Sidney Crosby to join Canada for 2025 World Championship

May 4, 2025, 19:50 EDT

Credit: Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada forward Sidney Crosby (87) prepares for a face-off against Team Sweden in the second period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Team Canada got a huge roster boost on their roster for the 2025 IIHF World Championship in Sweden and Denmark, as they’ve announced that Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby will be joining the team.

ROSTER UPDATE | Sidney Crosby has been added to 🇨🇦’s National Men’s Team for #MensWorlds.

MISE À JOUR | Sidney Crosby s’ajoute à l’équipe nationale masculine du 🇨🇦 pour le #MondialMasculin. pic.twitter.com/U4oIXRXNe4

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) May 4, 2025

With the Penguins failing to make the playoffs for the third straight season, Crosby was available to play in the tournament. He’d actually been eligible for the past six tournaments based on how early the Penguins have been eliminated in the playoffs prior to that, but this will be Crosby’s first tournament since 2015, which won gold. It will be Crosby’s third tournament overall, having also played in 2006, although that team finished fourth.

While the captains haven’t been announced for the tournament, it’s safe to assume that Crosby will be given the “C” having been announced to the roster. Crosby hasn’t had the captaincy while playing for Team Canada since the 2010 Olympics.

Despite the lack of success from Penguins this season, Crosby still had another incredible season, cementing himself as one of the best players of all time. He had 33 goals and 58 assists for 91 points in 80 games on the year, as well as 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points in 4 games for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Sounds like a decent chance Nathan MacKinnon will play for his country as well. https://t.co/vrTBDwhI8E

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 4, 2025

TSN insider Darren Dreger reported that Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon may also join Crosby at the World Championships in the wake of his team being eliminated by the Dallas Stars in seven games in the playoffs. This will be MacKinnon’s fourth time representing Canada in the tournament, having done so previously in 2014, 2015 and 2017.

MacKinnon also had another incredible season for the Avalanche, with 32 goals and 84 assists for 116 points in 79 games, which also made him a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award. He also had 4 goals in 4 games alongside Crosby in the 4 Nations Face-Off, a performance that earned him the MVP of the tournament.

Canada will look to bounce back from a fourth place finish in 2024 when they kick off the tournament against Slovakia on Saturday. They still have nine players left to officially name on the roster before the tournament begins.