(photo: International Ice Hockey Foundation, www.iihf.com)

Ok, first thing, I am not a big hockey fan but Sidney Crosby is back in a Team Canada jersey this got to mean a lot and I mean all the hockey fans should be hyped up already.

It’s been 10 years since Sid last played in the IIHF World Championship — way back in 2015, when he captained Canada to gold. Now, at 37 years old, he’s getting ready again for the 2025 tournament, and it feels like the start of something special.

“Just to get the opportunity to play for Canada,” Crosby said, “it’s been a long time and any chance you get to do that, it’s huge. Obviously [to be] part of this group, too. It’s a special group.”

His old Penguins teammate Marc-André Fleury is joining him. Fleury just wrapped up his 21st NHL season and is finally getting his first shot at the World Championship. And sounds like he is pretty excited:

“I’ve never played in the World Championship. I haven’t played with Sid in a while, obviously, so I think it’ll be fun to go spend some time together and yell at him in practice a bit.”

Between the two of them, they’ve got three Stanley Cups, two Olympic golds, and tons of playoff experience, way more than most countries altogether. Having them on the roster may just mean an instant gold for Canada?! 

Dean Evason, who’s stepping in as Canada’s head coach, knows what’s at stake:

“It’s always a tremendous honour to represent Canada. I’m humbled and grateful to have this opportunity. We’re going to do everything we can to win.”

The tournament kicks off May 9 with Canada facing Slovenia, and runs until May 25. This year’s event is split between Herning, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden.

We’ve seen some great Team Canada lineups over the years, but there’s something special about seeing Crosby wear that maple leaf again. A little throw back time of 2010 and 2015 when he led the team to some memorable moments. 

So yeah — Crosby’s back. Fleury’s in. Canada’s looking solid and us fans will be rooting for them on this side of the globe.