{allcanada} Crosby to be Canada's 'security blanket' as captain at 4 Nations Face-Off

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TORONTO -- Whenever Sidney Crosby gets asked about his legacy, especially when it comes to the international stage, he impressively stick-handles around the topic like he does to avoid opponents on the ice.

His Team Canada peers, however, do not.

"He's Captain Canada," Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar said.

With good reason.

The 37-year-old is one of the most decorated players to ever wear a Canada jersey, if not the most. The native of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, has won gold medals with Canada at the 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship in North Dakota and Minnesota, the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the 2015 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic, and also captained his country to the title at the World Cup of Hockey 2016 in Toronto.

The most remarkable stat to come from all those titles: Canada has won 25 straight games in tournament play with Crosby in the lineup, having not lost in 5,461 days, since a 5-3 loss to the United States in the preliminary rounds of the Vancouver Games on Feb. 21, 2010.

As impressive as that is, don't expect the Pittsburgh Penguins center to start beating his chest and talking about all those personal accomplishments. That's not going to happen. That's not his way.

"I think when you put on that jersey, you think about team first," Crosby said Friday, one day after being named captain for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. "And you think about representing your country."

For Crosby, a longtime student of the game, that means thinking about the history and tradition of Team Canada.

It means thinking about the unforgettable moments like Paul Henderson's goal with 34 seconds remaining in Game 8 of the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union that gave Canada a 6-5 victory and a 4-3-1 win in the series.

And about Mario Lemieux's magical goal off a pass from Wayne Gretzky with 1:26 remaining in the third and deciding game to give Canada a 6-5 victory against the Soviets to win the best-of-3 final of the 1987 Canada Cup.

Legendary memories both.

But for him, there's more.

"Those goals you mentioned are one thing that comes to mind," he said. "There's the teams you grew up watching and the great players that have played for Team Canada.

"But I think the biggest strength of Canada has always been their ability to play as a group. And there's no doubt that when you collect a lot of great players and put them together, you've got to find a way to come together. I just think Canadian teams have shown that's a strength of theirs and something any team that wants to have success needs to do.

"So when you think about playing for Canada, it's about the team aspect and the ability to play as a group and find a way to win."

Crosby's insistence on putting the team first is one of the reasons he was a slam-dunk choice to be given the "C" for Canada at the 4 Nations, the best-on-best tournament featuring Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland that will take place Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston.

Not to mention the fact that he rises up in the biggest moments while in a Canada jersey, none more so than when he scored in overtime for a 3-2 victory against the United States in the title game at the 2010 Olympics, an iconic moment in Canadian history that will forever be known as the "Golden Goal."

"He does something monumental like that and yet you'll never hear him talk about it," said Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet, a Team Canada assistant. "That's Sid. That's what makes him such a great leader. That's what makes him the obvious choice to lead us in this 4 Nations tournament."

Tocchet was a forward with Canada for the 1987 Canada Cup on a team that featured two of the greatest players ever to lace up skates: Hockey Hall of Fame members Lemieux and Gretzky. Decades later, he was an assistant with the Penguins from 2014-2017 and had an inside view of how Crosby helped lead them to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017.

Given his perspective, Tocchet is intrigued by the question of whether anyone has ever had a more long-term impact in a Canada jersey than Crosby, in terms of both on-ice production and off-ice leadership.

Indeed, is anyone more deserving of the title of Captain Canada?

"He's up there," Tocchet said. "And look, I don't want to embarrass Sid. But from sitting in the locker room across from Wayne Gretzky, the way Wayne's demeanor is, the way he acted around his teammates, the way he acted in front of the public, Sid's got that.

"And then you've got the Mark Messier type, not afraid to say things to your teammates if needed at the right time. And I've seen Sid do that too, using his voice to let them know something is unacceptable. He's willing to do that. That to me is a great leader. In all facets. One hundred percent.

