Olympics 2026: Some final thoughts from the bright lights of Milan While it wasn't exactly a perfect Winter Games for Canadian skaters, they delivered some highlights worth revisiting during a riveting fortnight in Italy

Now that our collective Olympic hangover is done, we take one final look at what transpired at #MilanoCortina2026. And what it all means from a Canadian perspective. It's your weekend reading on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Olympics 2026: A nightmare of an early finish in Milan Canada's Maddie Schizas had high hopes heading into the short program at the Winter Games, but a disastrous skate put an abrupt end to her time on the ice in Italy

What had been a unique Winter Olympic experience for Maddie Schizas came an abrupt end on Tuesday night at Milan-Cortina 2026. Our final Canadian skating dispatch on these Olympics, all here on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Olympics 2026: What now for Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps? The Canadian pair team with a crazy dream made it all the way to the Milan-Cortina Olympics. But unfortunate circumstances got in the way of them finishing it the right way

Getting to Milan-Cortina 2026 was the realization of a dream for Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps. But the story didn't exactly finish the right way. Our view of the pairs event on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Olympics 2026: Canada has medal hopes in pairs, and it's not who you think It's Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud, not the 2024 world champions, who are right in the thick of the podium fight after a stellar short program

Canada has a legit shot at a pairs medal at Milan-Cortina 2026, but it's not the team we all thought it might be. Some final thoughts on an interesting day of pair skating, all here for you on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Olympics 2026: Why the Stephen Gogolev era is just getting started On the biggest stage in the sport, the rising Canadian star had an Olympic debut to remember and showed there's still much more to come for him

Canada's Stephen Gogolev ended his Olympics with the free skate of his life. And gave every reason to think bigger days are ahead. Our look at a stunning day of men's skating at #MilanCortina2026 on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Olympics 2026: A (very) 'Starry Night' in Milan The road to get there was anything wasn't always easy, but Canadian ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier earned a bronze medal with the skate of their lives

With the skate of their lives, Canadian ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier seized the bronze medal at the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Our thoughts on a most memorable night in Italy on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Olympics 2026: An Olympic dream that won't be denied It's been a long and winding road for nearly seven years now. And finally, after an injury scare, Deanna Stellato-Dudek is cleared for takeoff to the Milan-Cortina Games

On Deanna Stellato-Dudek, Stephen Gogolev and a rather interesting Tuesday for Canadians at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games. Our view of all of that and more in today's Olympic dispatch on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Olympics 2026: For Gilles and Poirier, 'our moment' has arrived With a third-place performance in the rhythm dance, the veteran Canadian ice dance duo is potentially four minutes away from that coveted Olympic medal

The dream of an Olympic medal is closer than ever for Canadian ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, who stand third after the rhythm dance at Milan-Cortina 2026. Our daily Olympic thoughts on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Olympics 2026: Canada's best shot just wasn't good enough It's hard to find too much fault with the performance of the red maple leaf's skaters in the Team Event. And Italy was just too strong with the bronze medal on the line

Canada's skaters took their (mostly) best shot in the Team Event at Milan-Cortina 2026. But their Italian rivals proved too strong on the final day. Our thoughts on how it all went down on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Olympics 2026: The right man for the moment in Milan With their hopes of advancing in the Team Event on the line, Canada got exactly what it needed from first-time Olympian Stephen Gogolev

First-time Olympian Stephen Gogolev lit up the men's short program at Milan-Cortina 2026 and kept Canada in the hunt for a Team Event medal. Our view of Day 2 of the figure skating competition on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Olympics 2026: What we've learned so far in the Team Event We always knew that Canada would be in tough for a medal shot. And the opening day of competition has made that challenge a little bit tougher

Some thoughts on what we saw in the Team Event on Day 1, and what's next for @SkateCanada at Milan-Cortina 2026. Another round of Winter Olympics reading for you on the Substack thing (with much more to come!). Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Olympics 2026: How you can watch the Milan-Cortina Games Whether it's on conventional television or through the world of streaming, the CBC is offering up 22 hours of viewing per day for Canadian audiences

The big show in Italy is about to officially begin, and we've got your guide to the many hours of coverage that await Olympic viewers who tune into the Milan-Cortina Games. All here for you on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Olympics 2026: A 'nightmare' moment on the road to a dream Deanna Stellato-Dudek's injury has put one of the Winter Games' biggest and best stories on hold. Now the clock is ticking to get to make it happen

A quick reaction piece about Monday's devastating revelation of the injury suffered by Canadian pairs skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek, that has put her Olympic dream in jeopardy. All here for you on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Olympics 2026: 'They both really love what they're doing' It's a special kind of passion that has kept Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier doing what they do for 15 seasons. We'll see that on full display on the big stage in Milan

On Piper Gilles, Paul Poirier and the road to Milan-Cortina 2026, through the eyes of someone who knows them best. The first of many dispatches to come on the Winter Games. Your weekend long read on the Substack thing. Enjoy (and subscribe) ... it's free!
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'I'm more grateful for every experience' After being out of competition for almost a year, Wesley Chiu bounced back with some bright moments at Canadian nationals. And a long-awaited return to the Four Continents Championships

It's been a journey for Wesley Chiu to get back to the competition ice. But a certain short program at the Canadian championships reminded everyone just how could he can be. Your weekend reading on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Over-reaction Tuesday: It's Indiana's world and we're just living in it Not so long ago, a national championship at the 'basketball school' in Bloomington seemed an impossible dream. But say hello to the mighty new kings of college football

An ode to the mighty Indiana Hoosiers and a national title run that once seemed impossible. Until the right coach built them into the sport's new powerhouse. The final CFB thoughts of the season on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free).
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#SCNats26: Some final thoughts from the capital region One more time, the buzz was back at a national championships in Quebec. And with a Winter Olympics on the line, it made for plenty of dramatic moments to talk about

Another Canadian championships in Quebec is in the books, and we brought home plenty of thoughts from this signature event of every season. It's all here for you in your weekend reading on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Over-reaction Tuesday: One chapter left in Hoosiers' mighty run The juggernaut that is Indiana has one game remaining to finish off what can only be called the most remarkable turnaround in college football history

We're down to one game in this college football season, with Miami being the last team with a shot at derailing the Indiana juggernaut. The weekly CFB thoughts ahead of the national title game on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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#SCNats26: It's Games on for Canada's finest The Olympic figure skating team is officially set, and it's a group that's big on chemistry and offers up a blend of experience and first-time excitement

he Milan-Cortina Olympics are just 26 days and Canada is sending a figure skating team that is a mix of wily veterans and rising young talent. We get into all of that in our final dispatch from #SCNats26. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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#SCNats26: 'I wasn't going down without a fight' Maddie Schizas' brash statement clung to her throughout the Canadian championships. But she backed it up in a big way in securing her Olympic ticket

Maddie Schizas backed up her brash statement in a major way Sunday in earning a second trip to the Winter Olympics, and fourth Canadian title. Our final wrap-up from #SCNats26, all here for you on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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#SCNats26: The future is now for Canada's new pair champions Less than four years after first joining forces, Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud are golden at nationals, with an Olympics also squarely in their sights

Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud knew they could become Canadian pair champions someday. That moment arrived in dramatic fashion on Saturday night. Our final dispatch of Day 2 from Gatineau gets into that and much more. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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#SCNats26: 'Gogo' going all the way to Milan There has never been any doubt about Stephen Gogolev's skating talent. And this weekend in Gatineau, it blossomed in a way that should send him to the Winter Olympics

The promise and the talent has been there for years. And finally, Stephen Gogolev is a Canadian senior men's champion, with a ticket to the 2026 Olympics next. Our latest dispatch from #SCNats26 on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (It's free!).
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#SCNats26: 'Mugzy' makes his move toward Canadian men's title With a terrific short program skate that displayed his new and abundant confidence, Stephen Gogolev took a commanding lead in the men's event at the Canadian championships

He's having fun and brimming with confidence. So far, it's been a winning combination for Stephen Gogolev at #SCNats26. All that and more in our latest dispatch from Gatineau. All here for you on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free).
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#SCNats26: The roar is back for the Canadian lion The short program that has served her so well is (mostly) Olympic ready for Maddie Schizas. Now it's just a matter of booking a ticket to Italy this weekend

In a bonus early dispatch from #SCNats26, we discuss Maddie Schizas and The Lion King short program being (mostly) cleared for takeoff to Milan. All that and a batch of early notes from Gatineau. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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#SCNats26: Bonjour from La Belle Province The Canadian skating world has arrived in Gatineau for its national championships, with the Milan-Cortina Olympics looming large over it all

It's Canadian championships week and our first dispatch from Gatineau includes a series of notes and quotes from practice day for the senior men and pairs. Much more to come from moi on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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Over-reaction Tuesday: Welcome to a new era of college football The final four includes a group of teams which have never won a national championship in the playoff era. While a trio of big-name blue bloods are sent packing for the season

The blue bloods are all gone and we're down to a fascinating Final Four in the College Football Playoff. We break it all down in the weekly CFB thoughts on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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#SCNats26: Some early thoughts on the road to Gatineau The Canadian national championships always have their share of drama. With tickets to the Winter Olympics on the line, the tension and the storylines reach a whole new level

We're just days away from a vitally important Canadian national championships. We give you the lowdown on what to watch for in Gatineau at #SCNats26. Your weekend reading on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free).
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Over-reaction Tuesday: The airing of playoff grievances In the spirit of Festivus, we present our thoughts on the first round of the College Football Playoff, all the way down to some impressive feats of strength.

We bring the spirit of Festivus to our look back at the first round of the College Football Playoff. Grievances are aired, feats of strength noted ... a fun twist to the weekly CFB thoughts on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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So, about those summer questions ... Way back in August, we posed a set of what we felt were some season-defining questions about Canadian skating. Time to check in on some early answers

It's become a bit of a holiday tradition in this space. And that's a look back at some summer thoughts about the current season for @SkateCanada athletes. Your weekend reading on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free).
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'It's been feeling like my breakout season' Buoyed by an eye-opening stretch of summer training across the pond, rising Canadian talent Grayson Long has been putting out a much improved level of skating for all to see

It's been a season of great improvement for Canada's Grayson Long, and it traces back to summer training that showed him how some of the world's best get to the top. Your weekend reading on the Substack thing. Enjoy ... and subscribe (it's free!).
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