Ottawa Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk Named Captain of Team USA

Tkachuk leads an American team that hasn't won gold at the World Hockey championships since 1933,

The leadership skills of Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk haven't gone unnoticed around the hockey world. Now they're going international. 

The 24-year-old winger was named captain of Team USA today as they prepare for their World Hockey Championship opener tomorrow against Sweden. Head coach John Hynes made the announcement today at a team meeting.

Tkachuk served as captain of the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team at the 2017 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship. That went pretty well, with the Americans claiming gold that year.

Seven years later, Tkachuk leads an interesting American group in Czechia that ranges in age from 36-year-old Jeff Petry to Boston College star Will Smith, who turned 19 last month.

Tkachuk's alternates include Brock Nelson, Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. His Ottawa teammates on the squad are Shane Pinto and Jake Sanderson.

Tkachuk will lineup alongside Trevor Zegras and Cole Caufield. Pinto skated today on a line with Joel Farabee and Ryan Leonard. Jake Sanderson was hitched up with Luke Hughes.

The Americans have been in the bronze-medal game four times in the last five years. But they haven't won better than a bronze since 1950, and their last gold was 1933. 

Lately, they've gone with a World Championship roster that's half NHL, half college players. But this year, all but three players are NHL'ers. As they begin to close in on nearly a century without gold, Tkachuk and company aren't messing around. 

Of course, the NHL returns to the Olympics in 2026 and 2030. Players who participate in events like these might have a leg up when it comes to Olympic roster decisions later on.