Team Canada spent their first few nights in the Olympic Village, but have since moved to a much more comfortable location.
According to Sportsnet, Canadian players have taken their talents to a five-star hotel provided by the NHL and the NHLPA, away from the rest of the athletes.
“I don’t think we’re doing it as an insult or anything like that,” Logan Thompson said to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. “We want to win gold, and we want to give ourselves the best opportunity to do so.”
“Whatever we do, we’ll do as a team,” goalie Darcy Kuemper added. “We’re gonna make the decision that we feel is giving us the best chance to win.”
Canada has been criticized online for the move, as it comes off as if the millionaire players are too good for dorm life. Per Buzzfeed, each apartment in the Olympic Village features basic furniture, including single beds, storage for gear, and private bathrooms with showers. The rooms also typically have free Wi-Fi, heat, and amenities such as mini-fridges and microwaves. There are also common areas and a 24/7 dining hall available to the athletes.
“The players have always had a hotel room in all of the Olympics prior to this, in Vancouver and Sochi,” Team Canada GM Doug Armstrong said per the New York Post’s Mollie Walker. “They’ve stayed with their families. They have a room in the village, they have a room provided by the NHL and NHLPA outside there. And so 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.”
Beyond comfort, Canada has some of the most widely recognized stars at the Olympics, including Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.
“You see everyone just staring at them, because they’re the superstars,” Thompson said. “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.”
While the Canadians — unlike the United States hockey team — have moved away from the Olympic Village, they are still getting the full experience in other ways. During their off day on Tuesday, they took the metro in Milan and watched the short-track speed skating events as a team.
“I’m still gonna be going to the village as well, going back and forth,” Thompson said. “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.”
