Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid is North America's Captain

Team North America has its captain, and it is Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid.

The 19-year-old will serve as North America’s leader, and Philadelphia Flyers forward Sean Courtier and Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will serve as alternates.

“On a team full of future NHL captains, we have a strong leadership group on Team North America,” Team North America Head Coach Todd McLellan told the media. “In particular, these three players – Connor, Sean and Aaron – have identified themselves in camp as key leaders for our team. They will be assisted by their teammates to ensure the full group is working together towards our goal of having success in the World Cup of Hockey.”

McDavid finished his rookie season with 48 points (16 G, 32 A) in 45 NHL games. He came in third when it came to points per game, only trailing Patrick Kane and Jamie Benn, and was also a finalist for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.

His speed, stickhandling and intelligence are only just some of his skills, but he is also regarded as highly mature in his own right. McDavid’s professionalism and work ethic are just two factors that came out after he was sidelined for three months with a clavicle injury.

With this captaincy, one can only imagine that the young sophomore will be named the captain of the Oilers. He is bound to earn the role eventually and is a natural-born leader. This is a huge honor for him, and he will surely defy expectations going into this role. In the end, his job remains the same: play the game he loves, generate points and help the team win.