Sidney Crosby will play in the IIHF World Championship for the third time in his career — and first time since 2015.
Hockey Canada announced Sunday evening that Crosby is joining its roster before its first game this Saturday in Stockholm.
Crosby, 37, previously played at worlds in 2006 (led event in goals and points after being left off the 2006 Olympic team at age 18) and 2015 (Canada won). He will become the oldest Canadian man to play at worlds since Ray Whitney in 2010.
With that 2015 World title, Crosby joined the “Triple Gold” club of hockey players to win an Olympic gold medal, a Stanley Cup title and an IIHF World Championship. That club is now up to 30 members.
Crosby and many other stars rarely play at the World Championship because it takes place during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Even stars whose teams don’t make the playoffs may pass on worlds to rest after the NHL season.
Nations have been able to add players to their rosters in the days leading up to worlds and even mid-tournament, which means players can fly over to Europe after their teams are eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In 2015, Crosby’s Penguins were eliminated from the playoffs on April 24, he was added to Canada’s roster on April 26 and made it for the first game May 1.
Nathan MacKinnon, whose Colorado Avalanche were eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday, will also join Canada, according to the IIHF.
MacKinnon, the 2023-24 Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP, previously played at worlds in 2014, 2015 and 2017.
MacKinnon, 29, can make his Olympic debut next year as NHL players are expected to participate in the Winter Games for the first time since 2014.
Czechia is the defending world champion. Canada won world titles in 2021 and 2023. The last nation to win the men’s world title the year before the Olympics, then win the Olympics was the Soviet Union in 1983 and 1984.
