Team Canada is celebrating after just one practice for the 4-Nations Face-Off, following news that international superstar Sidney Crosby will be good-to-go when Canada kicks off the tournament on Thursday per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. This news comes after Crosby missed the Pittsburgh Penguins’ last two games with an upper-body injury. He practiced in full at Canada’s Monday skate, serving on the team’s second line and filling the net-front role on the top power-play unit. Crosby is also serving as Canada’s team captain, as he has at the country’s last three international events with NHL talent.
Team Canada will be at relatively full-strength with news of Crosby’s health. The team has no shortage of superstar talent – boasting Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Cale Makar, arguably the three top players in the NHL. But the Canadian crest doesn’t shine the same without Crosby part of the group. His international highlights are enough to satisfy a full career. Crosby famously scored Canada’s “Golden Goal” at the 2010 Winter Olympics to pull the country ahead of Team USA in the Gold Medal game. He had seven points in seven games that tournament, and added three more in six games of the 2014 Olympics -where Canada repeated their Gold Medal win with a team led in scoring by Shea Weber and Drew Doughty. Crosby has only appeared in two international events since that second Gold – netting 11 points in nine games of the 2014 World Championship, and scoring 10 points in six games of the 2017 World Cup. His presence and international track record will make Canada the country to beat early in this year’s tournament.
The handicapped Team Finland has received similarly-bright news, with Finnish coach Antti Pennanen sharing that Mikko Rantanen will join the team for their first game against Team USA per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Rantanen has represented Finland at every step in his pro hockey career. He appeared in two World Juniors with Finland in 2015 and 2016, totaling nine points in 12 games and captaining the team in the latter tournament. Rantanen also represented Finland at the 2016 World Championship, marking the first of his four appearances at the international tourney. He’s totaled 31 points in 31 World Championship games – and stands as potentially Finland’s biggest scoring threat at the 4-Nations Face-Off. Rantanen’s role in the lineup isn’t yet clear, but he will likely support the team’s top line and top power-play unit next to Aleksander Barkov and one of Sebastian Aho, Mikael Granlund, or Artturi Lehkonen.
Now I can sleep.