Sidney Crosby was named captain of Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday, giving him the chance to lead his country to a fourth international championship.
The 37-year-old center will be joined on Team Canada's leadership group by Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, who will be alternate captains.
"It's an honor to be honest with you. I think that when you're part of groups like this, you appreciate the fact that there's a lot of guys who are captains or assistant captains on their own clubs," Crosby said. "There's no shortage of leadership whatsoever. But I think just your responsibility and just being part of that group is something I'm excited for, but especially in this scenario too, where, it's a lot of new guys. I think that's something that we got a lot of guys who are excited but also that's something that we can build right away. So, yeah, I'm excited for that.
Crosby, who has been the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins since May 31, 2007, has captained Canada to wins at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the 2015 World Championship and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
"I look forward to serving on the leadership group with Connor and Cale, as they are both excellent leaders and are deserving of this honor. I know the leadership group and our entire team is excited to wear the Maple Leaf, and we look forward to kicking off the 4 Nations Face-Off in front of Canadian fans."