The two biggest stars of this Hockey World Cup play for Canada. Sidney Crosby (38) is the most successful player of the last two decades, but the captain is Macklin Celebrini, who is half his age.
19.05.2026, 04:30
19.05.2026, 07:14
SDA
It's an unusual picture. An "A" is emblazoned on Sidney Crosby's chest - not the usual "C". The 38-year-old from the Atlantic province of Nova Scotia is a member of the exclusive Triple Gold Club and has won each of the three trophies - Olympic victory, World Championship and NHL title - at least once as captain. Crosby has led the Pittsburgh Penguins, with whom he has won three Stanley Cups, for 19 years, and he has been captain of the Canadian national team for twelve years, whenever he has played. Until this World Championship.
"A great honor"
Has he already got used to being "only" the assistant captain? Crosby smiles, looks briefly at his kit in the mixed zone of the stadium in Fribourg and then tells Keystone-SDA. "Yes, it's been a while since I wore an 'A'. But it doesn't feel any different." He laughs. "Yes, it is a little easier." The two-time Olympic and world champion from 2015 decided to take part in his fourth World Championships just three days before the start of the tournament. This is probably the reason why Crosby, famous as "Captain Canada", is not in charge this time.
The "C" will be worn by a teenager who is half the age of the superstar - and who has all the skills to become his legitimate successor. Macklin Celebrini scored 115 points in his second NHL season. In Freiburg, he plays center on a line with Crosby. The two elicit awe-inspiring oohs and ahhs from the spectators almost every time they play. Here - nomen est omen - two top players celebrate ice hockey at the highest level.
The media focus a little more on Crosby for the time being. Five minutes before that, Celebrini almost managed to slip through the mixed zone unnoticed. Almost. He really does look like a teenager, pale face, no beard growth. He is not a man of big words, the polite young man prefers to let his field hockey do the talking.
"A special player and person"
Would he have thought that he would keep the captaincy even after Crosby's commitment? The 19-year-old from Vancouver doesn't have to think twice. "No," he says clearly and unequivocally. But he doesn't attach that much importance to it either. "Oh, you know, we have so many leaders, so many personalities, in this team." But it is a "huge honor" to play alongside Crosby. And he gets great support from him.
It is clear to him that he wants to help his much younger teammate as much as possible - on and especially off the ice. "Not everyone could handle this responsibility at such a young age the way Macklin does," praises Crosby. "And he'll benefit from it. It shows what a special player and person he is." Crosby himself was named captain with Pittsburgh before his third NHL season, at the age of 20.
The Canadians have something to make up for in Freiburg and then in Zurich. Last year's World Championships, even then with the Crosby/Celebrini duo, ended in real embarrassment for the Canadians. After a convincing preliminary round, the star ensemble was thrashed 2-1 by the blatant outsiders Denmark in the quarter-finals in Herning. Even more painful was the defeat in overtime of the Olympic final in Milan against arch-rivals USA, which Crosby missed due to a lower-body injury sustained in the quarter-final.
"The body in the right place"
For him, health is also the decisive factor for participation in the World Championship. Since Pittsburgh has been successful in the playoffs for most of his career, Crosby will be playing in only his fourth World Championship. This is in an Olympic year in which many of the big stars are foregoing the additional burden of a World Championship.
"Your body has to be in the right condition, that's always the most important thing," emphasizes the star, who avoids social media as much as possible and shields his private life. "It has to be physically and mentally right, especially after the injury at the Olympics." It obviously does. "I love representing Canada's colors," he emphasizes.
Where the World Cup takes place plays a subordinate role. Crosby smiles. "Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful here," he enthuses. "And the people seem really enthusiastic to me. Feeling that energy definitely helps." Above all, however, he probably doesn't want to end his career in the national team with the disappointment of the last two major tournaments. However, only winning the World Cup title on May 31 is good enough for that.
