Crosby, MacKinnon to represent Canada at Worlds
Team Canada is about to have a lot more star power at the 2025 IIHF World Championship.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will join the club at the upcoming international tournament, while Nathan MacKinnon's agent, Pat Brisson, told The Athletic that the Colorado Avalanche superstar will tag along.
MacKinnon's Avalanche were eliminated by the Dallas Stars in the first round on Saturday, while Crosby's Penguins missed the playoffs for the third straight season.
Crosby has not played at the Worlds since 2015, when he won gold after chipping in with 11 points in nine games. He also suited up at the 2006 event after his rookie NHL season, and he went off for a tournament-leading 16 points and eight goals en route to a fourth-place finish.
The 37-year-old just wrapped up his 20th career NHL season, in which he stunned with 33 goals and 91 points in 80 games. The forward also surpassed Wayne Gretzky's record with his 20th point-per-game campaign.
His international resume also includes two Olympic gold medals (2010, 2014) and a championship at the 2005 World Junior Championships.
Crosby is a member of the Triple Gold Club as one of 30 players to win a World Championship, Stanley Cup, and Olympic gold.
MacKinnon, meanwhile, most recently participated at the 2017 Worlds, where he amassed 15 points in 10 games as Canada won silver. He also played in the 2014 and 2015 tournaments, the latter of which was with Crosby.
The 2022 Stanley Cup champion ranked second in the league with 116 points in 79 games this season.
Both Crosby and MacKinnon played in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, helping Team Canada beat the U.S. in the final. The former chipped in with five points in four games while the latter was named the MVP of the event after scoring four goals.
This year's edition of the Worlds will run from May 9-25 and will be hosted by Stockholm, Sweden, and Herning, Denmark.
Canada finished in fourth place last year after winning gold in 2023.