Team Canada Announces Olympic Hockey Team Captains

For the first time in more than a decade, Olympic hockey is about to feel whole again. At the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, NHL players will finally return to the sport’s biggest international stage, ending a drought that began after Canada’s gold medal run in Sochi back in 2014. For fans, players, and the game itself, this moment has been a long time coming.

The setting adds another layer of intrigue. Hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be played on a unique ice surface measuring 60 meters by 26 meters — narrower than traditional Olympic ice and roughly three feet shorter than an NHL rink.

While much has changed since NHL players last competed for Olympic gold, some traditions remain untouched. Once again, Sidney Crosby is Team Canada’s captain.

Even as generations shift and new stars rise, Canada continues to turn to the same steady hand when the stakes are highest on the international stage.

Sidney Crosby is Still the Standard

Feb 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada forward Sidney Crosby (87) prepares for a face-off against Team United States in the second period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images | Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Crosby was one of six players automatically named to Canada’s Olympic roster in June 2025, alongside Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Cale Makar, Brayden Point and Sam Reinhart, though Point suffered an injury in a recent 5–1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 12 and will miss the tournament entirely.

At 38 years old, Crosby is still producing at an elite level. He enters the Olympic year with 27 goals and 32 assists in 56 NHL games, a reminder that his game has aged with rare grace. More importantly, his resume in international play remains unmatched.

Crosby captained Canada to gold the last time NHL players appeared at the Olympics in 2014. Four years earlier, he created one of the most iconic moments in hockey and Canadian history, scoring the overtime “golden goal” to beat the United States in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic final (video below).

Do you remember where you were when Sidney Crosby scored the Golden Goal? 🏆🏒🇨🇦pic.twitter.com/sGc1EmePAP
— Made In Canada (@MadelnCanada) February 6, 2026

Crosby’s overall resume includes 20 playoff series wins, three Stanley Cups, two Conn Smythe Trophies, two Hart Trophies, two Art Ross Trophies, two Rocket Richard Trophies, two Ted Lindsay Awards, two Olympic gold medals, the iconic golden goal, a 4 Nations Face-Off title and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey championship, where he was named tournament MVP.

McDavid and Makar Earn the ‘A’

Joining Crosby in the leadership group are Connor McDavid and Cale Makar, who were named alternate captains. It makes sense for two players who now define the modern NHL.

McDavid is leading the league with 96 points in 58 games and remains hockey’s most unstoppable force. The 29-year-old previously represented Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, but Milano-Cortina will mark his Olympic debut in a Canada jersey.

Makar, meanwhile, continues to redefine what’s possible from the blue line. The 27-year-old is tied for fourth with Quinn Hughes in NHL defenseman scoring, with 57 points in 55 games. His skating and creativity will be central to Canada’s transition game on the smaller Olympic ice.

All three — Crosby, McDavid, and Makar — have won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVPs. All three were part of Canada’s championship run at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, where Crosby was captain and McDavid scored the overtime winner in a 3–2 final victory over the United States.

CONNOR MCDAVID WINS THE 4 NATIONS FOR CANADA IN OVERTIME 😱🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/7XIdlj4c75
— ESPN (@espn) February 21, 2025

Crosby Ready to Guide Team Canada to Olympic Gold

Crosby has never chased the spotlight, but moments like this naturally find him and he always looks forward to them. His influence extends beyond points and trophies; it lives in preparation, habits and trust earned over nearly two decades.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, and it is an honour to be named captain of Canada’s men’s hockey team, which has so many great players and leaders,” Crosby said in a statement from Hockey Canada. “Connor and Cale, along with our entire group, provide incredible leadership, and I am happy to represent Canada together on the same team. We are all proud to wear the Maple Leaf and compete with Team Canada in Milan.”

Team Canada will begin its quest for Olympic gold on Feb. 12 against Czechia in preliminary round play. Switzerland and France round out Group A. The men’s gold medal game is scheduled for Feb. 22, while the women’s final will be played on Feb. 19.

With NHL stars back on the Olympic stage and one of the strongest hockey teams Canada has ever assembled, the countdown to men's hockey in Milan suddenly feels very real. For Crosby, McDavid, and Makar, and all the players in Italy, it’s another chapter. For hockey fans, it’s the return of something they’ve deeply missed.

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