Connor McDavid earns Canada captaincy with a single unselfish gesture
Photo credit: James Lang-Imagn Images
Team Canada superstar Connor McDavid and head coach Jon Cooper share an unspoken understanding about true leadership following a massive comeback.
Replacing a legendary figure on the international stage is absolutely terrifying, but the 29-year-old handled the immense pressure perfectly on Friday afternoon.
After falling into an ugly 2-0 hole against Team Finland right out of the gate, the newly minted captain refused to let his locker room panic.
Instead of focusing on his own historic milestone of wearing the letter, he directed all the postgame praise strictly toward the collective roster.
He bluntly told reporters that erasing a multi-goal deficit against a suffocating European defensive structure was just a slow, grueling grind over the final 40 minutes of action.
Going down by two early goals is never ideal, but this resilient group leaned heavily on solid execution and pure physical pushback to completely flip the momentum.
McDavid keeping the 'C' warm for Crosby
But his undeniable offensive output simply wasn't the biggest storyline after this dramatic 3-2 elimination victory.
He laughed with the media and stated he is strictly keeping the captaincy warm until Sidney Crosby finally heals up and returns to the ice.
That incredibly unselfish attitude is exactly why he commands absolute respect from every single seasoned veteran inside that star-studded dressing room.
You simply cannot afford a selfish attitude when you desperately need crisp passing and flawless controlled entries to survive high-stakes international hockey.
Now this heavily favored Canadian squad patiently awaits their final opponent for the ultimate gold medal showdown this coming weekend.
They will watch the tape closely as Slovakia and Team USA battle it out to decide who gets the terrifying task of stopping this roaring machine in the championship.
Expect the Edmonton Oilers icon to continue leading by brilliant example, completely regardless of whether he actually wears a letter on his sweater on Sunday.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 20|195 ANSWERS Connor McDavid earns Canada captaincy with a single unselfish gesture Is Connor McDavid the best leader in the NHL right now ? | ||
| Yes | 99 | 50.8 % |
| No | 96 | 49.2 % |
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