Sidney Crosby excited for the chance to play on Connor McDavid's wing
One thing that most hockey fans around the world can agree on is that we have been robbed of the opportunity to watch best-on-best international competition. For Canadians, that would have meant watching Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid take the ice together wearing Team Canada jerseys.
When the NHL and NHLPA came together on the World Cup of Hockey back in 2016, both Crosby and McDavid featured but were on separate teams. Crosby captained Team Canada to a title, while McDavid played for the vaunted and exciting Team North America that was comprised of players under the age of 23.
Since then, McDavid has scored 287 goals and 802 points in 524 games while Crosby has chipped in with 212 goals and 564 points in 483 games in that same time span. Unfortunately, with both players performing well above expectation, there have been almost no tournaments outside of the World Championships where they could have played on the same team.
At least there's some hope now with the NHL and NHLPA looking to get the go-ahead for the World Cup of Hockey in 2025 and a small opportunity for the NHL to send their best to the Winter Olympics in 2026. The hope is to feature more tournaments so the World Cup of Hockey will be held on the even years between the Olympics.
Crosby is excited and raring to take part in these tournaments and doesn't mind playing on the wing if it means that McDavid is the 1C of the team:
"I'll go there. I'll play my off-wing, no worries. Listen, I've skated with him and I've played both, so I think I'm good either way with playing center or wing, whatever he wants to do. He can carry the mail. I'll just find the opening."
With the hiatus in international tournaments, it's easy for many to peg Canada as the favourites - and it's hard not to when you have Crosby, McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon among many others. However, the Americans have taken a massive leap over the years, Sweden and Russia still possess stacked rosters, and Finland has a lot of offensive firepower now. Crosby recognizes this:
"Seeing all the other countries, you look at their lineups. I mean, it's pretty tight. I mean, there's no real favored team. It's easy to say Canada because we've had success at Olympics and that sort of thing. But, I mean, the hockey is incredible. And from my experience, it doesn't really get any better than that, when you're looking at the lineups and you're looking to players that are assembled."
Crosby will be 38 in 2025 but he has shown no signs of slowing down. This would represent one of the few chances he has left to skate side-by-side with McDavid, MacKinnon, potentially Connor Bedard, and the many other stars that Canada has to offer.
As seen on TheScore.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 16 | 64 ANSWERS Sidney Crosby excited for the chance to play on Connor McDavid's wing Will we get to see a Team Canada with Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor Bedard in 2025? | ||
| Yes | 32 | 50 % |
| No | 13 | 20.3 % |
| Dear God, I hope so | 19 | 29.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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