CALGARY, Alta. – Jim Nill, general manager of Canada’s National Men’s Team, announced Thursday, in collaboration with Hockey Canada, that Sidney Crosby (Cole Harbour, N.S./Pittsburgh, NHL) will serve as captain of Canada’s National Men’s Team at the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, scheduled for May 1-17 in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Nill also announced that Dan Hamhuis (Smithers, B.C./Vancouver, NHL) and Jason Spezza (Toronto, Ont./Dallas, NHL) will serve as alternate captains.

Sidney Crosby captained Canada to a gold medal at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and won Olympic gold at the 2010 Games, scoring the overtime winner in the gold medal game. He also played at the 2006 IIHF World Championship and two IIHF World Junior Championships (2004, 2005), winning World Juniors gold in 2005 and silver in 2004. Crosby made his international debut with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2003 Junior World Cup, winning a gold medal.

Dan Hamhuis will play at his sixth IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015), having won a gold medal in 2007 and silver in 2008 and 2009. He also won gold at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games and played at the IIHF World Junior Championship twice, winning bronze in 2001 and silver in 2002.

Jason Spezza will also make his fourth appearance at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship (2008, 2009, 2011, 2015), having won silver in 2008 and 2009. He also helped Canada win the Spengler Cup in 2012, and played at three IIHF World Junior Championships (2000, 2001, 2002), winning silver in 2002 and bronze in 2000 and 2001.

Canada opens the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship against Latvia on May 1. It will also face Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland in preliminary round play.

For more information on Canada’s National Men’s Team and the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca, or follow along through social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hockeycanada and www.twitter.com/hc_men.