Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby will serve as Team Canada’s captain at the World Cup of Hockey 2016, Hockey Canada announced Thursday.
The 29-year-old Crosby has previously been the captain for Team Canada, at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games and the 2015 IIHF World Championship — they took home the gold both times. As captain of the Penguins, Crosby led the team to two Stanley Cup championships, most recently in 2016.
Crosby scored one of the most memorable goals in recent Olympic history at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics in gold medal match against the U.S. In overtime, Crosby beat U.S. goalkeeper Ryan Miller to score and give Canada the gold medal on home ice.
In 707 NHL games, Crosby has 938 points and 338 goals, and he’s the winner of the 2016 Conn Smythe Trophy (given to the playoff MVP).
Shea Weber of the Montreal Canadiens and Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks will serve as alternate captains for the team.
Weber spent six years as captain of the Nashville Predators. He has 443 point and 166 goals in 763 NHL games.
Toews is currently the Blackhawks’ captain and has been so since the 2008-09 season. He helped lead his team to Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He has 564 points and 251 goals in 645 NHL games.
The World Cup of Hockey 2016 has eight teams: Team Czech Republic, Team Finland, Team Russia, Team USA, Team Canada, Team Europe, Team North America, and Team Sweden. The teams will play for two weeks and will feature the best players from the NHL.
For more information regarding the World Cup of Hockey 2016, visit www.wch2016.com.
Image credit: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
