On Thursday night in Toronto, Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby lifted the World Cup of Hockey trophy just after being awarded the tournament MVP. Less than four months earlier, he won Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy after the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the San Jose Sharks in the finals. Despite winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2015-16, Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz was unable to capture his franchise’s first NHL championship after a nail biting and stinging loss to the Penguins in the second round of the playoffs. While his Capitals players were still being asked about that loss to Pittsburgh, Trotz was joining in the revelry as an assistant coach for Canada.

Saturday morning, Trotz was back at his day job. Asked about his experience with the Canadian national team, Trotz said he “wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

“It was exceptional,” Trotz said. “I mean you get to work with guys that you try to stop night in and night out. There’s a reason that Sidney Crosby is considered the best player on the planet. He showed that in this tournament, that he was the best player.”

Crosby had seven assists and three goals in the WCH playing on a line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. His 10 points led the World Cup.

Crosby and Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, of course, have been part of the biggest rivalry in the NHL over the last decade.

“I think that’s getting a little old,” Ovechkin said of the comparisons between the two players before the World Cup got underway.

Added Crosby: “It’s always talked about. It’s out of our hands.”

Capitals goalie Braden Holtby also seems to have moved on.

“It’s probably the benchmark for the league in terms of what they’ve done here,” Holtby said when Team Canada was in Pittsburgh for an exhibition game. “Guys are pretty lucky that play here.”

In addition to appreciating the success everyone saw Crosby have on the ice, the Caps’ coach and Crosby also connected off of it.

“My son was in for a day,” Trotz said, referring to Nolan, one of his children who has Down syndrome. “Just sitting there playing an iPad and Sid went down and sat with him and played on the iPad for a minute with him and stuff like that. He didn’t have to do that. He just did. I’ve got a lot of respect for guys like that.”