HIGHLIGHTS
- Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon are joining Canada for the World Championship
- The two superstars make the Canadians a clear-cut favorite
- Read below for the full story
Team Canada will get a massive boost for the IIHF World Championships.
Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon are set to join the Canadians for the upcoming tournament, which begins on May 9:
Both superstars suited up for Team Canada at the 4 Nations in February, helping their country win the inaugural event, beating the USA in the final.
It comes as a bit of a surprise that both Crosby and MacKinnon made this decision after such a long grueling season. The two Nova Scotia natives also played together for Canada at the 2015 World Championships.
Crosby’s Penguins didn’t make the playoffs, while MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche lost in Game 7 in the first round against the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. These two scenarios have allowed the two NHL standouts to take advantage of the opportunity.
The 37-year-old Crosby, who still has a couple of years left in the tank, said earlier this season that pausing his training tends to be detrimental to his game:
“Maybe I’ll get tired at some point,” Crosby said. “But when I go for a while without skating, I notice it. I don’t feel as good after long breaks, which is different from when I was younger.”
Crosby is one of the most decorated Team Canada players ever, and he was brilliant in the 4 Nations. He gets to add to his impressive resume in Stockholm as the Canadians chase a gold medal.
As for MacKinnon, he hasn’t played a ton for Canada over the years, but he did win MVP at the 4 Nations and remains one of the top players in the world.
The addition of Crosby and MacKinnon undoubtedly makes the Canadians a clear-cut favorite to win the 2025 World Championship. They kick off group play against Slovenia next Saturday.
