Credit: Luther Schlaifer-Imagn Images
The rosters for the IIHF world championships later this month in Switzerland are trickling out, and we now know what Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby’s decision is. He is not listed on the Team Canada roster.
Crosby said on locker clean-out day May 1 that he felt good physically but that he had not begun to consider whether he would join Team Canada. The 38-year-old has won two Olympic gold medals, but it’s not clear how many more shots he will have at representing his country internationally.
Last season, he helped Canada win the 4 Nations Face-Off, then played at worlds, where Canada did not medal. He captained the Canadian Olympic team in February but sustained a knee injury in the quarterfinals.
Conversely, the Penguins’ Parker Wotherspoon is one of eight defensemen on Canada’s roster. It’s his first time representing his home country in international play since the world under-18 championships in 2015, when he won a bronze medal.
Wotherspoon is coming off a career season, with three goals, 30 points in 80 games playing alongside Erik Karlsson.
Although Wotherspoon is the only Penguins player headed to Switzerland for Canada, the team will also be represented by Jason Spezza, who is Team Canada’s assistant general manager, and strength and conditioning coach Sean Young.
Two Penguins will represent Team USA — forward Tommy Novak and defenseman Connor Clifton. Not on the Americans’ roster is Penguins winger Bryan Rust, who would seem to be a good fit but said during locker cleanout day that he did not plan on going.
Novak, who moved around some in the Penguins lineup and finished with 42 points playing in all 82 games, will be making his IIHF worlds debut. Clifton, who had six points in 50 games with the Penguins, also will be making his IIHF worlds debut.
Rosters for Team Sweden (possibly Karlsson and forward Rickard Rakell) and Team Latvia (possibly goaltender Arturs Silovs) have not been released.
The tournament is May 15-31
Tags: connor clifton Parker Wotherspoon Pittsburgh Penguins Shelly Anderson Sidney Crosby tommy novak
Categorized:2026 World Championship