Red Wings’ Pavel Datsyuk named Russian captain for Sochi Olympics

MOSCOW – Pavel Datsyuk has been named captain of the Russian men’s hockey team at next month’s Sochi Olympics.

The Detroit Red Wings centre will be participating in his fourth Olympics, as long as he recovers from a lower-body injury that has sidelined him almost two weeks.

The Russian staff chose 35-year-old Datsyuk as captain over other candidates such as Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin — the only Russian captain in the NHL — and Ilya Kovalchuk, who left the New Jersey Devils to play in the Kontinental Hockey League.

Ovechkin voiced support for Datsyuk as captain on the day Olympic rosters were announced. He apparently was not alone.

“I am honoured to be named a captain,” Datsyuk said via Twitter. “Our team embraces the opportunity and responsibility of representing our country on the home ice.”