Who Will Lead Team Canada? The Crosby and McDavid Question

The hockey world doesn’t just have the 2024-25 NHL season to look forward to. The long-awaited 4 Nations Face-Off is just around the corner. For the first time since 2016, NHL players from Canada, the USA, Sweden, and Finland have the chance to represent their nation at the highest level. For Team Canada, this poses a unique challenge: Who will be named captain? Team Canada must choose between Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid.

One option is Crosby, a seasoned leader in international tournaments. The other is the world’s best player, though relatively inexperienced in these settings. Both are compelling choices for captaincy.

Crosby’s resume as a leader for Team Canada is exceptional. He captained the 2014 Olympic team to gold and famously scored the overtime winner at the 2010 Winter Olympics. In the NHL, he’s guided his team to three Stanley Cup championships, consistently playing a pivotal role. Beyond his accolades, Crosby’s influence on the game is profound—his style of play shaped a generation of players, including McDavid. His legacy and contributions make him a figure of admiration and respect in the hockey world.

A proponent of Crosby’s captaincy case is Ray Ferraro, stating on the Ray and Dregs podcast, “There’s a respect factor to it.”

New Age Talent Versus an Aging Legend

But, perhaps Crosby feels it’s time to pass the torch.

Despite still putting up close to 100 points a season, the almost 40-year-old is on the back nine of his unforgettable career. The indication of Crosby’s sooner-than-later retirement comes in the form of him only signing a two-year extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins this offseason. Inevitably, McDavid will naturally take on the role of Team Canada captain, perhaps as early as the Olympics. Should Crosby just give him that role now?

The younger McDavid has paved his own historic path, even if it hasn’t been representing Canada. McDavid holds a more than impressive NHL resume and is solidifying himself in the history books. Only 18 points away from 1000 career NHL points, he has recorded 982 points in just 645 games. This gives him the chance to become the third fastest player to hit this milestone in NHL history, possibly surpassing Crosby by nearly 100 games.

Furthermore, McDavid holds the third-highest career points per game average in NHL history. He sits only behind Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Crosby sits in 8th place all time.

The last time McDavid played in an international tournament was nearly a decade ago. In the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, McDavid captained the North American youngsters team to a 3-2 record. While not impressive at first glance, McDavid’s team consisted of players 23 years old and younger. This leaves McDavid widely inexperienced when it comes to international best-on-best hockey. The 4 Nations Faceoff will be the first time McDavid will represent Team Canada as an adult. 

Would it Take for McDavid to be Named 4 Nations Captain?

On the Ray and Dregs podcast, Darren Dreger contrasted Ferraro, stating that McDavid will be captain and “Crosby will be okay with that.”

Ryan Rishaug added to that, stating that if McDavid were to be named Team Canada captain, Crosby would have given that role to McDavid. Turning down the offer to captain the team, almost passing the torch to McDavid.

Both Crosby and McDavid make strong candidates for the Canadian captaincy. No matter who gets it, hockey fans are just excited to see NHL players in international play for the first time in eight years. Furthermore, it will be the first time Crosby and McDavid will play for the same team, something Canadians have waited a long time for.

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