Gregory Shamus/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Team Canada's Men's Hockey Team is choosing to stay at a "five-star hotel" instead of the Olympic Village
- "We want to win gold, and we want to give ourselves the best opportunity to do so," Canadian goaltender Logan Thompson told Canadian outlet Sportsnet
- Team Canada plays its first game of the Olympics on Friday, Feb. 13
Team Canada's Men's Hockey Team is opting to trade the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics Olympic Village accommodations for a "five-star hotel."
"I don’t think we’re doing it as an insult or anything like that," goaltender Logan Thompson told Canadian outlet Sportsnet. "We want to win gold, and we want to give ourselves the best opportunity to do so."
The Team USA Men's Hockey Team is choosing to stay in the Olympic Village for the duration of the Olympics, despite the team also including several high-profile players, the outlet reported. Team Canada reportedly stayed in the Olympic Village for the first few nights of the Olympics, and has since chosen to switch to an unnamed hotel.
“Whatever we do, we’ll do as a team,” goalie Darcy Kuemper told Sportsnet. “We’re gonna make the decision that we feel is giving us the best chance to win.”
The decision to stay at a hotel is not unprecedented. The team's General Manager Doug Armstrong told reporters on Wednesday, Feb. 11, that Team Canada had similar arrangements for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and the Sochi 2014 Olympics.
"I think this has sort of grown a life of its own. This is no different than the tournaments we had before. We just wanted to give our players that option to stay where they're most comfortable to prepare for the games," Armstrong said, per Sportsnet.
Carmen Mandato/Getty
Thompson, 28, added that Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid have their own individual athletic star power.
“You see everyone just staring at them, because they’re the superstars. So, it’s cool to see how other countries really notice them, and how they all just want to come over and say hi to Crosby and McDavid and those guys,” Thompson told Sportsnet.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“I’m still gonna be going to the village as well, going back and forth. You definitely want to get that experience. And it’s cool to meet other athletes, and I want to be able to do that as well as see other Olympic events," Thompson added.
The Olympic Village living quarters are arranged in the style of typical American college dorms. “I’ve had some great times hanging out with the rest of the athletes, playing cards, watching the other Olympians,” Team USA’s Matthew Tkachuk told Sportsnet. “It’s been just an unbelievable experience.”
Team Canada takes to the ice on Friday, Feb. 13 against Team Switzerland. Team USA will start its tournament on Thursday, Feb. 12 against Team Latvia.
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.
Read the original article on People