Fan In Van

Who is Captain Canada?

Of the 43 players invited to participate in this week’s Team Canada Olympic Orientation camp, at least 26 of them wear a letter on their jersey for their professional club. Therefore, it’s not a stretch to suggest that there is a huge amount of leadership on the national team and that anyone on the roster could be named captain when the puck drops in Vancouver six months from now.

But there are a handful of candidates that stand out above the rest. These players are the ones who embody and demonstrate the leadership qualities that represents the Red and White, and for the next week will have management and coaches keep a vigilant eye on. Here are my own nominations for who should be captain:

Jarome Iginla - Iggy is probably the front-runner and my personal choice. Iginla plays with such a ferocious and fearless attitude that it’s hard to argue with anyone who believes he should wear the ‘C’ in Vancouver. I’ll admit it’s a little bizarre seeing a player who Canuck fans have booed countlessly become the poster boy for the 2010 games, but Iginla has that ability to carry a team on its back and lead with pure emotion.

Sidney Crosby - Sid the Kid has been the face of the NHL since his rookie year; being in the spotlight as Canada’s captain wouldn’t faze the 22-year old one bit. On top of coming off another strong year capped with his first Stanley Cup, Crosby knows what it takes to win and if he were to play for a gold medal in his home country, few would doubt his ability to lead his charges.

Scott Niedermayer - As one of the greybeards on the team, Niedermayer certainly commands the respect of all 42 other players at the camp. In his career he’s done it all, winning at the Memorial Cup, World Juniors, World Championships, Olympics and the Stanley Cup finals. If Team Canada is serious about winning at the Games, Niedermayer is a logical choice for at least a letter.

Shane Doan - He’s been the captain for the last couple World Championships for Canada, but Doan would be hard-pressed to earn a leadership role above the previous three nominees. Nonetheless, Doan plays a similar gritty and passionate game to Iginla and wouldn’t be a bad selection for team captain.

Mike Richards and Jonathan Toews - They’re darkhorse candidates due to their youth, but would it really surprise you?  Both are the captains of their pro teams despite being two of the youngest players (there are a ton of older and ‘wiser’ players on their teams). Richards and Toews are heart-and-soul type players, the kind you go to war with and expect to lead by example. It wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest one of them earns a leadership role.

In the end, there are a ton of players who haven’t even been talked about that could easily be wearing the C for Canada in February. Vincent Lecavalier, Brenden Morrow, Rick Nash, Ryan Smyth and Joe Thornton are all players who could end up with a letter when the final preparations are complete, all of whom are logical choices. Ultimately, it’s interesting to speculate… whoever is selected to lead the team will have a ton of support behind him.