Team Canada Notes: Crosby, Barzal, Mercer
Sidney Crosby will join Team Canada at the IIHF Men’s World Championship tournament, Hockey Canada announced today. Crosby’s decision marks the second consecutive season in which the Penguins’ captain has decided to head to IIHF Worlds. Crosby scored 12 points in eight games at last year’s edition of the tournament, although Canada was upset in the quarterfinals by Denmark. One of the game’s greatest players of all time, Crosby has already represented Canada on numerous occasions. He’s a member of the Triple Gold Club, meaning he has won a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal, and IIHF World Championship.
Crosby joins a Canada roster that is already looking like the strongest in the tournament by a wide margin. The Canadians are set to be captained by 2024 No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini. It is unclear if Celebrini will hand over the captaincy to Crosby, who has served as captain for Canada every time he’s represented them over the past decade. If nothing else, it would be quite the sight to see Celebrini, 19, serving as Crosby’s captain. In any case, the announcement is a good sign for Crosby’s health. He briefly left the bench during game five of the Penguins’ first-round loss to the Flyers to get his knee checked, but it appears that he has not suffered an injury of any sort.
Other notes from Hockey Canada:
- While Canada has added one of the game’s top forwards in Crosby, they’ve also lost another premier NHL forward: Mathew Barzal. The New York Islanders star will miss IIHF Worlds as what Hockey Canada describes as “a precaution” due to a “minor, pre-existing injury.” Barzal, who scored 19 goals and 72 points this past season, has played at two prior IIHF Worlds tournaments. He scored eight points in nine games during the 2022 tournament, and had seven points in 10 games at the 2018 championship. He won a silver medal for Canada in 2022 but is still waiting on his first gold.
- Team Canada also added another forward from the Metropolitan Division today: Dawson Mercer of the New Jersey Devils. Like Barzal, Mercer has also represented Canada at IIHF Worlds on two occasions: first in 2022, and again in 2024. Mercer won a silver medal with Barzal in 2022 and has scored nine points in 19 career games at the World Championships. The 24-year-old can play both center and on the wing, and scored 20 goals and 42 points for New Jersey this past season.
Team Canada Notes: Bouchard, Nurse, McKenna, Whitecloud
A pair of Edmonton Oilers defensemen are going to represent Canada at the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championships: Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse. (Reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger) The addition of Bouchard gives Canada a player who could very well end up the top offensive defenseman at the tournament. The 26-year-old is coming off of a season where he scored a career-high 21 goals and 95 points. The addition of Nurse gives Canada another NHL top-four defenseman with extensive playoff experience. Nurse averaged 20:58 time on ice per game this season, No. 2 on the Oilers.
Bouchard has yet to represent Canada as a professional, but represented his country in international tournaments in junior hockey. He was part of Team Canada at the World Juniors in the 2018-19 season though his team lost in the quarterfinals. Nurse, on the other hand, has represented Canada at two World Championships: 2018 and 2019. Canada lost the bronze medal to the United States in Nurse’s first trip to the tournament, and won a silver medal in his second.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- Top 2026 NHL draft prospect Gavin McKenna will not join Team Canada for the upcoming tournament, reversing earlier reports that indicated he would. TSN’s Darren Dreger reported the decision as a group choice meant to allow McKenna to focus his attention on the upcoming scouting combine. McKenna has long been considered the front-runner to go No. 1 overall at this year’s draft, though Corey Pronman of The Athletic recently characterized the race for No. 1 as being more wide-open.
- Another defenseman will join the Canadian entry into IIHF Worlds: Calgary Flames blueliner Zach Whitecloud, as reported by Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg. This won’t be the 29-year-old blueliner’s first trip to the World Championships. He represented Canada at the 2022 tournament, scoring four points in 10 games for a Canada team that fell in overtime in the gold medal game against Finland.
Evening Notes: Team Canada, Crosby, Ortmeyer
In a surprising announcement, Hockey Canada shared that it will not be participating in the 2026 Spengler Cup. The 2026 rendition of the tournament will be the first time since 1983 that Canada has not sent a team to the tournament.
