Friends and NHL stars Crosby, MacKinnon reunite at men's hockey worlds after 10 years

Karel Janicek · The Associated Press

· Posted: May 08, 2025 11:07 AM EDT | Last Updated: 12 minutes ago

Be aware: Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon articulation forces to play for Canada astatine the crystal hockey satellite title aft 10 years.

As each eyes are connected the NHL playoffs, the 2 large stars are successful Europe for the worlds opening connected Friday crossed the Swedish superior of Stockholm and Denmark's metropolis of Herning.

It is the last men's planetary trial earlier the 2026 Winter Games successful Italy, wherever NHL players instrumentality to the Olympics aft 12 years.

The 2 friends and neighbours successful Halifax were connected the squad Crosby captained to golden astatine the 2015 worlds. By winning the tourney successful Prague then, Crosby joined hockey's Triple Gold Club, a tiny radical of players who person won the Stanley Cup, the Olympics and the worlds.

These are the 3rd worlds, and archetypal since 2015 for Crosby, a three-time Stanley Cup victor (2009, '16 and '17) and treble Olympic champion (2010 and '14). He's captured golden for Canada astatine each planetary tournament, including the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and the 2005 satellite inferior championship.

In February, the 37-year-old besides shone alongside MacKinnon arsenic helium captained Canada to the 4 Nations Face-Off trophy, beating archrival the United States successful overtime.

Crosby has down him a 20th NHL play featuring 33 goals, 58 assists and 91 points successful 80 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who missed retired connected the NHL playoffs.

MacKinnon opted to articulation Canada aft his Colorado Avalanche were knocked retired successful the archetypal round. It volition beryllium the 4th worlds and archetypal since 2017 for the 29-year-old centre, who recorded the 2nd highest points successful the regular play — 116 — and added different 11 successful the playoffs.

Crosby volition besides reunite with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury who has conscionable exited the NHL but postponed his status astatine property of 40 to play again with Crosby and astatine the worlds for the archetypal time.

"It'll beryllium amusive to spell walk immoderate clip unneurotic and outcry astatine him successful signifier a bit, support him honest," said Fleury, who won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins 3 times.

WATCH | Crosby and MacKinnon assistance Canada to 4 Nations Face-Off title:

Among the rising stars, Canada includes the 18-year-old Macklin Celebrini, the apical prime successful the 2024 NHL draught who collected 63 points from 25 goals and 38 assists successful his rookie play for the San Jose Sharks.

Canada is the astir palmy federation astatine the tourney with 28 titles and is simply a favourite each twelvemonth nary substance who is available. With Crosby and MacKinnon, it is the squad to beat.

Other contenders

• David Pastrnak is backmost for the defending champion Czech Republic aft his Boston Bruins didn't beforehand to the playoffs. The Czechs bushed Switzerland 2-0 successful the last successful Prague past twelvemonth with Pastrnak scoring the winner. It was the seventh rubric won by the Czech Republic since the 1993 breakup of Czechoslovakia. Pastrnak racked up 106 points successful the NHL, reaching 1 100 for the 3rd consecutive season.
• Utah skipper Clayton Keller volition besides skipper a U.S. that is seeking a archetypal worlds medal since a bronze successful 2021. Alternate captains, guardant Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres and forward Conor Garland of the Vancouver Canucks, were connected that squad 4 years ago. Columbus defenceman Zach Werenski and Boston net-minder Jeremy Swayman were connected the squad that was 5th past year.

• Filip Forsberg volition look again for the Sweden squad that bushed Canada 4-2 successful the bronze-medal crippled past year. The near winger volition instrumentality location to play successful 2 regular play games betwixt Nashville and the Penguins successful Stockholm successful November arsenic portion of the the NHL planetary series. Others connected the Sweden squad see New York Rangers guardant Mika Zibanejad and New Jersey defenseman Jonas Brodin and goalie Jacob Markstrom.
• The 2022 champion Finland struggled astatine the erstwhile 2 worlds, finishing seventh and eighth, its worst results successful decades. Nashville goalie Justus Annunen, Chicago guardant Teuvo Teravainen and Rangers guardant Juuso Parssinen anticipation to assistance crook things around.
• Switzerland features a trio from New Jersey; forwards Nico Hischier and Timo Meier and defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler.

Tournament format

The 16 teams are divided into 2 groups for the preliminary round.

Canada is successful Group A successful Stockholm with Sweden, Finland, Austria, France, Latvia, Slovakia and newcomer Slovenia. Group B successful Herning includes the Czechs, Switzerland, the U.S., Denmark, Germany, different newcomer Hungary, Kazakhstan and Norway.

The apical 4 successful each radical marque the quarterfinals. From the semifinals, each games volition beryllium successful Stockholm astatine the iconic Avicii Arena, antecedently known arsenic Globen.

The last and bronze-medal crippled are scheduled for May 25.