Also receiving the honour of being named to their respective leadership group is Maple Leafs star William Nylander, who will represent Team Sweden

When Auston Matthews sat in front of the media on a Zoom call Friday, 24 hours after being named captain of Team USA, he began with how being the leader of the team is a special honor.The 27-year-old was named captain of the United States on Thursday,

The plan for Auston Matthews is to be, well, Auston Matthews. On Thursday, Matthews was named the captain of Team USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off, the international best-on-best tournament that will pit the US, Canada, Sweden and Finland against each other in Montreal and Boston from Feb. 12-20.

Matthews, 27, led the NHL with 69 goals last season and won the Hart Trophy in 2021-22, when he scored 106 points in 73 games.

Among the NHL teammates who will be on opposite benches during the 4-Nations Face-Off include Toronto Maple Leafs stars Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Matthews, who grew up in Scottsdale, Ariz., will be representing the USA while Nylander will be representing his native Sweden.

Crosby has plenty of international experience for Canada while Leafs star Matthews is the Americans’ biggest threat for the best-on-best tournament.

Fifteen years after he scored the “Golden Goal” to deliver Canada an Olympic championship on home ice in Vancouver and 11 since he captained his country to another victory in Sochi, Sidney Crosby is

Sidney Crosby will captain Team Canada against Auston Matthews' Team USA in hockey's first best-on-best tournament since 2016. Crosby and Matthews were

Auston Matthews has never been able to represent the United States in best-on-best international hockey competition. It’s a situation many of the game’s top stars find themselves in, but that’s about to change at the 4 Nations Face-Off next month.

The Maple Leafs edged out the Oilers 4-3 in overtime during their previous meeting on Nov. 16 at Scotiabank Arena after Leon Draisaitl’s tying goal with 1:29 in regulation forced overtime before Mitch Marner earned Toronto the extra point with the winner only 40 seconds into sudden death.

Team USA captain Auston Matthews says it will be a "little bit weird" competing against his Maple Leafs' teammates at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but he is looking forward to the challenge. Meanwhile Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby expects the new international tournament to be as competitive as a World Cup.