Included in the announcement was a statement from Hockey Canada, saying, “Hockey Canada and the Spengler Cup organizing committee have announced that Canada’s National Men’s Team will not participate in the 2026 Spengler Cup. Hockey Canada’s long-term agreement expired following the 2025 Spengler Cup, and a new agreement to include Team Canada in the 2026 event could not be reached in time.”
There is no word on exactly why an agreement couldn’t be reached between the two sides, but the outcome remains the same. Typically carrying a roster full of AHL talent, Team Canada had been dominant in the tournament for the last three decades, winning 13 Spengler Cups since 1992 and appearing in 20 championship contests.
Additional evening notes:
- Eligible for a contract extension this summer, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was fairly non-committal on a new deal when asked today. According to Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review, Crosby stated that he is taking a “wait and see” approach regarding a new deal and has not given it much thought. In the midst of their rebuild, Crosby signed a new extension with the Penguins after being followed by extensive trade rumors. At this point, it doesn’t appear there’s much possibility of “The Kid” playing for a new team, and he will continue his career in Pittsburgh as long as he wants.
- According to Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic, the New York Rangers will not be retaining Jed Ortmeyer this offseason. Ortmeyer, 47, has been the Rangers’ Director of Player Development since the 2017-18 campaign. It’s a relatively obvious change as New York embarks on a retool, as the team has had a notoriously difficult time drafting and developing talent over the last several years.
Snapshots: Stanley, Jarry, Bedard
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley‘s status for game six tonight against the Boston Bruins is questionable as he manages an illness, reports The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn. Stanley missed Sabres practice on Thursday but Ruff said he was feeling better then compared to how he felt on Wednesday. If he isn’t able to dress in tonight’s game, Michael Kesselring would likely get the call.
Kesselring, 26, would be making his playoff debut if he ends up dressing for the Sabres tonight. A key piece of the team’s return in exchange for forward JJ Peterka, Kesselring spent most of 2025-26 sidelined by injury. He played in just 34 games and his unavailability is part of what prompted Buffalo to acquire two defensemen at the trade deadline. He had a strong season the year prior in Utah, though, and there is hope he can rediscover that form with a stretch of good health. If Kesselring does play, his entrance into the lineup would mean the Sabres would be staffing their third pairing with two right-shot defensemen, the other being Conor Timmins.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- The Edmonton Oilers will be under a significant amount of pressure to upgrade their roster this summer after a disappointing first-round exit, and an area likely to receive considerable attention is their goaltending. Neither veteran Tristan Jarry nor Connor Ingram inspired much confidence, and The Athletic’s Chris Johnston and Sean Gentille wrote that “it wouldn’t be surprising if Edmonton looked to move on” from Jarry. The 31-year-old, who was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins early in 2025-26, has two years remaining on his deal at $5.375MM AAV. Finding a taker for Jarry could prove difficult at that cap hit, as he posted an .858 save percentage in 19 games in Edmonton. A buyout wouldn’t yield significant cap savings.
- Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard won’t play for Team Canada at the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championships, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Bedard reportedly wanted to represent his home country at the tournament but was told the “best thing” would be for him to focus on rehabbing his injury. Bedard missed time in December and January with a shoulder injury. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick, who turns 21 in July, scored 30 goals and 75 points in 69 games this season.
Team Canada Notes: Donskov, Carbery, McKenna
As expected, Hockey Canada is making a change behind the bench for their international teams. According to an announcement from the organization, Hockey Canada has named Misha Donskov as head coach for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship this summer and the IIHF World Junior Championship next winter.
Donskov, 49, was rumored to be a favorite for the role for some time. Although he has never held a head coaching position in an official capacity throughout his professional career, he has been involved in the game for some time. His career began ahead of the 2001-02 season, when he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets as a team consultant. Donskov enjoyed the same role with the now-relocated Atlanta Thrashers from 2004-05 to 2008-09.
