Sidney Crosby battled through the short-lived 4 Nations Tournament, where Canada faced the U.S. twice—including a heated final that they won in overtime. One of his teammates, who also plays for the Colorado Avalanche, revealed that Crosby was his childhood hero.
That teammate is Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, who said, “He was my childhood hero… big fan, one of my close friends, amazing to play with him.” He also praised the veteran, stating that Crosby remains one of the NHL’s best players at age 37.
MacKinnon was among Canada’s top scorers in the tournament, netting four goals in three of his four games—scoring once against Sweden, twice against Finland, and once against the United States. Heading into the final, he had just scored two goals against Finland, and the championship game saw him log his highest ice time of the tournament at 20:31.
The tournament was largely dominated by the heavy favorites, Canada and the U.S., with Canada securing a spot in the final thanks to its strong record against Sweden, which also had five points and had recently beaten the U.S.
Nathan MacKinnon #29 and Sidney Crosby #87 of Team Canada chat prior to a second period faceoff against Team Finland in the 4 Nations Face-Off game at TD Garden on February 17, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Have MacKinnon and Crosby ever played together in the NHL?
No, they have never been on the same NHL team. Crosby has been with the Penguins since the start of his career in 2005, while MacKinnon has played for the Avalanche since 2013, steadily establishing himself as a key player with over 840 games played.
see also
Sidney Crosby's net worth: How rich is the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins?
How many goals did Crosby score in the 4 Nations Tournament?
Crosby scored just one goal in the tournament, finding the net in Canada’s 5-3 round-robin win over Finland. In the final against the U.S., he played 19:13 minutes but registered only one shot on goal.
