Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid Headline 2019 NHL All-Star Game Captains

The NHL announced Thursday that Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon will be the four captains for the 2019 NHL All-Star Game. 

As has been the case in recent years, the 2019 NHL All-Star Game will be a four-team tournament featuring three-on-three play.

The event will take place Jan. 26 at SAP Center in San Jose, California.

Ovechkin will captain the Metropolitan Division team after leading the Caps to their first Stanley Cup win in team history last season.

The seven-time Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner as the NHL's top goal scorer leads the NHL this season with 29 goals, and his 44 points are tied for 12th in the league.

McDavid, 21, continues to add accolades to his already remarkable resume at a young age, and he will lead the Pacific Division for the third straight season.

The one-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner is fourth in the NHL this season with 52 points, and his 33 assists are tied for seventh among all players.

Matthews has been limited to just 23 games this season because of injury, but it hasn't stopped him from putting up elite numbers.

He is tied for 14th in the NHL with 19 goals and has registered 34 points overall. His 1.48 points-per-game average is fifth in the NHL, just slightly behind McDavid's mark of 1.49.

Matthews will be the captain for the Atlantic Division.

MacKinnon may not receive as much hype or notoriety as the other captains, but he is arguably having a better year than any of them.

After being named a Hart Trophy finalist last season, the Central Division captain has shown this season that his breakout campaign wasn't a fluke.

MacKinnon's 56 points are third in the NHL this season behind only teammate Mikko Rantanen's 59 and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov's 57.

Also, MacKinnon's plus-15 rating is the best among this year's All-Star captains.

The rest of the All-Star rosters will be chosen by the NHL Hockey Operations Department and revealed in January.