When Connor McDavid pulls on the Team Canada jersey for this year’s Four Nations tournament, he isn’t hoping it will include the captain’s C.
The Edmonton Oilers superstar has already been named to Canada’s roster for the tournament, but the leadership group has yet to be decided. While McDavid is already the captain of the Oilers and has been since he was 19, when asked who should be Canada’s captain, McDavid had no hesitation in his answer.
In his mind, there is only one player in the entire NHL who should captain Canada: Sidney Crosby.
“It should be Sid for sure,” McDavid answered quickly. “That’s not even a question.”
“We still want to win, he still wants to win tomorrow. That competitive fire will be there, but come February we’ll be teammates.”
Connor McDavid on facing Sidney Crosby in a season where they’re slated to play together at the 4 Nations Face-Off. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/geCA6jiPzc
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 24, 2024
While McDavid has grown into quite the leader in his own right over the past decade or so, he still has a long way to go if he wants to get on Crosby’s level. Sid has led the Pittsburgh Penguins to three Stanley Cups and captained Team Canada to two Olympic gold medals.
McDavid will play with Crosby, rather than against him, for the first time at this tournament.
“I’m really looking forward to it, obviously to play with Sid, but to play with so many of the guys,” McDavid said. “It’s so impressive to see someone I grew up admiring and still do to this day.”
If Canada was looking for a tried-and-true leader, Crosby would be the obvious pick. However, it may also be time for a change of guard on that front, and McDavid is positioned as well as anybody to take over that mantle.
For one, the reigning Conn Smythe trophy has comfortably cemented his position as the best hockey player on the planet. Last season, he came within a win of bringing the Stanley Cup back to Canada. The lack of NHL involvement in international play has limited McDavid’s ability to achieve similar accolades as Crosby, and now would be the perfect time to hand over the honour.
The decision of who will be Team Canada’s captain is out of the hands of both McDavid and Crosby, but there doesn’t appear to be a wrong answer between the two.