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Celebrini Named Canada Captain, Crosby Associate for 2026 Worlds

5/15/2026

27 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Celebrini Captains Canada

Macklin Celebrini will captain Team Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Championship after teammates voted to keep him as captain.
Sidney Crosby will wear an associate-captain “A” on his jersey for the tournament.
Celebrini posted 45 goals and 115 points in his second NHL season.
The tournament opens Friday in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland, as Canada targets gold after a silver at Milan Olympics and a fifth-place finish last year.

Summary

Celebrini Ties

Macklin Celebrini recorded four points in Canada's 6-1 win over France and tied Jarome Iginla with five Olympic goals in Milan.
Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round before he joined Team Canada, leaving him with one year left on his contract.
Canada finished fifth at the 2025 men’s World Championship after a quarter-final loss to Denmark, its last title coming in 2023.

History

Historical Context

At the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics (9-24 February), Canada defeated the United States 5-2 to claim its seventh men’s ice-hockey gold, the first since 1952 and ending a 50-year drought. The NHL paused its season for the tournament, and forward Joe Sakic earned MVP honors, underscoring Canada’s renewed dominance ahead of future Games.

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Celebrini Captains Canada

Macklin Celebrini will captain Team Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Championship after teammates voted to keep him as captain.
Sidney Crosby will wear an associate-captain “A” on his jersey for the tournament.
Celebrini posted 45 goals and 115 points in his second NHL season.
The tournament opens Friday in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland, as Canada targets gold after a silver at Milan Olympics and a fifth-place finish last year.

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