Connor McDavid is ready to take Canada's leadership mantle from Sidney Crosby

MILAN (AP) — Sidney Crosby scored one of the biggest goals in Canada's hockey history to win gold on home ice at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. Since Sochi in 2014, he has been captain every time he represented his country.

For a long time the best hockey player in the world, winning the Stanley Cup three times and the gold medal at the Olympics twice, Crosby has since been passed for that distinction by Connor McDavid, now his teammate at the Games in Milan. Crosby was more than willing to let McDavid wear the “C” over him, but Hockey Canada chose to stick with the respected elder statesman for the NHL's return to this stage.

“He moves between management and coaches and players with great ease,” Canada general manager Doug Armstrong said. “He’s as good a leader as I’ve been around and I’ve seen.”

At some point the leadership mantle will go to McDavid, from No. 87 to No. 97, and Crosby's injury at the Olympics may force Canada's captain transition to happen earlier than planned. If Crosby is unable to play in the semifinals Friday, rules require someone has the “C” on his chest and that will almost certainly be McDavid, Canada's captain in waiting.

“Those two, it’s Sid and then Connor who’s kind of filling in his shoes and kind of taking on that role,” said Macklin Celebrini, Canada's youngest player at 19. "They’re different in the way that they carry themselves, but both of them are awesome people and awesome teammates.”

This is the 38-year-old Crosby's third Olympics. It's the first for the 29-year-old McDavid, who is in his prime but a victim of the dozen-year gap between NHL appearances.

After waiting so long for this opportunity, McDavid is not wasting a second of it. He leads all scorers with 11 points and is on pace to be tournament MVP if Canada can go all the way and win gold like it did with Crosby and Drew Doughty in 2010 and '14.

“He’s doing everything," Crosby said. "Whether it’s with the puck without the puck, (being) physical, he’s leading by example in every possible way. He’s poised, and guys have taken some runs out of him. He just continues to play. I think he’s (got) a lot of focus that way. He’s been leading the way.”

Doughty, Canada's second-oldest player at 36, has been on the wrong end of McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers knocking him and the Los Angeles Kings out of the playoffs in each of the past four years. That means he has had a front-row seat to McDavid's brilliance when hockey is at its toughest.

He has one again, only this time Doughty is happy about it.

“I don’t know if he’s playing better or what, but it’s obviously on a bigger stage,” Doughty said. "For him to be able to handle that pressure and play the way he’s playing, it’s pretty special.”

Aiming for a third Olympic title, Crosby had six points in three games before leaving the fourth with an apparent right knee injury. Even after exiting the quarterfinal game against Czechia and being unable to return, he addressed the team at the second intermission, and Canada rallied from a late deficit to win in overtime.

“We didn’t want this to be Sid’s last game at this Olympics, so it was big motivator for the guys coming out,” coach Jon Cooper said, boiling down Crosby's message to, “Go get it, boys.”

“There was a lot more than that. But he’s a true leader. And they don’t want this to be the end of the tournament for him.”

Crosby's status for the semifinal Friday against Finland is uncertain. Cooper said Crosby has not been ruled out for that game or the rest of the Olympics.

“If he can play, he’s definitely going to,” Cooper said after practice Thursday.

Celebrini did not want to contemplate what life would be like on the ice without Crosby, though of course that's something Canada's staff has to prepare for. McDavid wears the “C” for Edmonton and has been displaying captain-like tendencies with his national team at the Olympics.

“He’s a great leader for us,” goaltender Jordan Binnington said. "He wants the puck. He wants to make a difference. He’s excited to play. He brings great energy, and he’s had a lot of big goals, contributed to a lot of big goals for us.”

Cooper has watched Canada's leadership situation evolve from the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago, when players looked to Crosby, Doughty and Brad Marchand — older, more vocal players who were willing to speak up. That has shifted, with McDavid taking on a more substantial leading role this time around.

“He’s much more — not that he wasn’t comfortable — but I think there was a lot of uncertainty especially because we hadn’t seen best on best and this group hadn’t been together for so long,” Cooper said. “In this tournament, he’s been fabulous.”

McDavid is quieter than Crosby and, even with all his individual accolades, has yet to hoist the Stanley Cup. Along the way, he has picked up a lot from Crosby about how to lead.

"Everybody here watches him and is trying to learn off him," McDavid said. “Sid is just himself, and it doesn’t need to be anything more or less. I think everybody’s different in their own way."

Doughty described Crosby as “the guy that showed all the young guys, young players growing up, what it means to be Canadian, what it means to be a Canadian hockey player.” He knows McDavid is ready to be handed that torch.

“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Doughty said. “Great guy off the ice, fun to hang around, and then when it’s game time, he’s dialed in and ready to go. And he puts that jersey on and he’s the best player on the ice every night. It’s crazy.”

