Team Canada revealed their captain and associate captains for the 4 Nations Face-Off. And a Colorado Avalanche superstar was honored with an 'A' for the best-on-best tournament.
The 4 Nations Face-Off tournament is fast-approaching. On Thursday, each of the four teams named their captains and assistant/alternate captains for the event. And Avalanche superstar defenseman Cale Makar was named an alternate captain for Team Canada.
The 26-year-old Makar is universally acknowledged as one of the best hockey talents on the planet, and while he doesn't have much international hockey experience, there's no question he's going to be part of Team Canada at every best-on-best tournament in the foreseeable future -- including Olympic games and IIHF World Championships.
Now, the reason why Makar hasn't played in World Championships is because the Avs have almost always been a Stanley Cup playoffs team. But in high-profile events like the 4 Nations Face-Off, adding him in a leadership role is a no-brainer. He's still not close to his prime, and he's going to be a force for Canada moving forward. It's another laurel in Makar's biography, and he's going to thrive on the ice and in the dressing room.