"The bottom line: When he puts that jersey on, you can sense the calmness come over the entire country of Canada. It's almost like he's our security blanket."

Patrice Bergeron looked around the Team Canada dressing room and knew there were plenty of nerves churning within his teammates.

Why wouldn't there be?

It was Feb. 28, 2010, and the gold-medal game at the Vancouver Olympics between Canada and the United States was tied 2-2 heading into overtime. The Americans seemingly had captured the momentum when Zach Parise tied the game at 19:35 of the third period, leaving the host country 25 seconds short of busting into an epic coast-to-coast celebration.

Now, the stakes were obvious for Bergeron and his teammates.

Score the next goal, and they'd be heroes for a lifetime.

Allow the next goal, and their entire nation would go into mourning.

How's that for pressure?

And yet, as Bergeron's eyes locked on his longtime friend, he couldn't see any signs of it.

"We had a lot of leaders in that room," Bergeron recalled. "But when you looked at Sid specifically, he was unfazed. It was like, 'All right, carry on, we're going to find a way.'"

In the end, Crosby did exactly that, beating U.S. goalie Ryan Miller at 7:40 to give Canada the title.

"It's only fitting he was the guy who scored the Golden Goal in his own country and everything it represents," Bergeron said. "It's just the way he is.

"More than anything, it's his poise. Teammates feed off that. That's real leadership. He never gets rattled, especially in big moments."

Bergeron would know, having shared many of those with Crosby.

He first befriended Crosby when they were roommates for Canada's World Juniors triumph in 2005. They were also teammates for the Olympic gold-medal runs in 2010 and 2014, and the World Cup title in 2016.

On Thursday, hours after Hockey Canada announced that Crosby would be his country's captain for the 4 Nations, the 39-year-old Bergeron was being a dad to his four kids, who range in age from 1 1/2 to 8, helping to feed them and getting them ready for bed.

When he announced his retirement in 2023, it had been time to turn the page on his distinguished 19-season NHL career with the Boston Bruins, replacing hockey with being a full-time father. On the other hand, he's not surprised that Crosby keeps on going, with a focus on the 4 Nations this year and the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.

"From the time I first met him, it's just the way he always looks to raise the bar," Bergeron said. "We've been teammates and linemates in a lot of these tournaments, and he's never satisfied. He's always looking to the next thing. He's able to enjoy the success but at the same time wanting more. It's his drive, his determination, there's a lot of reasons why he's been so clutch and so important in, what you could say, [is] history.

"He commands respect. I think the country is proud of who he is as a person and how he represents us on the international stage. There's no missteps. It's been going on since he's been 14 years old when they started aiming cameras on him. He's never had a misstep."

Bergeron is considered one of the top leaders of his era and won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2021, an honor Crosby received in 2010.

"I accomplished a lot in my career," Bergeron said. "But I have to say, I'm so proud that in my time playing, that Sidney was the face of our league and for Canadian hockey.

"Well deserved."

In true Crosby fashion, he instantly rejects any notion that his Golden Goal was the most historic, the most impactful, or the greatest in Canadian hockey history, as some say.

"Paul Henderson's, easily," he said. "That's the biggest. Mine doesn't even come close. No one knew anything about the Soviets in 1972. It helped change the game and unify the country."

More than a half-century later, Henderson, now 82 years old, has a mutual respect for the modern-day Canadian hockey hero known as Crosby.

"He's definitely in an elite group of players who have worn our jersey over the years, definitely in the top five, maybe the best when it comes to longevity and accomplishments for the country," Henderson told NHL.com Thursday when informed of Crosby's 4 Nations captaincy.

"There are very few people who have done more consistently over the years while playing for Canada. And it's as much off the ice too. He's got character. He's never embarrassed himself. He's never embarrassed anybody.

"That speaks to character. And that's something the whole country can be proud of."

Henderson was just that when Crosby scored the Golden Goal.