He spent some time in the OHL and with various Team Canada clubs, primarily working as a video coach. He returned to the NHL in 2016-17, being named Director of Hockey Operations for the Vegas Golden Knights, and became one of the team’s assistant coaches ahead of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. He had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup in 2023 as a coach of the Golden Knights.
Since then, Donskov enjoyed a two-year stint as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars before fully transitioning to the international stage this season. He was an associate coach on Dave Cameron‘s staff at the World Junior Championships this season, earning a bronze medal.
Additional international notes:
- Although it won’t be at the World Junior Championships, Donskov will have another successful coach joining him this summer in Switzerland. According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Spencer Carbery, head coach of the Washington Capitals, will serve as an assistant coach under Donskov for the international tournament. Unlike Donskov, this will be Carbery’s first time serving internationally with Team Canada, despite being only one year removed from winning the Jack Adams Award.
- Team Canada has made another addition to their World Championship club, though this time it’ll be on the ice rather than the bench. Mike Morreale of the NHL announced that top prospect Gavin McKenna will join Team Canada for the 2026 NHL Draft international contest. McKenna, 18, remains the consensus top choice in the upcoming draft on most boards after scoring 15 goals and 51 points in 35 games for the NCAA’s Penn State University Nittany Lions this season.
Snapshots: Garand, Team Canada, Poirier
The New York Rangers are likely to give young goaltender Dylan Garand the inside track to become the team’s backup netminder next season, reports Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic. Veteran Jonathan Quick has been the No. 2 on Broadway for the last three seasons, but has played his final NHL game. Garand, 23, has been waiting in the wings, and it appears he’ll be given a strong chance to win the role at training camp next fall. The former CHL Goalie of the Year has been the No. 1 goalie for the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack for the last three years, and went 2-0-1 with a .948 save percentage in his first three NHL games this year. Garand was an AHL All-Star in 2024-25 and his playoff performances have been especially impressive, as he has a .927 save percentage in 17 games across two runs.
While Garand does seem ready for the NHL, Mercogliano did also say that Rangers GM Chris Drury will most likely add “some level of veteran competition” for Garand. The Rangers already have veteran Spencer Martin (72 career NHL games played) under contract at a one-way, league-minimum rate for next season. But Martin struggled this season (.864 save percentage in six NHL games, .873 in 22 AHL games) and isn’t likely to be a part of their long-term plans. According to Mercogliano, Drury could add another veteran beyond just Martin, “either on a cheap, short-term deal or a professional tryout contract,” to compete with Garand.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- Hockey Canada has secured some significant commitments for its roster for the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championship tournament, reports Darren Dreger of TSN. According to Dreger, Macklin Celebrini, Mark Scheifele, Mathew Barzal, and Morgan Rielly have all committed, landing the team some significant names from the NHL. Additionally, potential 2026 No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna will be on the roster as well. McKenna isn’t the first top prospect to play for Canada at Worlds in his draft year. Porter Martone played for Canada at last year’s tournament before he was selected No. 6 overall, while Adam Fantilli won the tournament in 2023 just shortly before he was selected No. 3 overall. Joining the team will give McKenna the chance to compete against men, something his main rival to be picked No. 1, Sweden’s Ivar Stenberg, has been able to do all year playing for Frolunda in the SHL.
- Carolina Hurricanes prospect Justin Poirier has transferred from the University of Maine to Penn State, reports Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. The 19-year-old ranks as the No. 7 prospect in the Hurricanes’ system, according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. The Hurricanes selected Poirier in the fifth round, No. 156 overall, at the 2024 draft. That was a somewhat surprising result for a player who scored 69 goals across 85 regular season and playoff contests in his draft year. Poirier was able to translate his QMJHL scoring to the college level, posting 18 goals and 29 points in 27 games for Maine. There will be big shoes for him to fill in the Nittany Lions attack, as the team’s top three scorers from last season will all be playing pro hockey in the fall. Additionally, Penn State’s fourth-highest scorer, J.J. Wiebusch, transferred to Wisconsin.
