Leon Draisaitl will continue leading Germany in Milan.
After carrying his country's flag in the opening ceremony, the Edmonton Oilers star was named captain of the hockey team on Monday.
Draisaitl will be joined in the leadership group by alternate captains Moritz Seider and Tim Stutzle.
The Oilers forward is enjoying a typically productive season with 29 goals and 51 assists in 55 games.
Germany has enjoyed a couple solid finishes on the international stage of late, snagging silver at the 2018 Olympics without NHLers after beating Canada in the semifinals and following it up with another second-place finish at the 2023 world championship.
The Germans open their Milan tournament on Thursday against Denmark.
