Oilers' Connor McDavid wants Sidney Crosby as Team Canada captain

EDMONTON – Connor McDavid didn’t even flinch. He didn’t even have to think about it.

When asked who he felt should be Team Canada’s captain at the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February, the answer was obvious to the Edmonton Oilers superstar.

“It should be Sid,” McDavid said. “It should be Sid for sure. That’s not even a question.”

Sid, of course, is Pittsburgh Penguins leader Sidney Crosby. He and McDavid will finally be teammates for the first time in less than four months. Both players were named to Team Canada as part of the initial rosters in June.

McDavid, 27, grew up idolizing Crosby, who’s nearly 10 years older. They first met after a Pittsburgh Penguins game when McDavid was playing junior hockey and travelled from nearby Erie, Pa.

McDavid has gone on to succeed Crosby as the next great Canadian hockey star. McDavid has already won the Hart Trophy as league MVP three times (one more than Crosby) and the Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion five times (three more than Crosby). McDavid is just 10 points away from 1,000 in his NHL career.

What McDavid doesn’t have is a stacked trophy case full of team hardware. McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in June, but the Oilers fell in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers.

Crosby, meanwhile, is perhaps the preeminent winner of his era with three Cup titles, two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup title. He was the MVP in two of Pittsburgh’s Cup wins plus the 2016 World Cup. Unforgettably, he scored the winning goal in overtime in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Add it all up and any debate about who should be Canada’s captain is a short one to McDavid.

“It’s just how it should be,” McDavid said. “He’s Sidney Crosby and he’s been there so many times. He’s the guy. It’s not like I’ve thought about it a lot. It’s just such a no-brainer.”

McDavid has been clamoring to compete for Canada in a best-on-best international event for years – and been vocal about those desires. Since turning pro after being drafted first in the 2015 draft, McDavid took part in the 2016 World Cup as a member of the under-23 North American team and in two world championships in 2016 and 2018.

The NHL not sending players to the 2018 Olympics, the league backing out of participation in the 2022 Games because of COVID-19 and the lack of another World Cup has prevented McDavid from sharing the ice with Crosby for Canada.

Now, McDavid will get that chance in February as a more robust and consistent best-on-best schedule appears to be approaching.

“It’s the prequel for what’s to come,” McDavid said. “We’re kind of dipping our toe back in international play with the Olympics to follow the next year. It’s a great opportunity for the four countries to put on a great show to continue to grow the game and show what’s to come in the years to come for international play.”

Getting the opportunity to play with Crosby before he retires is the cherry on top for McDavid. His appreciation of Crosby remains so high, especially after watching him produce back-to-back seasons of 93 and 94 points at ages 35 and 36.

“He hasn’t seemed to change at all,” McDavid said. “He has great year after year. It’s so impressive to see someone I grew up admiring still doing it to this day.”

McDavid and Crosby will play in an NHL game for the 14th time when the Oilers host the Penguins on Friday. The Penguins won the first six matchups, and the Oilers have taken the last seven. McDavid has outscored Crosby decisively; No. 97 has nine goals and 27 points, whereas No. 87 has three goals and seven points.

Crosby’s Team Canada history

Other than the 2006 Winter Olympics, for which a rookie Crosby was puzzlingly omitted, and his late-career decisions to not play in the IIHF World Championships, Crosby has been synonymous with Canadian success on the international stage. From the World Junior Championships to his Most Outstanding Player-performance at the most recent World Cup of Hockey, it’s difficult to tell the tale of Team Canada men’s ice hockey without first mentioning Sidney Patrick Crosby.

His Golden Goal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics is perhaps his signature hockey moment. And he was the driving force behind the 2014 gold medal group at the 2014 Sochi Games, arguably the greatest hockey roster assembled.

No longer the indisputable best player, as he was for the 2010 and 2014 Games and the 2016 World Cup, Crosby remains very, very good. But as one of the iconic captains in NHL history — next season, he’ll set a record for most seasons captaining any club — Crosby won’t just be a ceremonial captain, as an ailing Mario Lemieux was the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

He can still play at a high level, even if McDavid long ago inherited the unofficial best player title. Showing McDavid and others how to handle the enormous pressure that comes with being Canada at a tournament the world expects you not merely to win, but in convincing fashion? That is something for which Crosby is likely uniquely qualified given his international experience.