Snapshots: Team Canada, Hagens, Ott
Team Canada has secured commitments from several big-name players for the country’s team at the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championships in Switzerland, according to Darren Dreger of TSN. Per Dreger, some of the names include: Mark Scheifele, John Tavares, Robert Thomas, and Ryan O’Reilly, with more set to be named moving forward. This quartet of centers gives the country enviable depth at one of the game’s most important positions, and also means one or two of those names could end up playing on the wing. Canada last won an IIHF Men’s World Championship in 2023.
O’Reilly, who scored 74 points in 81 games for the Nashville Predators this season, has won gold at IIHF Worlds twice in his career, and has also won a silver medal at the tournament. He was also on last year’s Canadian entry into the tournament. Scheifele, 33, scored 103 points this season and won gold in 2016 and silver in 2017, scoring 21 points across 27 career games at IIHF World Championships. Thomas scored 64 points in 64 games for the St. Louis Blues this season but has not previously represented Canada on the country’s senior men’s side. Tavares, who scored 71 points for the Toronto Maple Leafs this year, captained Team Canada at the 2024 edition of the tournament, and also played at worlds in 2010, 2011, and 2012. He led the tournament in goals in 2010.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- Boston Bruins star prospect James Hagens will most likely be in the lineup for the first game of the team’s upcoming series against the Buffalo Sabres, head coach Marco Sturm told the media today. Hagens, 19, has gotten into two career NHL games so far and has registered one assist, playing a third-line winger role alongside Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov. Hagens scored four points in six games at the AHL level and managed 23 goals and 47 points in 34 games playing for Boston College this year. He’s been widely considered the Bruins’ top prospect since the team selected him No. 7 overall at the 2025 draft.
- The St. Louis Blues are expected to enter negotiations to retain Steve Ott as head coach of the team’s AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, beyond this season, per GM Doug Armstrong. Ott took over as Thunderbirds head coach in January, replacing Steve Konowalchuk, who began the season 13-18-6. Ott was able to deliver playoff hockey to Springfield, guiding the team to a 31-31-10 record as of writing, good for the final opening-round playoff spot in the league’s Atlantic Division. Ott was formerly an assistant on the Blues’ NHL staff and also had an 848-game NHL career as a player.
Morning Notes: McKenna, Protas, Gudas
Penn State University forward Gavin McKenna, a leading contender to go No. 1 overall at the upcoming 2026 NHL Entry Draft, had his collegiate season ended yesterday at the hands of the University of Minnesota-Duluth. While his time with the Nittany Lions this season may have concluded, it’s unlikely to be his final competitive game before the draft. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on the Saturday Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada that “the most likely next step” for McKenna is to represent Canada at the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championships.
Friedman said that, “barring something very surprising,” McKenna will end up playing for Canada at Worlds. There is some precedent for top NCAA prospects to play for Team Canada at Worlds just shortly before they’re drafted. 2025 No. 6 overall pick Porter Martone played two games for Canada at last year’s tournament, while 2023 No. 3 pick Adam Fantilli scored a highlight-reel goal and won a gold medal at the 2023 edition of the games. With McKenna looking to secure his spot at the top of NHL teams’ draft lists, the World Championships will be a chance for him to showcase his qualities in a high-stakes tournament against competition largely made up of pro players. That could give teams an opportunity to directly compare McKenna to a fellow contender for the No. 1 draft slot, Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg. Stenberg has been competing at the pro level all season for Frölunda in the SHL.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas was knocked out of yesterday’s shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights with an upper-body injury, according to a team announcement. The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber indicated Protas’ absence was due to a “big collision” with former teammate Nic Dowd, one that resulted in Protas being helped off the ice. The big 25-year-old forward is among Washington’s more promising offensive talents. He enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024-25, scoring 30 goals and 66 points. He has 23 goals and 47 points this season.
- Friedman also reported on Saturday Headlines that injured Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas is pushing to play the team’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night. Gudas is dealing with a lower-body injury and was sidelined for Anaheim’s last game. His timeline to return is still in question. What isn’t is Gudas’ desire to play against the Maple Leafs, per Friedman. Tomorrow’s contest will be Toronto’s first against the Ducks since Gudas’ highly controversial hit on Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews. Gudas was suspended five games for the play, returning to action March 22.
