Pavel Datsyuk will captain the Olympic Athletes from Russia ice hockey team ©Getty Images

Pavel Datsyuk has been selected as captain of the Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) ice hockey team for the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. 

According to Russia's official state news agency TASS, their coach Oleg Znarok has decided to pick Datsyuk to lead the team.

The forward currently plays for the SKA Saint Petersburg team, who Znarok coaches in the Kontinental Hockey League.

It will be Datsyuk’s fifth participation at the Winter Olympic Games, with the 39-year-old having captained Russia at Sochi 2014.

His sole Olympic medal to date came at Salt Lake City 2002, where Russia claimed a bronze.

Ilya Kovalchuk will also compete at his fifth Games, with the two previous National Hockey League all stars expected to form a key part of the team.

The duo met Russian President Vladimir Putin today prior to heading to the Games.

Vasily Koshechkin, Ilya Sorokin, Igor Shestyorkin have been selected as goaltenders.

They will be joined by defenders lava Voynov, Vladislav Gavrikov, Artyom Zub, Andrei Zubarev, Bogdan Kiselevich, Alexei Marchenko, Nikita Nesterov and Dinar Khafizullin.

The squad is completed by attackers Sergei Andronov, Alexander Barabanov, Mikhail Grigorenko, Nikita Gusev, Ilya Kablukov, Sergei Kalinin, Kirill Kaprizov, Sergei Mozyakin, Nikolai Prokhorkin, Ivan Telegin, Vadim Shipachyov and Sergei Shirokov.

Olympic Athletes from Russia ice hockey players Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today before leaving for Pyeongchang 2018, where many see them as favourites ©Getty Images
Olympic Athletes from Russia ice hockey players Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today before leaving for Pyeongchang 2018, where many see them as favourites ©Getty Images

Russian Ice Hockey Federation President Vladislav Tretyak has played down suggestions, though, the team will be favourites.

"Many believe that the tournament will be a pleasure trip for us," he told TASS.

"According to my own experience, though, there are no weak rivals at tournaments of that status.

"We cannot be described as indisputable favourites - quite a few players in our rival teams hold top positions in the Kontinental Hockey League.

"Canadians will be Canadians, they will be fighting tooth and claw to the last moment."

Canada have won the past two Olympic titles but the balance of power between teams could change due to the NHL’s decision not to release players for the tournament.

It has led to the Canadian and United States teams being heavily depleted for the tournament, while the OAR team have been able to call upon players from the Kontinental Hockey League, viewed as the second strongest in the world.

OAR will face the United States, Slovakia and Slovenia in Group B of the men’s tournament, due to take place between February 14 to 25.

Canada, Czech Republic, Switzerland and hosts South Korea will compete in Group A, while Finland, Sweden, Norway and Germany make up Group C.