate of Sweden’s sprawling goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist.

Crosby’s first goal of the tournament put Canada up, 2-0, and brought loud cheers from the sizable Canadian contingent in the Bolshoi Ice Dome. It also turned a tight game into one dominated by the Canadians.

“It was nice to get that one and get the cushion,” Crosby said. “We all knew the U.S. game was our best game, and we all felt if we played the exact same way, we’d get the same result.”