Team Canada Names Sidney Crosby Captain for 4 Nations Face-Off

With a legacy of being one of the greatest leaders in the NHL’s history, having Crosby as the captain was a no-brainer. Crosby captained the 2014 Canadian Olympic team to a gold medal, as well as winning gold for the nation in 2010, scoring the famous “Golden Goal”. Crosby also captained Canada in the last best-on-best tournament, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, where they won gold yet again.

Crosby has been captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins since 2007 as a 19-year-old. He has led the Penguins to three Stanley Cups, and has been one of the best players in the league and internationally, for all of those years.

McDavid, the undisputed best player in the league, has captained the Edmonton Oilers since 2016, and while there have been hurdles to jump through, he is a leader on and off the ice every day. The Oilers made it to Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final but lost to the Florida Panthers.

Makar isn’t captain of his own team, the Colorado Avalanche, but has worn an “A” on his jersey for a number of years. The captaincy there is worn by Gabriel Landeskog, but he has been away from the team with injuries since 2022.

This is the first time that McDavid or Makar will represent Team Canada on the big stage. With the NHL skipping out on the last few Olympics and the absence of the World Cup, many players under 30 years old are getting their first chance this year.

The NHL is using this tournament to ease their way back into the best-on-best before going into the 2028 Olympics. Canada is always the team to beat, and has earned the right to say that hockey is Canada’s game. While there is some debate on whether or not Canada is the favorite heading into this tournament, these three leaders will all be looking to make their mark and earn a gold medal for Team Canada.