He and wife Eleanor were addressing about 300 couples at a marriage conference in one of the hotel's assembly rooms at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia, that day. Henderson had become a motivational speaker after his 13-season NHL career ended in 1980.

With overtime about to start, Henderson asked any attendees who might be listening on radio to yell out if Canada scored. That's exactly what happened, causing Henderson to lead the room in the singing of 'O Canada.'

"I'd never done that before. And my wife told me never to do it again because I'm a bad singer," he said, busting into laughter.

With the 4 Nations approaching, Henderson said he thinks of Crosby as being Canadian as it gets, even if he does play for the U.S.-based Penguins during the NHL season.

"I don't consider him to be American at all in any way," Henderson said. "When you're born in Canada, you're a Canadian. I would think he'd say the same thing. Look at the pride he shows when he puts on that jersey. That's a pure genuine thing.

"Hockey brings this country together like nothing else. My goal did. His did. I'm not sure I agree on his take of mine being the greatest because there have been some great moments. But we do share that.

"I know this. When I saw he'd been picked as the captain of our team for this tournament, it's just an excellent, excellent choice, if not the obvious one."

A glowing endorsement from a Canadian hockey legend.

Crosby already had his eyes on the 4 Nations prize five months ago, long before he would officially be given the "C" for Team Canada.

Back in early September, Crosby helped organize an unofficial training camp of sorts under the watchful eye of Andy O'Brien, his longtime trainer, in Vail, Colorado. Among those invited to the event were some of Canada's top players, including Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, who like Crosby is from Cole Harbour; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid; and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner.

Crosby insists it wasn't an official Canada team-bonding exercise, pointing out that there were players from other countries there as well. At the same time, he admits it was productive for some of the Canadians on hand to get the opportunity to develop chemistry and play together, something that could come in handy at the 4 Nations and the 2026 Olympics.

Marner, for one, was appreciative of the invite extended him by Crosby and O'Brien.

"It was great," he said. "Getting to know Sid and some of those guys both on and off the ice, well, I was grateful that they asked me to join them.

"You get to know them on and off the ice a bit. Such great guys. And so much talent out there with guys like Sid, MacKinnon and McDavid."

It was a chance for the speedy McDavid and MacKinnon to spend some time taking line rushes together, growing pains and all.

Asked what it was like to play with MacKinnon, McDavid laughed.

"It was fast," he said. "Sometimes too fast."

In the end, it was a learning exercise, one that might pay off when familiarity between players becomes a premium in a short tournament like the 4 Nations.

And, according to Team Canada and Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper, it was just another example of Crosby's leadership ability to bring players together for a common goal.

"It's what he does," Cooper said. "It's who he is.

"Look at what he did [last] month when we were in Pittsburgh."

Cooper was referring to a postgame scene after his team had defeated Crosby and the Penguins 5-2 on Jan. 12, a game in which Tampa Bay scored three goals in the final 3:03 to break a 2-2 tie. The uber-competitive Crosby was upset that victory had eluded the Penguins, but still took time to see Cooper afterward to chat about the 4 Nations.

At one point, Crosby asked Cooper to bring out Lightning forwards Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, his future 4 Nations teammates, to talk about the upcoming tournament.

"He here is, angry that his team had just lost a game, and he put that aside to talk Team Canada with them," Cooper said. "They sat there for 20 minutes. They were like kids in a candy store.

"That right there is what true leadership is."

And, according to Tocchet, what Crosby is all about.

"It's unbelievable," Tocchet said. "He's a guy that carries the torch, and is willing to pass the torch on when he's done.

"That's what he's doing with Cirelli, Hagel, those guys. He basically comes in and says, 'Hey, you guys are my teammates in a month, I just want to get to know you real quick and let you know what's at stake.' He's done it with other players. I just think it goes so far with his teammates. They legitimately badly want to play with him, to be his teammate."

After all, he is, in the words of Makar, Captain Canada.

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