Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, two of the best players of their generation, have never played on the same team in games that matter.
McDavid has said for years he wants the best-on-best international tournaments -- Olympics and/or World Cup -- to return, and among the reasons is so that he could play alongside Crosby.
Now with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly saying this week that a similar tournament might be on the horizon, it's got people talking about the possibility of two generational talents playing on the same team, including Crosby himself.
"It's too bad it hasn't worked out for a while here but it's looking like that could change," Crosby told Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek while appearing on the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast. "So, you know, that'd be awesome."
But both players are centres, of course. So, who plays the wing?
"I'll go there," Crosby said with a laugh. "I'll play my off-wing, no worries. Listen, I've skated with him and I've played both, so I think I'm good either way with playing centre or wing, whatever he wants to do. He can carry the mail. I'll just find the opening."
Regardless, Crosby had high praise for the best-on-best tournaments.
"Seeing all the other countries, you look at their lineups. I mean, it's pretty tight," Crosby said. "I mean, there's no real favoured team. It's easy to say Canada (is a favourite) because we've had success at Olympics and that sort of thing. But, I mean, the hockey is incredible. And from my experience, it doesn't really get any better than that, when you're looking at the lineups and you're looking to players that are assembled."
The last time both Crosby and McDavid were in the same tournament was at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, held in Toronto. However, Crosby was captain of the winning Team Canada entry, while McDavid — alongside similar young talents like Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon, Jack Eichel and Johnny Gaudreau — played on the 23-and-under Team North America, which thrilled crowds but didn't make it to the final.
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