Sidney Crosby's strong message to Team Canada HC on playing with Brad Marchand, Nathan MacKinnon

Team Canada has announced its roster for the Four Nations Faceoff, and head coach Jon Cooper faces a welcome challenge in determining the team’s lines. The squad is stacked, and while a few big names will miss out, the Maple Leaf remains the favorite to lift the trophy. Ahead of the international showdown, Sidney Crosby shared his thoughts on what it would mean to play alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Marchand.

All three: Crosby, Marchand, and MacKinnon are from Nova Scotia and they train together back home during the offseason. The chance to represent their country and their province doesn’t come often in the NHL, so when the Four Nations Faceoff comes around in February 12 the Nova Scotian stars look to make the most of it.

On that note, Crosby (who’s expected to captain Team Canada) issued a strong message on the possibility of joining Marchand and MacKinnon in a star-studded roster.

“It’s going to be cool, playing with Nate and ‘Marshy,’ obviously hometown guys,” Crosby said, via NHL.com. “It’s been a while since Nate and I played together at the World Championships in Prague in 2015 so it’s great to have the opportunity.”

Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates after Rickard Rakell #67 scored a goal against the San Jose Sharks in the first period at SAP Center on February 14, 2023.

MacKinnon goes even further

Being on the same team, chatting in the locker room, and riding the bus to the arena are already experiences the Nova Scotian friends are looking forward to. However, MacKinnon went a step further, suggesting that head coach Jon Cooper should play them on the same line.

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“I’d love to be on [Crosby’s] wing,” MacKinnon stated during the summer. “That’d be cool. I think we’d play well together. That’d be my little kid in me; I would gladly go to the wing. Can’t win face-offs anyway so that would work. That would be a dream.”

Although MacKinnon plays center, like Crosby, the Avalanche star doesn’t mind moving on to the wing in order to join Sidney and Brad in their line.

Marchand joins in on the fun

Though their NHL seasons with their respective teams are paramount, the prospect of playing for their country is too exciting to ignore.

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“It’s great that we’re getting closer (to the 4 Nations Face-off),” Marchand added. “It’s something that we’re all very excited about. Obviously, right now we have to focus on the job and the task at hand but as we get closer, the excitement will definitely ramp up. It’ll be an incredible tournament to be a part of and once we’re with guys from back home it’ll be even more special.”