Some hockey is better than no hockey.
For the Colorado Avalanche, they would love to still be in the trenches of the NHL playoffs. However, Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars bested them in their first-round series.
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Now, a few team members are participating in the 2025 IIHF World Championships in Sweden and Denmark. Chief among them is Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon.
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With one game remaining in the Preliminary Round, Team Canada (16 points) is behind Team Sweden (18 points) for second place in Group A. One of the top reasons for Canada's success has been MacKinnon's play.
MacKinnon is tied with Elias Lindholm for 10 points in the tournament. Only David Pastrnak and Roman Cervenka have more points than that duo.
In six games, MacKinnon has six goals, 10 points, and 28 shots on goal. He leads the team in ice time per game, averaging 19:29.
It might not be a Stanley Cup, but representing Team Canada at an international event like this is good for a player like MacKinnon. Hopefully, it adds more fuel to his fire and allows him to return next season with a vengeance.
Team Canada will play Team Sweden on Tuesday for the last game of the Preliminary Round. The game will be broadcast at 12:20 Mountain Time.
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