NHL Opinion

Sidney Crosby is Captain Clutch for Team Canada

Jim Biringer
8 Min Read
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

What else can you say about Sidney Crosby and what he has down for the sport in Canada? At age 37, he continues to show he is the best player in the world, especially at these best-on-best International hockey events. The start of the Four Nations Faceoff was no different for Crosby, as he registered three primary assists, including the game-winner by Mitch Marner.

“He’s a gamer, man. In big situations, he plays even better, and he did it again tonight. Yeah, he was probably the best player on the ice.” Drew Doughty said of Crosby’s play after the win on Wednesday.

“No signs of slowing down,” McDavid said of what Crosby is doing for Team Canada. “It seems like he could do this for a really long time. It’s just fun to watch. Obviously, you watch from afar, but to see him work up close and personal here this last week and for the next couple days, it’s a real treat for everyone here on this team.”

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As Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper said post-game, Crosby deserved the love he got from the Bell Centre crowd on Wednesday night. He will go down as the greatest player to wear a Canadian sweater if he isn’t all ready.

“It’s no coincidence his record of when he’s wearing a Canadian jersey. That’s not a fluke,”  Cooper said following Canada’s win on Wednesday in overtime. “He will go down as the greatest player to ever represent his country. If not, he’s going to be on the Mount Rushmore, for sure, of people that have thrown the Canadian jersey on.”

And you understand why, too, right? How many big games has Crosby played on the International level? Go back to his World Juniors Day in 2005 with what is called the greatest Team Canada team ever put together for that tournament. Then, he has the iconic Golden Goal for Canada in the 2010 Olympics. He follows that up with big moments at the 2014 Olympics and 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

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In an international competition, Crosby was 26-0 in his last 26 games, wearing a Canadian sweater going back to the 2010 Olympics. He has 20 points (10 goals and 19 assists) in those 26 games with a +85 goal differential. That is impressive. And the legend of Sidney Crosby just continues to grow. It started early, and he got the loudest ovation when the players were introduced.

The only player who received a louder ovation was Mario Lemieux. But when they were together, the roof was coming off the Bell Centre.

Throughout the game, the crowd was chanting Crosby, Crosby, Crosby. They knew who the best player on the ice was and what he meant to the sport, not to mention the legacy he built in Pittsburgh playing for the Penguins. But the Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native played his junior hockey for Rimouski Oceanic, so the people knew how special he was back then.

It is hard to find a louder ovation for a non-Montreal Canadien than Sidney Crosby. Marc-Andre Fleury is a close second. Every time he goes to the Bell Centre, he gets a great ovation, including his last game as a member of the Minnesota Wild.

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But Sidney Crosby is on another level. Making your name wearing a Team Canada sweater puts you on the level with the greats. When his team needed him the most, Crosby stepped up the most. He was part of the lethal power play that opened the scoring. That unit only needed 12 seconds on a beautiful pass from Crosby to Nathan MacKinnon, but that is not where he showed his winning spirit and mindset.

With Canada up 2-1 and Sweden pressing, Crosby took his game to another level. He got his second primary assist of the night on Mark Stone‘s 3-1 goal. First, he got himself open on the wing, then he drew three Sweden players to him, allowing Stone to be open in the slot for the goal.

But what makes him so good is how well he reads the play and situation of the game. With the game tied and time winding down in overtime, Crosby carried the puck out of the zone, with the crowd chanting his name, looking for a pass. He then went to the bench to see who was coming on. He left the puck for Marner to use his speed through the neutral zone to end the game.

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Sidney Crosby was named the first star of the night, and the ovation was just as loud as it was at the beginning of the game.

Even after fielding all those questions on Wednesday night, probably not getting to bed close to 2 am, he was out on the ice in Brossard with MacKinnon for an optional Team Canada practice. That is the difference between Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and everyone else in the league. That is the winning mindset that is needed to be a champion.

As the tournament goes on, expect Sidney Crosby to continue to raise his level of play.

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