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Canada's Connor McDavid (97) takes a shot as he is defended by Czechia's Radko Gudas (3) during the second period of a men's ice hockey quarterfinal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

FILE - Team Canada hockey players, left to right, Sam Reinhart, Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby speak to the media at Hockey Canada's National Teams orientation camp in Calgary, Alberta, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Canada's Cale Makar (8) celebrates with teammates Canada's Connor McDavid (97), Canada's Sidney Crosby (87), Canada's Sam Reinhart (13) after scoring during a preliminary round game of men's ice hockey between Canada and France at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

FILE - Canada's Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid skate together following 4 Nations Face-Off hockey practice in Brossard, Quebec on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. Canada will face Sweden on February 12. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

LONDON (AP) — Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince who was stripped of his royal titles because of his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

While Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with his friendship with Epstein, concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to the late financier have dogged the royal family for more than a decade. But the arrest of a brother of a monarch was an extraordinary development with no precedent in modern times that will no doubt put more pressure on the crown.

After the arrest, King Charles III said that the law must take its course in the investigation, and he sought to reassure the British public that he would continue to serve them.

Thames Valley Police said that a man in his 60s from Norfolk in eastern England was arrested and remained in custody. The force, which covers areas west of London, including Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home, did not identify the suspect, in line with standard procedures in Britain, but pointed to its statement when asked to confirm if Andrew was arrested.

Mountbatten-Windsor, who turned 66 on Thursday, moved to Charles’ estate in Norfolk after he was evicted from his longtime home near Windsor Castle earlier this month.

Thames Valley Police previously said it was “assessing” reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent confidential trade reports to Epstein in 2010, when the former prince was Britain’s special envoy for international trade. Those reports stemmed from correspondence between the two men that was among the millions of pages of documents from the U.S. Justice Department’s investigation into Epstein that were released last month.

“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,’’ Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement. “We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.”

Police also said they were searching two properties.

The arrest came after pictures circulated online that appeared to show unmarked police cars at Wood Farm, Mountbatten-Windsor’s home on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, with plainclothes officers gathering outside.

The allegations being investigated Thursday are separate from those made by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she had been trafficked to Britain to have sex with Andrew in 2001, when she was just 17. Giuffre died by suicide last year.

Still, Giuffre’s family praised the arrest, saying: “Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.”

The family added: “He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”

“This is the most spectacular fall from grace for a member of the royal family in modern times,” said Craig Prescott, a royal expert at Royal Holloway, University of London.

The last time a senior British royal was arrested was almost 400 years ago during the reign of King Charles I that saw a growing power struggle between the crown and Parliament.

After the king attempted to arrest lawmakers in the House of Commons in 1642, hostilities erupted into the English Civil War, which ended with victory for the parliamentary forces of Oliver Cromwell.

Charles was arrested, tried, convicted of high treason and beheaded in 1649.

The late Queen Elizabeth II forced Mountbatten-Windsor to give up royal duties and end his charitable work in 2019 after he tried to explain away his ties to Epstein during a catastrophic interview with the BBC.

But more details about the relationship emerged in a book published last year, and Charles stripped him of the right to be called a prince and ordered him to move.

Then came the unprecedented announcement last week that Buckingham Palace was ready to cooperate in the event of a police inquiry into Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein.

Charles was forced to act after the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages of Epstein documents that revealed the extent of his relationship with Mountbatten-Windsor and showed that their correspondence continued long after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution.

Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges brought by federal prosecutors in New York in 2019. He took his own life in jail while awaiting trial.

After Thursday’s arrest, Charles issued a statement to reiterate that he would cooperate with the investigation.

“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,’’ the king said. “As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.’’

He addressed the British public, saying: “My family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.’’

He signed the statement Charles R., in line with the convention that British monarchs use to sign their names, with the R. standing for rex, Latin for king

Policing commentator Danny Shaw told the BBC that in most cases, suspects are held between 12 and 24 hours and are then either charged or released pending further investigation.

The absolute longest the former prince can be held for is 96 hours — but this would require multiple extensions from senior police officers and a Magistrate’s Court. It is unclear what time Andrew was arrested.

Andrew will be placed in “a cell in a custody suite” with just “a bed and a toilet,” where he will wait until his police interview.

“There’ll be no special treatment for him,″ Shaw said.

Soldiers exercise at Buckingham Palace in London, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested by British police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Reporters stand in front of Buckingham Palace in London, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested by British police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

A Police officer guards the entrance to Wood Farm at the Sandringham Royal Estate in Sandringham, England, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested by British police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

FILE - Prince Andrew leaves St. Giles Cathedral after the arrival of the coffin containing the remains of his mother Queen Elizabeth, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Sept. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Andrew, center, and his daughters Princess Eugenie, left, and Princess Beatrice leave Westminster Abbey after the wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, in London, April 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer, File)

FILE - Prince Andrew leaves after attending the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in Norfolk, England, Dec. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Andrew, greets a business leader during a reception at the sideline of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool, File)

FILE - A document showing an email exchange between Jeffrey Epstein and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, and who Epstein referred to as "The Duke," that was in a U.S. Department of Justice release, is photographed Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)

FILE - Britain's Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Then-Britain's Prince Andrew, left, and Britain's King Charles III leave after the Requiem Mass service for the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral in London, Sept. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Joanna Chan, File)