The NHL has arrived at the Olympics for the first time since the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. The tournament begins later this week as we see many of the NHL’s best compete in the biggest sporting event in the world.

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With teams starting to come together, skating in their first practices and taking their first steps towards competition, all of the competing nations have named their captains.

Here’s a look at who will be wearing the C’s and A’s for the nations playing men’s hockey.

Canada

Captain: Sidney Crosby

Alternates: Connor McDavid, Cale Makar

Sidney Crosby has captained Canada to a gold medal before and lifted the country to a gold medal in 2010 in the iconic final in Vancouver. It was no surprise to see that No. 87 will continue donning the C, after doing so the last time NHL players participated the Olympics in 2014. Meanwhile, two of the game’s very best players will be alternates as Connor McDavid – Crosby’s heir apparent as Captain Canada one day – and top defenseman Cale Makar will wear A’s.

USA

Captain: Auston Matthews

Alternates: Charlie McAvoy, Matthew Tkachuk

Auston Matthews has taken his spot as the best American player of this generation and will be looked to as USA’s leader once again. He captained Team USA at the 4 Nations tournament last year and has served in that role for the Toronto Maple Leafs as well. There is big pressure on one of the game’s greatest goal scorers to help end the golden drought that has been ongoing since the Miracle on Ice. He’ll be joined by his fellow 1997 birth year teammates Charlie McAvoy, the heart and soul of Team USA’s defense, and the boisterous back-to-back Stanely Cup champion Matthew Tkachuk as alternates. The 1997 birth is known as one of the greatest collections of American talent we’ve seen and six of Team USA’s players are from that group.

Sweden

Captain: Gabriel Landeskog

Alternates: Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman

Who would have thought we’d see Gabe Landeskog in this Olympics when he missed all that time with what could have been a career-ending injury? He made his return to the sport for the first time in nearly three years on FloHockey late last spring and has resumed his duties as captain of the Colorado Avalanche in exemplary fashion. Considered one of the game’s best leaders, he will hope to bring Sweden back to golden glory for the first time since 2006. He’ll be joined by Victor Hedman, a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, and former Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, as this generation of Swedish hockey players looks for their signature moment.

Finland

Captain: Mikael Granlund

Alternates: Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho

The absence of Aleksander Barkov looms large for Finland, but Mikael Granlund has been one of its greatest performers internationally in the last decade-plus. He was a top player in Sochi 12 years ago and has been nearly a point per game player in more than 50 appearances at the Men’s World Championship. He has authored some iconic moments for the Leijonat. Mikko Rantanen, a Stanley Cup winner and among the most gifted wingers in the game today, and Carolina Hurricanes star Sebastian Aho will wear the A’s.

Czechia

Captain: Roman Cervenka

Alternates: David Pastrnak, Radko Gudas

A winner of two gold medals at the men’s World Championship, Roman Cervenka has just 39 NHL games to his name but is among the most decorated international players in his his country’s history. Cervenka has appeared in more than 100 games at the Men’s World Championship, has played in World Cups and will be appearing in his fifth Olympics. The Czechs seek their first gold since Nagano in 1998 and will do so with Boston Bruins superstar David Pastrnak and Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas leading the charge behind Cervenka.

Switzerland

To Be Announced

Slovakia

To Be Announced

Latvia 

To Be Announced

Germany

To Be Announced

Denmark

To Be Announced

France

To Be Announced

Italy

To Be Announced

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