Canada's captain announced he will be ready for the 4 Nations opener between Canada and Sweden on Wednesday - and his coaches and teammates couldn't be happier

Upon arrival in Montreal for the 4 Nations Face-off, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby left everyone in suspense - fans, media, and teammates - of whether or not an upper-body injury would keep him out of the tournament.

Crosby has since announced that he will be ready to go for the opener on Wednesday against Sweden - and his coaches and teammates couldn't be happier to have Captain Canada around the group.

"I never really had a doubt, to be honest," teammate and good friend Nathan MacKinnon said. "He's so tough."

Head coach Jon Cooper took things a step further, talking about the importance of having Crosby in the room as a leader and how much donning the Canadian maple leaf means to him.

"You know, I haven't been around him in my career other than the fact of competing against him," Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper said. "The way he is and interacts, and the guy that carries so much weight... and he's, like, a polarizing figure. But there's so much humility that just bleeds through him, and that's why people follow him. 

"And, gosh, you talk about wanting to play for your country? This kid is... it's remarkable the passion he has for it. And, it's probably a reason why he's got a whole lot of wins and not a whole lot of losses when he plays in these events."

Crosby first captained Team Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi - his second Olympic games - and led the country to a second-straight Olympic gold medal. He then captained Canada to an IIHF World Championship in 2015 and a gold medal at the World Cup in 2016, and he also won gold at the 2005 World Junior Championship.

In other words, this guy is a winner. He's a member of the very-exclusive quadruple gold club - all four of the things mentioned above - and his countrymen know exactly the kind of success that Crosby has had throughout his career. 

And they look forward to him bringing that to Team Canada internationally yet again, as Crosby's will and desire to represent his country by playing in this tournament certainly hasn't gone unnoticed by teammates.

"It matters to everybody in here," Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid said. "Obviously, it means a lot to Sid. It means a lot to everybody in here. It's an exciting tournament. It's an exciting time to be a part of this group."

The other younger guys are thrilled to be part of a squad with Crosby, too. Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis - who was eight years old when Crosby scored his iconic "Golden Goal" at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver - happens to have a locker stall between Crosby and McDavid and called it the "best seat in the house."

Another member of Team Canada - Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner - is looking forward to learning from Crosby over the next two weeks and simply spending time with him as his teammate.

"I mean, if I could talk to my eight- to 10-year-old self and tell them, 'This is what you're doing now', it'd be pretty crazy," Marner said. "So, yeah, it's a lot of fun. I really enjoy it. It's nice to be on his team for once. Obviously, he's a hell of a competitor, as everyone knows.

"So, it'll be nice to be on this team and learn from him over the next two weeks."

After practice, Crosby worked with MacKinnon one-on-one for a while, mapping out power play strategies for one of the greatest power plays hockey has ever seen - featuring Crosby, MacKinnon, McDavid, Sam Reinhart, and Cale Makar. MacKinnon talked about how the setup is "perfect" with each player.

But he also knows having the guidance and wisdom of a veteran like Crosby is invaluable, especially in those hours after their on-ice practice time concludes. And - of course - he appreciates the opportunity to not only play with his buddy, but also one of several players he's looked up to since he was a kid.

"I think if you look back at 2014 and 2016, definitely older rosters, I'd imagine," MacKinnon said. "And all of us weren't really at that level yet. Really special to play, honestly, with these guys. I've looked up to a lot of these guys - [Drew Doughty], [Brad Marchand], Sid - a lot of these veteran guys. It's really special." 

For a lot of these guys, playing as a teammate alongside one of the greatest of all time - and, many, for the first time - is going to be a special experience. But, for Crosby, the opportunity to represent his country again - and do it with the group of players assembled - is something that he isn't taking for granted.

"This is an awesome opportunity, something I haven't done in a long time," Crosby said. "So I wanted to be part of this group."