Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon shock Canadian teammates ...Middle East

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Published Feb 14, 2025  •  Last updated 12 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

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Most people were surprised to see Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon show up for Team Canada’s off-day practice on Thursday, but also not surprised, if that makes sense.

The two superstars from Cole Harbour were the first two players on the ice for the lightly-attended optional skate just 12 hours after Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime win over Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal. They spent the whole session working together on some minute details of their game, like backhand saucer passes from specific spots on the ice and picking pucks off the boards on rim passes.

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It was a familiar glimpse into their well-known obsession with excellence and a reminder of why they’re so respected and revered inside the game.

“It just shows their work ethic and their will to be the best,” Canadian forward Sam Bennett said in a post-practice media session. “I think they both played over 20 minutes last night and it wasn’t an easy game, by any means, so to show up here and be the first guys on the ice just shows their character.”

The only other players who showed up for the skate were a handful of depth members of the team, plus the healthy scratches from Game 1 like Bennett and defenceman Travis Sanheim. The others all stayed back in the hotel a half-hour drive from the practice facility in suburban Brossard.

“When we got on the bus and I saw them walk on I was a little shocked,” Sanheim told reporters. “I thought maybe they were coming for cold tub, hot tub (treatment) instead of hopping on the ice. That’s just who they are. They enjoy working and getting better at their craft and you can take a lot from them.”

It’s also plainly apparent how much the two are savouring the opportunity to play on the same team for the first – and perhaps only – time in their careers.

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“They skate together all the time in the summer and work out together so they’re really good friends and you can see that friendship on the ice and off the ice as well,” Bennett said.

Sanheim described how he turned into more of an interested observer than a teammate during the skate while he watched how the two went about their business.

“Just the abilities to make plays a lot of guys can’t,” he said. “They’re good on their feet, they can protect the puck and just the skill sets that they have, not many guys have that.”

It bears pointing out again that Crosby is not only playing injured, but at 37 years old, is also the oldest player in the tournament. Logically, you would expect he would be preserving his energy more than everyone else, yet he and MacKinnon were the last to leave the ice.

Both players took the time at the end of the skate to gather up all of the loose pucks and put them back in the equipment bags, which is a task usually reserved for rookies or team staff.

“Those two are hockey junkies,” Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper said to reporters. “It’s really cool to be part of it. Everything for them is about the game. They talk about the game, they live the game and you don’t see that a ton.

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“And the thing is, when you rise to that level, you have a tendency to take your foot off the gas, or get used to the life. … I’ve watched it countless times with players. But those two, they don’t take it for granted.”

That example, especially from Crosby as the senior statesman, is not going unnoticed by the younger players on Team Canada.

“His leadership is unmatched,” Bennett said. “He’s a true professional. He’s a guy that just loves the game. You can tell. He always wants to be out there and he wants to be around the guys. It’s pretty impressive to see firsthand. I’ve obviously idolized him my whole life so to see how hard he works, it’s inspirational.”

MARCHAND TURNING HATERS INTO FANS

Less surprising was fellow Nova Scotian Brad Marchand’s comfort level on the mic.

The 36-year-old from Hammonds Plains has a well-deserved reputation as one of the more colourful and talkative players in the NHL and he was wired for Canada’s opener. He did not disappoint with his entertaining running commentary.

The Boston Bruins captain’s most memorable nugget came in the Canadian dressing room in the moments after the win over Sweden when he trolled Crosby about his dangerous drop pass to Mitch Marner on the overtime goal.

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“Risky play there at the end 87,” Marchand joked. “Through the legs and back into our zone, not a big deal. And he decided to go for a loop down into the corner after it too, almost went offside.”

Cameras caught the moment and the clip has been going viral on social media ever since. The 31-second video already had nearly 100,000 likes roughly 24 hours after being posted on TikTok.

Viewer comments are also spiking and the theme of most of them centred around how the infamous agitator was inconceivably winning people over with his charisma and likeability. It’s similar to how he heard loud cheers inside the Bell Centre for the first time in his career after scoring Canada’s second goal against Sweden.

“Wait. Do I LIKE Brad Marchand? I feel conflicted,” one person posted.

“Everyone hates him but wishes he was on their team,” posted another.

“How dare you make me think I might be able to like Brad Marchand.”

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