DARTMOUTH, Nova Scotia -- The last time Sidney Crosby played a big game, it ended with him hoisting the Stanley Cup after his Pittsburgh Penguins' Game 6 win over the San Jose Sharks. And the next time he steps onto the ice in uniform, he will represent Team Canada in the World Cup of Hockey, which begins Sept. 17 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
Winning the Stanley Cup means you play later into the year, and Crosby told media assembled for his hometown Cup celebration that he understands it will be a challenge this summer to balance rest and preparation during a short offseason. Still, he's ready to once again represent his country.
Crosby, 28, already has an impressive international résumé, including a world junior championship (2005), two Olympic gold medals (2010 and 2014) and a world championship (2015). Team Canada's World Cup roster will have a combined 22 Olympic gold medals, including 16 from the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. So, it's safe to say there's still a passion for winning among this group of talented, world-class players.
"I would think," Crosby said with a smile. "That passion is usually something that just comes along with wearing the Team Canada jerseys, regardless of when or where, that's something that's a given. Yeah, absolutely, I think that will be the case."
Crosby is not ready to compare the upcoming World Cup roster with the one that won in Sochi, but there are similarities.
"The biggest thing in Russia is we got better as the tournament went along, and in a short-term event like that, that's really important," Crosby said. "We'll have to see. We'll have to find our own identity pretty quickly, but I would think any team that's going to have success over that month or so is going to have to get better and improve. It's only a one-game scenario, so you need to execute pretty well."
Coach Mike Babcock's roster will have some different elements to it from the 2014 Olympic team, including the addition of the Boston Bruins' Brad Marchand, who won gold medals for Team Canada at the world junior championship in 2007 and 2008. He also participated in the world championship in the spring. This time around, he'll get to play with Crosby on an international stage.
One possible combination for Crosby's line could be Marchand and Bruins linemate Patrice Bergeron, who normally plays with Crosby in international competitions. Babcock had a tough time finding linemates for Crosby at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, so perhaps it makes sense to just start off with Bergeron -- usually a center -- and Marchand on the wings.
When it comes to Team Canada and its lineup, the team often goes through different line changes during such a tournament.
Crosby is also interested to watch Team North America, the star-studded under-24 team that includes phenom Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, Jack Eichel of the Buffalo Sabres and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"They look really good," Crosby said. "They've got a ton of speed, a lot of skill. They're going to be a tough team to play against. You look at their lineup and how well all those young guys have done early on in their career and it's pretty impressive, so I think right away they jump out at you as being a pretty competitive team."
At least for the next few days, however, Crosby's focus will be on the Stanley Cup celebration and sharing it with his friends, family and fans. But in the back of his mind, he's thinking about conquering the world.