MILAN – After the devastating loss to Team USA in the men’s hockey gold medal game on Sunday afternoon, it would appear that CBC broadcast cameras at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games captured the very moment the ancient eldritch spirit of Astaroth connected with a Canadian Olympian and entered his body through his eyes.
This year’s silver medalists received small plush toys of one of the 2026 Olympic mascots, anthropomorphic floral creatures called “The Flo.” As soon as the image of Team Canada hockey player Nathan MacKinnon staring quizzically at the stuffed toy handed to him by officials went viral on social media, reports began to rush in from demonologists, psychic mediums, exorcists, and the spiritually attuned that all was not as it appeared. They claim that MacKinnon clearly experienced an out-of-body connection to an otherworldly being inhabiting the man-made vessel of The Flo, which transferred to his own flesh prison as its next host.
Other fans on social media were skeptical of these warnings, sharing messages of support like “He’s not possessed, Nathan MacKinnon just looks like that” and “No demonic being could match the level of spite and unbridled anger rising in these Canadian hockey players right now.”
The camera allegedly cut out at the arena before MacKinnon raised the stuffed toy and chomped down, removing the stuffed animal’s head instantly. Footage obtained by The Beaverton confirms this harrowing scene, but strict IOC licensing laws prevent this video from being shared in full.
“These spirits latch themselves onto us when we are at our most vulnerable.” Said Fredericton, New Brunswick-based demonologist Ashley Dowell. “Depression, anxiety, grief caused by the loss of a loved one, or a gut-wrenching international sports loss that served as a proxy war between your country and a neighbouring fascist power. These emotions are so palpable that they can manifest physically as an evil force on earth, and attach themselves to us when we are at our most susceptible to influence.”
Upon his return to the Colorado Avalanche this week, MacKinnon’s NHL teammates reported “No changes in his behaviour or appearance.”
“It’s probably just the Denver altitude adjustment,” said one unnamed defenceman, “That’s Nate Dogg for you, dude’s crazy, he’s pure beast. Besides, this always happens when he’s around his Canadian buddies for more than a few days. It’ll wear off.”
Another teammate spoke to us outside of the Avalanche locker room, where MacKinnon could be seen climbing up the locker-room walls on all fours and demanding The Meaty Souls of the Living from team staff for his after-practice meal.
“Is that weird? Huh. I thought that was just because he’s from Nova Scotia.”
MacKinnon’s player agent, who now also represents Almighty Overlord of Damnation’s Empire Astaroth, did not respond to our request for comment by the time of publication. The Beaverton continues to explore the specifics of the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement to determine whether demonic exorcisms are included in the player health care plan.
