Be aware: Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon have joined forces to play for Canada at the ice hockey world championship after 10 years.

As all eyes are on the NHL playoffs, the two major stars are in Europe for the worlds opening on Friday across the Swedish capital of Stockholm and Denmark’s city of Herning.

It is the final men’s international test before the 2026 Winter Games in Italy, where NHL players return to the Olympics after 12 years.

The two friends and neighbours in Halifax, Nova Scotia, were on the team that Crosby captained to gold at the 2015 worlds. By winning the tournament in Prague then, Crosby joined hockey’s Triple Gold Club, a small group of players who have won the Stanley Cup, the Olympics and the worlds.

These are the third worlds, and first since 2015 for Crosby, a three-time Stanley Cup winner (2009, ’16 and ’17) and double Olympic champion (2010 and ’14). He’s captured gold for Canada at every international tournament, including the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and the 2005 world junior championship.

In February, the 37-year-old also shone alongside MacKinnon as he captained Canada to the 4 Nations Face-Off trophy, beating archrival the United States in overtime.

Canada is the most successful nation at the tournament with 28 titles and is a favorite every year no matter who is available. With Crosby and MacKinnon, it is definitely the team to beat.

Other contenders

David Pastrnak is back for the defending champion Czech Republic after his Boston Bruins didn’t advance to the playoffs.

The Czechs beat Switzerland 2-0 in the final in Prague last year with Pastrnak scoring the winner. It was the seventh title won by the Czech Republic — or Czechia — since the 1993 breakup of Czechoslovakia.

Utah captain Clayton Keller will captain a U.S. that is seeking a first worlds medal since a bronze in 2021. Alternate captains, forward Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres and forward Conor Garland of the Vancouver Canucks, were on that team four years ago. Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski and Boston net-minder Jeremy Swayman were on the team that was fifth last year.

The format

The 16 teams are divided into two groups for the preliminary round.

Canada is in Group A in Stockholm with Sweden, Finland, Austria, France, Latvia, Slovakia and newcomer Slovenia. Group B in Herning includes the Czechs, Switzerland, the U.S., Denmark, Germany, another newcomer Hungary, Kazakhstan and Norway.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports