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Reaction: Matthews, Crosby, Barkov And Hedman Named Captains For 4 Nations Face-Off

Sidney Crosby<p>Rob Gray-Imagn Images</p>

Playing for a national team is one honor, and leading one is at another level. With the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off now being under two weeks away, we now know who received the massive privilege of wearing the 'C' or 'A' on their uniforms.

On Thursday, Canada, America, Finland and Sweden named their leadership groups for the tournament.

The American team named Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews as their captain, while Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy and Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk will be alternate captains.

There is no quarreling with these choices, as Matthews is arguably the U.S.’s most talented player despite the team having such a deep roster, and the Maple Leafs captain has dealt with sky-high expectations already. Tkachuk has Stanley Cup-winning experience, and he and McAvoy also play a leadership role on the Panthers and Bruins.

Also as expected, Canada chose Pittsburgh Penguins icon Sidney Crosby as the man who wears the ‘C’ at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Their alternate captains will be Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar.

Crosby is a no-brainer. He captained Canada at the 2014 Olympics, the 2016 World Cup, and the 2015 World Championship. The Triple Gold Club member knows how to win more than anybody on the squad, and he still leads by example.

It’s intriguing that the Canadians and Americans only went with three official leaders, while the Swedish and Finnish teams named four players as their leadership group.

The Swedes chose Tampa Bay Lightning star defenseman Victor Hedman as their captain. Hedman is a silent but strong leader in the Bolts’ dressing room who has two Stanley Cups to his name, and he will be a calming influence on his countrymen. The 34-year-old has solid experience on the international stage, having won a World Championship in 2017 and playing in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, where the Swedes finished third.

Sweden’s alternate captains are William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mattias Ekholm of the Edmonton Oilers and Erik Karlsson of the Pittsburgh Penguins. There’s plenty of experience in international hockey and a nice blend of poise and confidence among those players.

Finally, the Finnish team named Aleksander Barkov captain seven months after he won a Cup with Florida. He has also played in the World Championship and World Cup of Hockey. The alternate captains will be Cup-winning right winger Mikko Rantanen and Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes, as well as center Mikael Granlund of the San Jose Sharks.

The Finns will head into the tournament as the clear underdogs, but their leaders are accomplished players who will be rather difficult to compete against. And with Barkov's skills as one of the best two-way forces in the game, there's no question Finland will be one tough customer in the tournament.

Ultimately, every player selected for the 4 Nations Face-Off is a leader in their own way with their NHL teams. Some leaders may be more vocal than others, but the challenge for each team will be to marry their individual approaches and come together as a dependable unit in high-stakes situations. Once the tournament begins, the leaders named on Thursday have one week to guide their squad to glory.