The four teams from the NHL's Four Nations Face-Off have announced their first six players. Among the 24 skaters confirmed for the tournament, three of them got their start in the QMJHL and are all representing Canada at the tournament in February of 2025.
C Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh Penguins
Sidney Crosby is many things. Once 'The Next One,' Crosby is in the tail-end of an already first-ballot Hall of Fame career. Across 19 NHL seasons (tied-70th), he amassed 592 goals (21st), 1004 assists (14th) for 1596 points (10th) over 1272 games (88th) with a myriad of awards. Despite the longevity, his 42-goal, 94-point season shows the 36-year old isn't slowing down by any means.
Before going pro, Sidney Crosby dominated the QMJHL as a member of the Rimouski Océanic with 303 points across 121 games, and winning nearly every award available to him in his time in the league.
Already a member of the prestigious Triple Gold club, Crosby is looking to add to his already overfilled trophy cabinet which also includes two Olympic golds, a World Championship gold medal, a World Cup gold medal and both gold and silver at World Juniors.
C Nathan MacKinnon - Colorado Avalanche
Nathan MacKinnon has become one of the NHL's premier players, becoming the league's most valuable this year. Although unlike Crosby, he hasn't had much of a resume internationally due to league politics and socio-political factors. That said, the veteran of 791 games will get his first big chance to catch up to his Tim Horton's commercial counterpart with a nod to Canada's Four Nations roster.
Before his start in the NHL, MacKInnon was a force to be reckoned with as a member of the Halifax Mooseheads, scoring 153 points over 102 games with the team.
Even with the lack of international opportunities, MacKinnon has done well in the tournaments that were available to him, winning gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky U17 tournament and both gold and silver at the World Championships thus far.
LW Brad Marchand - Boston Bruins
Brad Marchand, nicknamed 'The Rat' by fans, is a player you'd love to have on your team, but absolutely hate to play against. Luckily for fans in Canada, international tournaments are one of the rare moments where that hate can be temporarily put on hold. The 36-year old vet of 1029 games is looking to do as much as he can to cement a potential Hall of Fame legacy.
Decades before, he spent fours seasons honing his craft in the QMJHL between the Moncton Wildcats, the Val D'Or Foreurs and the Halifax Mooseheads. He netted 248 points over 245 games in the QMJHL.
He looks to add more international accolades, having previously won gold at the World Juniors, World Championships and the World Cup of Hockey.
So far, only the first six players from each team have been selected, so it's almost certain that we'll see more products from the QMJHL to represent their country on one of the biggest stages of them all.