NHL counters IOC video ban with Macklin Celebrini's goal for Team Canada animated in Microsoft Paint originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The NHL has sent its players back to the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014.
Unfortunately, though, the NHL wasn't given video rights for its social media accounts. Its players are there, but they can't post video highlights of what their players are up to.
That has led to a bit of ingenuity.
Like, for example, when the NHL social media account shared Macklin Celebrini's first Team Canada goal of the Olympics by recreating it in Microsoft Paint.
It's actually some incredible work:
Celebrini cinema 😮💨
— NHL (@NHL) February 12, 2026
Czechia vs. Canada is LIVE at the #MilanoCortina2026#WinterOlympics on @peacock, @USANetwork, @cbcsports, & @cbcgem!
(🎨: @nba_paint) pic.twitter.com/Rl54etdvTo
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"NBC is prohibiting the NHL from posting Olympic clips so they're MS paint animating them. Pretty dope, actually," @Flappr wrote on X.
It must've taken a strong amount of work to get that done, but it sends a fun little message.
Hopefully down the road these two sides can agree on some video rights. It's good for the game if the NHL can post highlights.
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That's not happening yet, though, and so the NHL's social team will get a chance to continue showing off its creativity.
And hey, if Celebrini keeps scoring, Canadian fans aren't going to complain too much about whether or not they can see the highlight in their feeds. They'll probably enjoy the altered version anyway.
More Olympics news:
- This U.S. luge star was parodied on SNL
- Amber Glenn gets into music dispute during Olympic figure skating program
- Breezy Johnson's wild Olympics end in engagement
- U.S. Olympians get paid shockingly less than other countries for gold medals
- This USA curling star looks like Pommel Horse Guy
- 5 U.S. women's hockey stars attended the same high school