Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby and New York Islanders center John Tavares could have big roles for Team Canada at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
They'll know what it takes to play for coach Mike Babcock, who was named Team Canada coach Thursday.
Crosby and Tavares were teammates under Babcock with Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Canada won all six of its games and outscored its opponents 17-3. It won the gold medal with a 3-0 shutout of Sweden.
Crosby was captain of the 2014 team and played for Babcock at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, when Canada also won gold.
Each player said Babcock's ability to communicate his plans was key to winning.
"Obviously guys have to understand their roles pretty quickly," Crosby said. "So whether it's the guys he puts together or what he communicates along with the whole coaching staff, I think it's been pretty clear. You know what your role is going to be and how you are going to help the team, and I think that is really important."