The 4 Nations action is heating up, and right now, Canada and Sweden are going head-to-head! However, before we could even start with the game, the NHL decided to pull the heartstrings on us with an emotional video. Less than a couple of hours to the big game, they posted on social media a video in which Nathan MacKinnon listens to a message from his sister, Sarah. And let’s just say—there wasn’t a dry eye in sight. “Hey Nate, just wanted to send you a message to tell you how proud we all are of you. Mom couldn’t do it because she would just cry into the camera for three minutes,” she said, and described his work ethic as “incredible” and encouraging him to enjoy every moment.

She also added a little twist of humor and said to him, “Maybe think about telling eight-year-old Nathan that you’re playing for Team Canada… He would lose his mind.” And just like that, emotions ran high. MacKinnon, clearly moved, held back tears as he responded, “That’s very nice. Yeah, I might start crying right now.” He looked at it as a shocker that he is now playing alongside a player like Sidney Crosby who he used to look up to as a youngster. But he didn’t just let the moment rest—he turned it into fuel.

Nathan MacKinnon scores an incredible goal!

Just a few hours after that emotional moment, MacKinnon did not lose time and scored the first goal of the tournament on the power play. The NHL just released a gem on X during the Canada vs Sweden match and the hockey fans cannot keep calm! It was a play out of a dream, Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and MacKinnon all combined and tick, tick, boom, goal in only 56 seconds.

And NHL’s caption? Absolute chills, “MCDAVID (to) CROSBY (to) MACKINNON 56 SECONDS IN. THIS IS WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF! #4NATIONS.” I mean, come on, this is the kind of stuff hockey legends are built on!

Well, of course, the fans did not hesitate to dive in! One user perfectly summed it up: “Insane trio.” And honestly? No lies detected! Nathan MacKinnon is no stranger to greatness—this man has a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022 and an impressive 2023–24 season that earned him a Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. One of the best of his generation? Yeah, that’s not even up for debate. But this was just the tip of the iceberg as many other users flocked to the comments.

The ‘insane trio’ sends fans go into a frenzy!

The next fan chimed in, laughing, “How would you beat 3 legend center of NHL😂 in powerplay?” Well, in that, they were not entirely wrong! But here is the kicker; this was not just a fluke and everything that happened was planned out. Even prior to the first face-off, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, and Sidney Crosby were seen rehearsing this exact maneuver in practice. NHL even posted the footage on X with the caption, “Just how they drew it up.”

And so when it all happened live on the ice, the reaction was simply: “How does one explain to a non hockey fan just how absolutely insane this is.” Because, let’s be real, watching three generational talents pull off something this seamless? That’s next-level magic.

One fan summed it up perfectly: “McDavid, Crosby, and Mackinnon on the same team is insane.” But the twist is that while these three are currently tearing it up for Canada, they are usually on opposite sides in the NHL.

On any other night, Nathan MacKinnon is the leading in charge for the Colorado Avalanche, Connor McDavid is delivering the Edmonton Oilers, and Sidney Crosby is doing what he does best for the Pittsburgh Penguins. But for now, they are all in the same team and the only thing that is bigger than rivalry is their passion for the game. So, of course, fans can’t get over it: “Absolutely insane these three are together.”