TORONTO -- For the first time in 12 years, NHL players will return to the Winter Olympics. And Sidney Crosby is hoping to be there.
The NHL and International Ice Hockey Federation on Friday announced an agreement to allow NHL players to participate in the Olympics in both 2026 in Milano-Cortina in Italy and 2030 in a still-to-be-named location, expected to be in France. NHL players have been barred from participating in the Olympics in the last two Winter Olympics, having last participated in 2014 in Sochi, Russia. The 2014 Olympics were the last of five Olympics to feature NHL players, with the others being Nagano in 1998, Salt Lake City in 2002, Turin in 2006, and Vancouver in 2010.
Crosby, who won gold with Canada in 2010 and 2014, was pleased to hear of the news when he arrived here Friday for All-Star weekend.
"With all the uncertainty that's been around it in years prior, and just how great of experience that it is, I think it's just awesome news," Crosby said. "I'm sure that a lot of players are really happy. And especially, to commit to two years, two different Olympics, I think that'd be great.”
Crosby is 36 years old. He'll be 38 by the time Hockey Canada is assembling a squad for Italy in 2026, one that will likely be highlighted by the likes of Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor Bedard, and projected No. 1 overall pick in 2024 Macklin Celebrini. There's not going to be a shortage of forwards, and a lot of centers at that. Crosby is hoping to be in the mix.
“I’d love to," Crosby said of the possibility. "I don’t ever think too far ahead, regardless of how old you are. I think you always go a year at a time and see how it goes and where your game’s at. But, I mean, yeah, I'd love to be a part of it. It's something you have to earn, though. It’s not something that's given to you, and representing your country, you got to earn it.”
The NHL had a number of reasons for pulling out of the Olympics in 2018. For one, the league and its owners weren't pleased about shutting down the league in the middle of the season in favor of another organization's tournament. There were also cost concerns, like insurance and paying for player travel and accommodations. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday that as part of the agreement with the IIHF, the league will not be responsible for any of the major costs associated with going to the Olympics. IIHF president Luc Tardif said that it will be a "team effort" between the IIHF and International Olympic Committee to figure out those costs, and it's expected that individual countries' Olympic committees and hockey federations will cover them.
The NHL had been in talks to return to the Olympics in 2022 in Beijing, but plans fell through due to COVID's impact on the NHL season. Crosby said that he tried to not get his hopes up in 2022.
"When it didn't happen, you just have to move by it and understand that there's a lot of factors," he said. "But I think a lot of players are pretty vocal about the fact that they wanted to be a part of it. I hope that going through those times that eventually it would make its way back and it would be possible. So it's great news. I think everyone's going to be really happy with the fact that we'll be there soon.”
Crosby knows better than any other All-Star here just how significant it can be to represent your country in the world's biggest international tournament. He cemented himself as a hero in the context of Canadian hockey history in 2010 in Vancouver with his golden goal in overtime vs. the U.S.:
Crosby finished the 2010 tournament with four goals and three assists in seven games. He captained the 2014 team in Sochi and scored a goal and two assists in six games. His goal was the second in a 3-0 shutout of Sweden to clinch gold.
Crosby's looking forward to having more moments like that.
"It's an unbelievable experience, to see the best players go head-to-head, represent their country," Crosby said. "From my experience in it, I don’t know if you get better hockey than that. It's great to be a part of and great for fans and everyone involved. So, it's a special thing. To have two (Olympics) that are committed to that, I think that's really important.”
