Sidney Crosby will be joining Team Canada at the Men’s World Championships, as per an announcement by Hockey Canada on Tuesday afternoon. The veteran has been added to the team, while news that Mathew Barzal will miss the tournament as a precaution due to a minor, pre-existing injury is also confirmed.
Chris Johnston notes, “It’s not yet clear if Sidney Crosby’s decision to join Canada at the worlds will alter plans for Macklin Celebrini to wear the “C,” but needless to say, there’s lots of excitement about his addition to the roster.” Knowing the type of player Celebrini is, he’ll happily hand it over to Crosby and insist he take the leadership role.
Darren Dreger of TSN noted, “The man loves to play. Team Canada brass has been talking to Crosby since the Penguins were eliminated. He made his decision to accept the invite to the Worlds earlier today.”
This is both a bit surprising and not so much, given Crosby’s passion for playing and his country. Despite being 38 and coming off a season partially disrupted by an injury might have suggested he’d sit this one out, giving him extra time to recoup over the summer. He is notorious for not taking long breaks. Any opportunity to play in games that mean something, Crosby is going to jump at it if he’s physically able to play.
Canada has quite a strong group heading to this year’s men’s World Championship in Switzerland. The first game on Friday.
Next: Comparing Offseason Strategies: Oilers vs. Maple Leafs
Discover more from NHL Trade Talk
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
