EDMONTON -- Connor McDavid does not believe there is any debate as to who should be Canada’s captain for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.
“It should be Sid. It should be Sid for sure, that’s not even a question,” the Edmonton Oilers center said of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby on Thursday. “It’s just how it should be. He’s Sidney Crosby and he’s been there so many times and he’s the guy. It’s not like I thought about it a lot, it’s just such a no-brainer.”
The 4 Nations Face-Off, a tournament featuring teams of NHL players from Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland, will take place from Feb. 12-20 at the Bell Centre in Montreal and TD Garden in Boston. Tickets go on sale for Montreal games Tuesday and Boston games Wednesday at Ticketmaster.com.
“I appreciate that,” Crosby said Thursday. “I think that being a little more experienced he’s giving me that. He’s obviously a great leader and he’s done so much for the team here and for Canada as well. I think anytime you’re looked to wear a letter, whether it’s a ‘C’ or an ‘A’ and be a part of Team Canada, it’s a great honor regardless. But I appreciate that.”
More than three months before that event, McDavid and Crosby will face each other for the 14th time when the Penguins (3-4-1) visit the Oilers (2-4-1) at Rogers Place on Friday (9 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN1, SN-PIT).
“He hasn’t changed at all. He has great year after great year, it’s so impressive to see,” McDavid said of Crosby. “He’s someone that I grew up admiring and still do to this day.”
Crosby, selected No. 1 by Pittsburgh in the 2005 NHL Draft, is in his 20th NHL season. The 37-year-old center has seven points (one goal, six assists) in eight games.
McDavid, selected No. 1 by Edmonton in the 2015 NHL Draft, is in his 10th NHL season. The 27-year-old has eight points (three goals, five assists) in seven games.
“I hope I make it to 37,” McDavid said. “And I hope I can still play at the level that he plays at.”
McDavid has 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) with a plus-15 rating in 13 games against Crosby, and the Oilers are 7-3-3. Crosby has seven points (three goals, four assists) with a minus-12 rating, and the Penguins are 6-6-1.
Crosby and the Penguins won the first six games against McDavid and the Oilers, and Edmonton has won the past seven.
The Penguins practiced in Edmonton on Thursday, and Crosby was asked about the Oilers’ success against them.
“Just a lot of speed, very opportunistic,” Crosby said. “I think Connor and Leon [Draisaitl], they’re pretty tough to play against for anybody, especially with their speed. One little mistake, being on the wrong side of the puck, it ends up in your net, they’re just that dangerous. It tests your discipline, tests your structure and just your level of compete. You have to find ways to hold on to pucks and not give them those opportunities.”
This is the first of two games against each other this season. The Oilers visit the Penguins on Jan. 9. It’s not certain how many more games they have left against each other beyond that.
Crosby signed a two-year, $17.4 million contract ($8.7 million average annual value) with the Penguins on Sept. 16 that begins next season.
“It doesn’t seem like he has any sign of slowing down,” McDavid said. “But it’s always special to go up against Sid, [Evgeni] Malkin and [Kris] Letang and all the guys over there that have been a part of great teams.”
McDavid said playing against Crosby won’t be different this time even though the two are expected to be teammates at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“We still want to win, he still wants to win tomorrow and that competitive fire will be there,” McDavid said. “But come February we’ll be teammates and that will be a great time too.”
McDavid and Crosby were among the first six players named to the Canada roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off, along with center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, forward Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning and forward Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins.
Crosby said he looks forward to playing with McDavid instead of having to play against him.
“It’ll be much better, that’s for sure,” Crosby said. “I’ve skated with him a bit and just seeing him up close and just how fast he does everything, how good his hands are, everything’s at a high speed and it’s stuff that he makes look pretty easy that’s really not. He continues to get better, which is more impressive.”
The tournament will be the first time NHL players will play in a best-on-best format since the World Cup of Hockey 2016. McDavid played for Team North America, made up of players ages 23 and under, and Crosby played for Canada, which won the event.
“I’m really looking forward to it (Four Nations), to play with Sid, but to play with so many other guys: Nate, Makar, the list goes on and on of great Canadian players,” McDavid said. “I’m really looking forward to that event. All four teams will be really good teams, will be highly competitive and it’s anyone’s tournament to win.”
The NHL will participate in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. McDavid has never represented Canada at an Olympics. Crosby did so at Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014, winning a gold medal both times.
“I think [Four Nations] it’s kind of prequel to what’s to come,” McDavid said. “Kind of dipping our toe back into international play with the Olympics to follow the next year. I think it’s a great opportunity for the four countries to put on a great show and continue to grow the game and show what’s to come in the years to come for international play.”
