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Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon surprise Kenya hockey team

By Dave Stevenson

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 27: (L-R) Brayden Schenn #10 of the St Louis Blues, Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche look on during the Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting during 2018 GEICO NHL All-Star Skills Competition at Amalie Arena on January 27, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 27: (L-R) Brayden Schenn #10 of the St Louis Blues, Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche look on during the Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting during 2018 GEICO NHL All-Star Skills Competition at Amalie Arena on January 27, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Thanks to some help from Tim Horton’s, Kenya’s lone men’s hockey team got two new teammates when they visited Canada – Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon.

Hockey is slowly, but steadily, becoming a global sport. Recently, the NHL has seen Germany produce several players, including Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers and Stanley Cup champion goaltender Philipp Grubauer. Stars like Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche are a huge reason why.

Kenya is well on its way to becoming the next country to fall in love with hockey. Recently, they formed their first men’s hockey team at a local hockey rink. There was just one problem. Because Kenya only had one men’s hockey team, they had no one to play.

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Despite living in Nairobi, Kenya, the players there managed to regularly watch NHL games, which is pretty amazing. Players like Crosby inspired people to start playing. North American coffee shop chain Tim Horton’s decided to step in, flying them to Canada.

In many ways, it was a trip of a lifetime. Not only did the team get their first real jerseys, but they also gained two new teammates – Crosby and MacKinnon.

Seeing the players’ faces light up is incredible. It’s very likely none of the players from the Kenyan team will ever make the NHL. But even if they don’t, they’ll have a story to talk about for years. They got to share the ice and play on the same team as two of the NHL’s brightest stars.

Props to Crosby and MacKinnon for going out of their way to make an already special trip an unforgettable one. Crosby is a three-time Stanley Cup champion who is widely considered to be one of the best players of all-time. He has won two Conn Smythe Trophies, two Hart Trophies, two Art Ross trophies, two goal-scoring titles, and three Lester Pearson Awards.

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Meanwhile, MacKinnon was one of the three Hart Trophy finalists from last season, finishing in second place to New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall. He also won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year in 2013-14.

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