Penguins’ Bunting to Play for Team Canada; Big Names Decline

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Michael Bunting accepted his invitation to play for Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Championships, which will begin next week in Czechia. The scrappy winger will be the only Penguins representative on the ice for Team Canada, which announced the full roster on Friday.

Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas is the associate GM under Rick Nash.

Notably absent from the Team Canada roster was Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who also declined to play last summer to tend to his physical health. Crosby is one of 30 members of the Triple Gold Club, having won Olympic gold, World Championships, and the Stanley Cup. Only 10 Canadiens have done it.

The Stanley Cup is silver, but we digress.

Former Penguins Brandon Tanev, Jared McCann, and Jamie Oleksiak will represent Team Canada. Consensus first-overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini will also be on the team.

Bunting also represented Team Canada at the 2021 Worlds, winning gold.

This season, Bunting had 55 points (19-36-55) in 81 games split between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Penguins. Bunting was the only current NHL player acquired when the Penguins traded Jake Guentzel on March 6.

The World Championships will be held May 10-26 in Prague and Ostrava, Czechia.