MacKinnon hasn’t officially had an offseason yet.
Nathan MacKinnon played a hand in Team Canada’s shutout victory over Team Slovenia in the opening game of the World Hockey Championship.
It was a one-sided matchup from the onset Saturday morning as Canada outshot Slovenia 44-11, with MacKinnon scoring three points (one goal, two assists) en route to a 4-0 victory.
| Bo Horvat scored twice, plus Nathan MacKinnon had a three-point game, as shut out 4-0 to open #MensWorlds.
| Bo Horvat marque deux buts, Nathan MacKinnon inscrit trois points, et le blanchit la 4-0 en ouverture du #MondialMasculin. pic.twitter.com/pce4kQAz5H
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) May 10, 2025
Although New York Rangers prospect AHL goaltender Dylan Garand didn’t face much adversity, he made some impressive saves in the win, earning a vote of confidence and respect from head coach Dean Evason.
“I’m very impressed,” Evason said about the 22-year-old prospect via The Hockey News. “We gave up a couple opportunities, some three on ones, and he made some tremendous saves. They had good opportunities, and Garand played really well for sure.”
The other Canadians to impact the win was Bo Horvat, who scored twice. Noah Dobson provided the other tally. However, MacKinnon was still named player of the game for his efforts.
Scored 1️⃣ and set up 2️⃣ more. Your Player of the Game is Nathan MacKinnon!
Avec 1️⃣ but et 2️⃣ aides, votre Joueur du match est Nathan MacKinnon! #MensWorlds | #MondialMasculin pic.twitter.com/uEYdnigPZc
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) May 10, 2025
Team Canada is being led by future Hall of Famer and three-time Stanley Cup champion Sidney Crosby, who last played in the tournament a decade ago when he led his team to the gold medal. And with longtime rival and good friend MacKinnon on the team, they seem destined for another taste of the championship wine.
The second game of the World Championship for Team Canada takes place Sunday against Team Latvia at 8:20 a.m. MT. The Czech Republic takes on Norway at 12:30 p.m. MT as well, which could feature Colorado Avalanche forward Martin Nečas’ first game action in the tournament.