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Chris Johnston's report confirms Sidney Crosby is the obvious next Team Canada architect
Photo credit: James Lang-Imagn Images
Chris Johnston tied Sidney Crosby to a future Hockey Canada builder role, and Crosby still carries a $8.7 million cap hit through 2026-27.
That is not nostalgia talking. That is roster construction talk around one of hockey's sharpest brains.
Crosby remains the Pittsburgh Penguins captain, and as of March 19, 2026 he sits at 28-33-61 in 57 games.
So when Johnston says Hockey Canada could ask him to help pick an Olympic team after retirement, the idea lands with teeth. It sounds credible because Crosby is still living the problem.
He just went through Milano Cortina as Canada's captain, posted six points in four games, then missed the final two games with a lower-body injury.
That matters for Penguins readers too. Pittsburgh still runs through his details, his puck support, and his ability to slow chaos into structure.
You can see the post hit that exact nerve here.
Re Hockey Canada: "When Sidney Crosby retires...I think Hockey Canada would approach him and see if he would wanna...pick an Olympic team down the road the way Wayne Gretzky did."
- Chris Johnston
- Chris Johnston
Crosby knows what a Canadian roster needs beyond pure skill. He values middle-lane support, faceoff control, and defenders who move it clean off the blue line.
Sidney Crosby fits Hockey Canada and Pittsburgh
Honestly, fans would trust Crosby in that chair faster than they trust most executives in a suit.
This is where the story gets stronger. Hockey Canada already had Doug Armstrong leading the 2026 Olympic management group, with Ryan Getzlaf and Kyle Dubas involved in the wider structure.
But now that Armstrong has stepped down, the door is wide open.
Crosby would not be entering as a mascot. He would enter as a selector with fresh scar tissue from best-on-best hockey.
For Team Canada, that could shape the next Olympic cycle. For Pittsburgh, it is another reminder that Crosby still influences games, rooms, and roster logic at the highest level.
The bigger point is simple. When Crosby finally steps away, he may not leave the most important decisions behind.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 19|103 ANSWERS Chris Johnston's report confirms Sidney Crosby is the obvious next Team Canada architect Should Hockey Canada give Sidney Crosby a future Olympic roster role? | ||
| Yes | 96 | 93.2 % |
| No | 7 | 6.8 % |
| List of polls | ||