Curling Controversy and Continued Success for Canada at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics

The Canadian men’s curling team has turn into a central focus at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, though not entirely for their on-ice performance. A contentious exchange with Sweden, dubbed “boop-gate,” sparked controversy and unwanted media attention, but hasn’t appeared to derail their pursuit of a medal.

“Boop-Gate” and Accusations of Cheating

The controversy erupted during a round-robin match against Sweden on February 13, 2026. Swedish vice-captain Oskar Eriksson accused Canadian counterpart Marc Kennedy of illegally touching a stone after it had passed the hog line. Kennedy vehemently denied the accusation, responding with an expletive-laden rebuke: “You can f*** off,” and “I haven’t done it once, don’t chirp!” [NBC Modern York]

The incident led to a brief standstill and heated discussion between the two teams. Kennedy, a four-time Olympian, defended his team’s integrity, stating, “I don’t like being accused of cheating after 25 years on tour and four Olympic Games…So, I told him where to stick it. Because we’re the wrong team to do that to.” [NBC New York] The accusations quickly spread, generating memes and widespread media coverage. [People.com]

Further Scrutiny and a Dispute with Italy

The Canadian team faced further scrutiny just days later, during a match against Italy on February 18, 2026. Team Jacobs protested when Italian skip Joel Retornaz appeared to slightly move a stone after a Canadian delivery. After review, it was determined that Retornaz had indeed touched the stone, and it was removed from play. [TSN]

On-Ice Success Despite the Drama

Despite the controversies, Canada has maintained a strong performance in the tournament. They defeated Italy 8-3 on February 18, 2026, improving their record to 7-1. [TSN] Currently, only Switzerland remains undefeated with an 8-0 record. Canada’s only loss was a 9-5 defeat against Switzerland. [Olympics.com]

Looking Ahead

Canada has secured a spot in the semi-finals and will conclude their preliminary round with a game against Norway on February 19, 2026. [TSN] The team is aiming to avenge their earlier loss to Switzerland and complete Canada’s medal drought in men’s curling, which dates back to the gold medal win at Sochi 2014, following a bronze medal at Beijing 2022.