Crosby named captain of Canada’s World Cup team
Hockey Canada is going to mine a gold-medal leadership group for the upcoming World Cup of Hockey.
Sidney Crosby will once again serve as captain for Team Canada, joined like he was at the 2014 Sochi Olympics by Jonathan Toews and Shea Weber as alternates.
It seemed only fitting, given Canada’s success in Russia, that the defined leadership group would be given the honour once more at the revived international tournament, which begins in Toronto next month.
“They know me, I know them, they know what’s expected,” head coach Mike Babcock said of the decision during a Hockey Canada conference call. “And probably the thing that separates them from a lot of players is they play their best in the biggest moments. So for me, to lead a bunch of leaders, because everyone on our team is capable of being a captain, for them to lead a bunch of leaders is going to be important for our group to have success.”
All three performed on the biggest international stage more than two years ago where Canada captured its second straight gold medal at the Sochi Games.
Crosby scored the second goal of the gold-medal game against Sweden and was a dominant two-way force through the tournament. He also scored one of the biggest goals in Canadian hockey history four years earlier, icing the “golden goal” in overtime in Vancouver.