The first 16 players have been named to Canada's 2016 World Cup roster and, not surprisingly, the team will be built around Sidney Crosby.
Here's a look at the initial list:
Forwards
Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars
Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
Jeff Carter, Los Angeles Kings
Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks
Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
John Tavares, New York Islanders
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
Defensemen
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, San Jose Sharks
Shea Weber, Nashville Predators
Goaltenders
Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks
Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
"This has been a very extensive process which involved multiple face-to-face meetings and conference calls," Team Canadian general manager Doug Armstrong said . "Some very difficult decisions had to be made to narrow down our selection to only 16 players, which is a testament to the depth of player talent in Canada.
"Our management group wanted to balance respecting the contributors to past Team Canada successes, as well as respecting the players that have emerged as top players in the NHL. We will use the NHL playoffs and the upcoming World Championship to make the final roster decisions in early June."
Of these first 16 players selected, 12 have won gold at the Olympic Winter Games and 11 have won gold at the IIHF World Junior Championship. On top of that, the team boasts seven NHL team captains and eight Stanley Cup champions, five of whom are multi-time champions.
The team will be coached by Mike Babcock, and the rest of the 23-man roster will be named June 1.
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