"You have to earn it," said two-time gold medallist Sidney Crosby after Friday's announcement that NHL players can participate in the next two Winter Olympics.

Sidney Crosby was just one of the many NHLers who was ecstatic that the NHL announced it intends to participate in the next two Winter Olympics. But the two-time gold medallist isn't sure his spot on Team Canada is a given.

"That’s great news," said Crosby, who won gold at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. "Especially with the uncertainty, it’s just awesome news. I’m sure that a lot of players are really happy."

Crosby is 36 years old. He will be 38 when the Olympics are held in Italy in 2026, and he will be 42 when they are held in 2030. By then, who knows if he'll still be playing.

"I’d love to," Crosby said of participating. "I don’t ever think too far ahead, regardless of how old you are. I think you always go a year at a time and see how it goes and see where you’re game’s at. I’d love to be a part of it. But it’s something you have to earn though. It’s not something that’s given to you. To represent your country, you have to earn it."

Judging by his stats, don't rule him out.

Heading into the All-Star Game, Crosby was tied for 24th overall in NHL scoring with 27 goals and 50 points in 46 games. Add in his international experience, which includes scoring the gold medal-winning goal in Vancouver in 2010, and it's difficult to see Crosby not being a part of Team Canada — especially now that he's got a chance to play alongside Connor McDavid.

"I try not to get caught up in it too much. There’s always a lot of talk leading up to it and trying to get your hopes up and obviously when it didn’t happen you just have to move on and understand that there’s a lot of factors. But I think a lot of players are pretty vocal that they want to be a part of it."

Crosby won't have to wait too long. While the Olympics are still a couple of years away, the NHL and NHL Players’ Association announced that a four-team, best-on-best tournament would be staged in 2025 – named the 4 Nations Face-Off —  featuring teams from Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland.

"It’s an unbelievable experience," said Crosby. "To see the best players go head-to-head representing their country, from my experience I don’t know if you get better hockey than that. It’s great to be a part of and great for fans and everyone involved, so it’s a special thing."