Team Canada names its Olympic captains and assistant captains

Team Canada has announced its captains and assistant captains for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics and... surprise, surprise... longtime NHL veteran Eric Staal has been named team captain. Joining him are assistants David Desharnais and Maxim Noreau.

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DAVOS, Switzerland – Hockey Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) have announced that Eric Staal (Thunder Bay, Ont./Iowa, AHL), an Olympic gold medallist at Vancouver 2010, will wear the ‘C’ for Canada’s Men’s Olympic Team at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

David Desharnais (Laurier-Station, Que./HC Fribourg-Gottéron, NL) and 2018 Olympic bronze medallist Maxim Noreau (Montréal/ZSC Lions, NL) will serve alongside Staal as alternate captains.

- Hockey Canada

“The opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympics is very special, and being named captain is an honour and something I take a lot of pride in,” Staal said in a prepared statement. “David and Maxim are great leaders and players, and they are deserving of this recognition. Our entire team is excited for the opportunity to be a part of Team Canada, and we look forward to competing for a gold medal in Beijing.”

Staal is by far the most decorated and experienced player on Canada' roster, maybe in the entire tournament. Multiple NHL insiders have reported that Staal is hoping to use his Olympic tournament as a bit of an audition to NHL teams so that he could potentially join a team's roster for the stretch drive and the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The 37 year old Staal went to the Stanley Cup Final with the Montreal Canadiens last season, but failed to land a contract as a free agent this past offseason. Which, honestly is somewhat surprising given that he's just one year removed from a 19 goal, 47 point season for the Minnesota Wild. He's the definition of an experienced veteran having won the Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe trophy and multiple International medals including gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics where he played on an absolutely dominant offensive line with Jarome Iginla and Sidney Crosby. Surely we all remember this, right?

Here's hoping that Staal has at least one more memorable moment left in him with Hockey Canada.