Sidney Crosby, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has been appointed as the captain of Canada’s men’s ice hockey team for the upcoming Milan Cortina Games. The Canadian Olympic Committee made the leadership announcement on Sunday, naming Connor McDavid, captain of the Edmonton Oilers, and Cale Makar, defenseman for the Colorado Avalanche, as alternate captains.
Crosby, the esteemed captain of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins and a veteran player, is set to participate in his third Olympic Games. On the other hand, McDavid and Makar will be making their Olympic debuts after the NHL players were absent from the Games in 2018 and 2022.
Expressing his gratitude, Crosby stated, “It is an honor to be chosen as the captain of Canada’s men’s hockey team, a team filled with numerous talented players and leaders.” The trio of Crosby, McDavid, and Makar were among the initial six athletes selected for Canada’s Olympic roster. They were integral members of Canada’s victorious team at the previous year’s 4 Nations Face-Off competition, where Crosby served as the captain, and McDavid secured the winning goal in the final against the United States.
McDavid praised Crosby’s leadership qualities, highlighting his experience, composure in crucial moments, and ability to inspire confidence in the team. Crosby notably led Canada to a gold medal during the last Olympics featuring NHL players in 2014 at the Sochi Games, and earlier, he clinched the iconic “golden goal” in overtime in the Vancouver 2010 final against the United States.
Hailing from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, the 38-year-old Crosby continues to excel in the NHL with impressive stats this season. McDavid, leading the NHL in points, and Makar, an outstanding defenseman from Calgary, are also making significant contributions to their respective teams.
Canada will kick off their tournament against Czechia on Thursday. In a parallel development, the U.S. named Auston Matthews, captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, as their team captain, with Matthew Tkachuk from the Florida Panthers and Charlie McAvoy from the Boston Bruins as alternate captains.
