Canada has long had a history of going with the established veterans for major international tournaments, especially in the Olympics. 1998 was actually the one time they passed on the star veterans and went with role playing young players. It did not end well. Mark Messier or Rob Zamuner? Really? In 2002, Gretzky went with an insanely veteran team anchored by the finest collection of leaders and proven champions you will see on one ice surface. He was not messing around. The team was headlined by Mario, Sakic, Yzerman, Pronger, Niedermayer, and MacInnis, but there was so much extra depth. Nieuwendyk, Shanahan, Kariya, Blake, Peca, even some grit in Nolan and Fleury, among others. Gretzky said in 2006 that Joe Thornton was one of the last names he left off. His decision to bring Iginla and Gagne worked out brilliantly. They flanked Joe Sakic, which bodes well for any young player in a high-pressure situation. But it seemed that after that veteran team won Gold, Gretzky went too far in 2006. It is obscene to think that Draper, Bertuzzi, and Foote made that team, and who did not. Yzerman bought into the youth movement in 2010, and it paid off. Babcock did for Crosby, by placing him on a line with Iginla, what Quinn did for Iginla in 2002 by putting him with Sakic. I always thought it was ironic how Sakic set up Iginla in the 2002 GMG and Iginla set up Crosby in 2010.
With a team full of captains it matters little who's wearing the C. It's a formality. I guarantee Gretzky had more authority in the 1998 lockerroom than Lindros. Players aren't stupid.