Who will captain the Ryder Cup teams in 2012?

We're barely 24 hours removed from the Europeans' win in the 2010 Ryder Cup, and in this instant-gratification culture in which we live, you know what that means: time to start looking to 2012!

As we've seen countless times, the captain's personality can dictate how well, or how poorly, a team plays. And although the Cup shifts back to the United States -- specifically Medinah -- for 2012, this year's loss means everyone's going to be taking a very close look at the candidates who could captain the U.S. squad the next time around.

The clubhouse leader is Davis Love III, a vice-captain this year. He's played in six Ryders, posting a record of 9-12-5 over that span. He's got the analytical mind to craft a well-rounded team, but does he have the motivational spark to rally his troops? Other possibilities include Mark Calcavecchia or Kenny Perry. One high-profile possibility is Fred Couples, but his continuing dedication to the Presidents Cup -- he captained the U.S. to victory last year, and will once again lead America in 2011 -- almost surely takes him out of consideration.

On the European side, it's almost certainly going to be Jose Maria Olazabal, as long as his health holds out. Olazabal suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, which could complicate his ability to watch the various candidates for inclusion on the team.

But he's one hell of a Ryder Cup player. He won 18 of his 31 matches, bettering current captain Colin Montgomerie by a single percentage point (66 to 65). He's played on a winning team three times. 

"He has a lot of experience — as much as I have — and I am sure he will do as good, if not a better, job than I did," Montgomerie told the AP. "That's it for me with the Ryder Cup, unless I try to qualify as a player."

Darren Clarke, another of Monty's vice captains, has taken himself out of the running for the captaincy in 2012, also preferring to try to qualify as a player. (Optimistic fellows, those Europeans.)

We're a few months away from any announcement, but not many; Corey Pavin was named captain in December 2008, and Montgomerie in January 2009. Any predictions before then?

Related: Colin Montgomerie, Davis Love III, Corey Pavin, Darren Clarke, Kenny Perry

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Video: Bill Daly on NHL's TV deals, teams 'stashing' bad contracts

The Washington Capitals held their annual fan convention at the Washington Convention Center on Saturday, featuring the revelation of their Winter Classic jersey (fans were griping about the fact the crest is a patch) and a dozen panel discussions during the day -- including kids' questions to the players, where Alex Ovechkin sang happy birthday in Russian to a young fan.

For the second year in a row, the NHL front office had some of its heavy hitters at the Con, including VP of Hockey Operations Mike Murphy(notes) (look for an exclusive Q&A with him on Puck Daddy on Sunday) and NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly.

We were limited in the amount of footage we could show due to some convention rules, but here's Daly on the NHL's TV contracts and the practice of "stashing" problem contracts in the AHL or overseas, as the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks did during this preseason and other teams have done since the salary cap was put in place. (Some of the loud cheers and laughter you hear was from the "kids forum" next door; not, you know, as a reaction to NHL policy.)

NHL's Bill Daly on TV deal, teams stashing problem contracts from Greg Wyshynski on Vimeo.

Daly also said that long-term contracts -- the ones that aren't structured to circumvent the salary cap -- is "something we're going to have to talk to the union about" in collective bargaining.

Related: Mike Murphy, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals

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