Crosby, MacKinnon, McDavid among Canada’s first 6 players for 2025 4 Nations face-off

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Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid are among the first six players named in the Canada squad for the 2025 4 Nations face-off on Friday.

Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland will play in the tournament Feb. 12-20 at Boston’s TD Garden and Montreal’s Bell Centre.

He will be joined by Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar and forwards Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins) and Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning). The remainder of the roster, which will consist of 23 NHL players (20 skaters, three goaltenders), will be named later in the year.

Crosby led the Penguins with 94 points (42 goals, 52 assists) in 82 games. It was the 19th season the 36-year-old forward averaged at least 1.00 points per game and tied Wayne Gretzky for the most points in NHL history.

A three-time Stanley Cup champion (2009, 2016, 2017), Crosby is 10th all-time in scoring with 1,596 points (592 goals, 1,004 assists) in 1,272 games since being selected by the Penguins with the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. contract. Among his honors, the Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native has won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player twice (2006–07, 2013–14), and as the league’s scoring leader twice (2006–07, 2013 ) won the Art Ross Trophy. -14) and the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs twice (2016, 2017).

MacKinnon was second in the NHL with 140 points (51 goals, 89 assists) in 82 games this season, and he won the Hart Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award, given to the most outstanding player voted by members of the NHL Players’ Association. goes. The 28-year-old forward, a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, also had 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 11 playoff games.

Since being selected by the Avalanche with the No. 1 pick of the 2013 NHL Draft, MacKinnon has 899 points (335 goals, 564 assists) in 791 regular season games and 114 points (48 goals, 66 assists) in 88 playoff games. , This included 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 20 games to help the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022.

McDavid tied Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov for the NHL lead with 100 assists; He is the first player with at least 100 assists in a season since Gretzky (122) in 1990–91. McDavid was third in the league in scoring with 132 points, the seventh time in nine NHL seasons he has reached 100 points.

The 27-year-old native of Richmond Hill, Ontario led the NHL with 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) in 25 playoff games, helping the Oilers reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006. Sixth player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP from a losing team. McDavid’s 34 assists were the most by a player in a single playoff run, and the most points since Mario Lemieux’s 44 (16 goals, 28 assists) in 23 games for the Penguins in 1991.

Since being selected by the Oilers with the No. 1 pick of the 2015 NHL Draft, McDavid has 982 points (335 goals, 647 assists) in 645 regular-season games and 117 points (37 goals, 80 assists) in 74 playoff games. . He is a three-time Hart Trophy winner (2016–17, 2020–21, 2022–23) and is a finalist for the award this season.

Makar was second among NHL defensemen in scoring with 90 points (21 goals, 69 assists) in 77 games this season, and he had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 11 playoff games.

The 25-year-old, who was born in Calgary, was a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL for the fourth consecutive season; He won the award in 2021–22, the same season he also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup. His 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 20 games led the postseason and set a record for an Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques defenceman.

Selected by the Avalanche in the first round (No. 4) of the 2017 NHL Draft, Makar has 336 points (86 goals, 250 assists) in 315 regular season games and 80 points (21 goals, 59 assists) in 72 playoff games.

Marchand, in his first season as Bruins captain, was second on the team in scoring with 67 points (29 goals, 38 assists) in 82 regular-season games, and he had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 11 playoff games. ) Were.

The 36-year-old forward, born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, has 929 points (401 goals, 528 assists) in 1,029 regular season games and 138 points (56 goals, 82 assists) in 157 playoff games. This included 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) in 25 games to help the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011. Boston selected him in the third round (No. 71) of the 2006 NHL Draft.

Point was second on the Lightning with 90 points (46 goals, 44 assists) in 81 regular season games and had five points (two goals, three assists) in five playoff games.

The 28-year-old native of Calgary was selected in the third round (No. 79) of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Lightning, and averaged 553 points (264 goals, 289 assists) in 580 regular-season games and 87 points (42 goals) in 87 playoff games. , 45 assists). This includes a combined 56 points (28 goals, 28 assists) in 46 games to help the Lightning win Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.

Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins is the Canadian general manager, and John Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning will be the coach.

Canada will play Sweden on February 12 at the Bell Centre, the United States on February 15 at the Bell Center and Finland on February 17 at the TD Garden.


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