On Wednesday, the Edmonton Oilers announced that Connor McDavid had been voted team captain for this season, making him the youngest captain in NHL history, at 19 years, 266 days. This was a guarantee to happen at some point in McDavid's career, but maybe not something that was expected this early. He captained Team North America in the World Cup of Hockey and led them to upsets during the tournament. McDavid has been praised not just for his skill set and playing ability, putting up 48 points in just 45 career games, but also his leadership. He may not be an outspoken leader, but leads through his work ethic and sets the tone for the teams he is on, similar to the way Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby lead. I think this is a great move for the Oilers and for McDavid, as the Oilers would love for him to be an Oiler for life and he was the natural choice. Rather than either leaving the captaincy vacant or voting someone to captain short-term, they voted for the long-term and will allow McDavid to grow into the well-rounded player he is destined to be.
He will follow in the footsteps of some great captains who have also been named captain at such a young age: Sidney Crosby (two Stanley Cups), Jonathan Toews (three Stanley Cups), and Vinny Lecavalier (one Stanley Cup). If McDavid is able to lead the Oilers in the manner that these three have led their teams, then Edmonton is in good hands. Perhaps the future for Canadian hockey couldn't look brighter either, as McDavid is sure to be the next captain for Canada in best-on-best tournaments.
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