Sidney Crosby Ruled Out Of Semifinals, Possible For Medal Game
Feb. 20: Crosby will not play in today’s semifinal matchup against Finland, Hockey Canada announced. As IIHF rules stipulate a captain must be named for each game, Connor McDavid will wear the ‘C’ in his absence. Crosby, who by all accounts avoided a worst-case injury, is still questionable for either the bronze or gold medal game pending today’s result.
Feb. 18: During Canada’s dramatic overtime victory over Czechia in the quarterfinals of the ongoing Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby was forced out of the game with an injury.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan relayed word from Canadian head coach Jon Cooper post-game, who said that he didn’t know the extent of Crosby’s injury. According to Kaplan, Crosby will undergo medical imaging to determine the extent of the lower-body injury he suffered. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported that Hockey Canada is expected to issue an update on Crosby’s status on Thursday.
As one of the most iconic players in the history of Canadian international hockey competition, Crosby’s status is one of the key storylines to watch as the tournament progresses into the semifinal stage. At this point in time, one can only speculate on whether Crosby will be available for the rest of the tournament.
If Crosby is unavailable, it goes without saying that would be a massive loss for Canada. Crosby has six points in the tournament and his line with Mitch Marner and Mark Stone has been one of Canada’s best.
Any extended absence would also impact the Penguins. Pittsburgh is in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, in large part powered by Crosby’s 59 points in 56 games. Losing Crosby, even for a brief period of time, would make winning on a nightly basis far more challenging for the Penguins.
As of right now, all Canada and Penguins fans can do is wait for Hockey Canada to issue an update regarding Crosby and hope it’s positive.
International Notes: Schaefer, Jarvis, Vaakanainen, Hutson
Although he was ultimately left off Team Canada’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics, rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer will have an opportunity to play if needed. Earlier today, Andrew Gross of Newsday reported that Schaefer is on Team Canada’s standby list and will play if the team runs into injury trouble.
Even being on the standby list is a testament to how the recent first overall pick has played for the New York Islanders this season. He’s leading the team in defensive scoring by a significant margin, recording nine goals and 25 points in 40 games while averaging nearly 24 minutes of action per game. Furthermore, his defensive metrics are notably mature for his age, with a 50.7% CorsiFor at even strength and 90.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength.
Still, it’s curious that Hockey Canada has opted for Schaefer being the next man up rather than Washington Capitals blueliner Jakob Chychrun. The former 16th overall pick has been one of the most underrated defensemen in the league this season, scoring 15 goals and 30 points in 40 games while managing a 23:16 ATOI. Additionally, Chychrun’s underlying metrics are better than Schaefer’s, with a 56.0% CF% and 91.8% oiSV% at even strength.
Other international notes:
- Schaefer isn’t the only skater from the Metropolitan Division to find himself on Team Canada’s standby list. Seth Jarvis, who skated for Team Canada in last year’s Four Nations Face-Off, is also on Team Canada’s standby list, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. Although arguments could be made for other forwards, it’s difficult to say Jarvis hasn’t earned it with 19 goals and 29 points in 34 games this season for the Carolina Hurricanes.
- Moving to Group B of the upcoming international tournament, the New York Rangers will have a defenseman on the standby list — this time for Team Finland. According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, Urho Vaakanainen will be available for Team Finland if they run into injury trouble. Vaakanainen played in three games for Finland last season at the Four Nations Face-Off, going scoreless with a -5 rating.
- In the World Juniors Championship, the United States is expected to return an important defenseman for their upcoming quarterfinal matchup against Finland. This afternoon, Mike G. Morreale of the NHL wrote that Cole Hutson, who hasn’t played since being hit in the head with a puck in the round robin matchup against Team Switzerland, is expected to return to the lineup tomorrow. The Capitals prospect has already registered two assists in two games with a +5 rating.