Crosby to join Canada at 2026 World Championship; Barzal out with injury

With the 2026 IIHF World Championship set to begin on May 15th in Zurich, Switzerland, Team Canada has had a couple late roster changes.

On the positive side, Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby will be joining Team Canada in Zurich.

While Canada certainly would’ve welcomed Crosby regardless, he will essentially be taking New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal’s spot on the roster, as Barzal will miss the tournament as a result of a minor, pre-existing injury.

This will be Crosby’s second consecutive year representing Canada at the World Championship, and fourth time overall. At last year’s tournament held in Sweden and Denmark, he put up four goals for eight assists for 12 points in eight games as Canada got upset by Denmark in the quarterfinals and failed to medal. He won gold with Canada at the 2015 World Championship in Czechia. In 2006 in Latvia, he led the tournament in scoring with eight goals and eight assists for 16 points in nine games as Canada finished fourth.

With Pittsburgh in the NHL this season, Crosby put up 29 goals and 45 assists for 74 points in 69 games. The 38-year-old legend is also likely looking for a second chance at international glory this year, as an injury he suffered during the quarterfinals at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in February kept him out of the lineup while he watched Canada fall to the United States in overtime of the gold medal game.

Barzal, 28, has represented Canada at the World Championship twice in his career, winning silver at the 2022 tournament in Finland. This season with the Islanders, he had 19 goals and 53 assists for 72 points in 81 games.

Canada, coached by Misha Donskov, will play their first preliminary game of the tournament on May 15th against Sweden.