TORONTO – Nathan Mackinnon knew he was going to choose his friend and fellow Cole Harbour, N.S., captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins Sydney Crosby for his All-Star team on Thursday.
He just thought he would greet her in person too.
“I didn’t even know he wasn’t going to be here,” the Colorado Avalanche forward said after the Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Draft at Scotiabank Arena.
“I saw his video (which was released before the draft). I didn’t even know it. But yeah, it would be cool to play with him in an All-Star Game. We have good leadership in the team now and I hope we can win it.
Crosby will be here for the 2024 Honda (USA)/Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game on Saturday (3 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS). It will be Team MacKinnon against Team Connor McDavid in the first game and Jack Hughesteam against Auston Matthewsteam in Game 2.
In his absence Thursday, Crosby sent a video of “Thank You,” and when Crosby was chosen, a player from the Timbits hockey program skated in to represent him.
MacKinnon’s team is co-led by Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar and famous Canadian captain, singer, songwriter, dancer and actress Tate McRae. They have their share of firepower, as the select group has together scored 162 goals this season.
But the biggest catch was Crosby, and MacKinnon said there were negotiations before the draft to get him.
“I asked Quinn and Jack (Hughes) if they wouldn’t recruit him. Their request was that I don’t take (Brock) Boeser,” MacKinnon said of the Vancouver Canucks forward. “There are so many Canucks players it’s hard not to take any of them. But it was a lot of fun.
MacKinnon’s team also selected another familiar face, Colorado goaltender Alexander Georgiev.
“I’ve never been drafted in the NHL before, so this is a big moment for me,” said Georgiev, who signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent on July 19, 2017. “C It was great, you know, to have your name called and you’ll wear a nice jersey. So, I appreciate that.
“(MacKinnon and Makar) are incredible players. I’m so lucky to play on the same team as them. It’s so much fun when they’re in the offensive zone, watching them cook around the net and make these big plays. I’m just super excited to share this moment with them too.
Boston Bruins Goalie Jeremiah Swayman was a late pick for MacKinnon’s team and believes his group has an advantage.
“So I like the fact that we have two Colorado boys running us as well,” he said of MacKinnon and Makar. “You know they’re going to be in shape because they’re training at altitude. I love our choices and I’m really lucky to be a part of it all.
MacKinnon joked that after welcoming Crosby to his team, “My lifelong dreams have come true now.” Now if only Crosby could get MacKinnon’s texts letting him know they’re teammates.
“They don’t keep their promises, so I don’t know what that means,” MacKinnon said. “I don’t know if he blocked me or what because I drafted him. I don’t deliver.
TEAM MacKINNON ROSTER
Nathan MacKinnon, COL
Cale Makar, COL
Sidney Crosby, P.I.T.
Alexandre Georgiev, COL
Kirill Kaprizov, MIN
Sebastian Aho, RCA
Tom Wilson, W.S.H.
Jeremy Swayman, BOS
Travis Konecny, PHI
Elias Lindholm, VAN
Oliver Bjorkstrand, SEA
