List of current NHL captains and alternate captains
The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league composed of 32 teams, founded in 1917. Each team may select a captain, who has the "privilege of discussing with the referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game."[1] Each team is also permitted to select alternate captains, who serve when the captain is not on the ice.[1] Captains are required to wear the letter "C" on their uniform for identification while alternate captains wear the letter "A"; both letters are 3 inches (7.6 cm) in height.
Rule 6.2 of the 2008–09 Official NHL Rulebook indicates that "[only] when the captain is not in uniform, the coach shall have the right to designate three alternate captains. This must be done prior to the start of the game."[1][2] Many NHL teams with a named captain select more than two alternate captains and rotate the "A"s among these players throughout the season.[3]
Goaltenders are not permitted to serve as captains during games.[1] This rule was instituted in 1948 after teams complained that it took Montreal Canadiens goaltender Bill Durnan too long to skate to talk with the officials and back to his crease.[4] Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo served as captain for two seasons (2008–09 and 2009–10), but because of the League's rule, he was not allowed to serve as captain on-ice or wear the "C" on his jersey, though it was incorporated into the artwork on his mask.[4][5] As a result, the Canucks were allowed to dress three alternate captains in games, as opposed to the League standard of two. Two (of the three) alternate captains handled on-ice duties in Luongo's place.[5] Other than Durnan and Luongo, five other goaltenders have captained their team: John Ross Roach of the Toronto St. Patricks, George Hainsworth of the Montreal Canadiens, Roy Worters of the New York Americans, Alec Connell of the original Ottawa Senators and Charlie Gardiner of the Chicago Black Hawks.[6]
When Connor McDavid was named captain of the Edmonton Oilers, he became the youngest permanent captain in NHL history.[7] Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, are the second- and third-youngest players to be named captain in NHL history, respectively. In 1984, Brian Bellows was named interim captain of the Minnesota North Stars when Craig Hartsburg was injured, and is the youngest player to captain a team in NHL history. However, because Bellows served only on an interim basis, McDavid retains the distinction of being the youngest permanent captain in the League's history.[8] Mark Messier is the only player to captain two separate teams to Stanley Cup championships, those being the 1990 Edmonton Oilers and the 1994 New York Rangers.[9] Sidney Crosby also became the youngest captain to win the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, when Crosby was just 21 years old. The oldest permanent captain in league history was Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins, who turned 43 years old, during his last NHL season (2019–20) with the Bruins. The longest tenure in league history was Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings, who served as captain of the Red Wings for nineteen seasons, over a span of twenty years.
Key
edit† Spent entire NHL career with team
| Abbreviation | Definition |
|---|---|
| C | Centre |
| LW | Left wing |
| RW | Right wing |
| D | Defenceman |
Captains
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All thirty-two NHL teams currently have a captain, the first time this has occurred since the 2010–11 season (when the league had 30 teams).[10] Twenty-four of them have been with their team for their entire career. The current longest-tenured captain in the league is Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who has served in that role since May 31, 2007.
Alternate captains
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All thirty-two NHL teams have named at least the regulation two alternate captains. Of the eighty-six alternate captains, forty-four of them have been with their team for their entire NHL career. Teams that have named more than the regulation two alternate captains (or three in the case of teams without a captain) are required to rotate the two (or three) "A"s between those players by methods of their choosing. The current longest-tenured alternate captain in the league is Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins who has served in that role since 2008.
See also
editReferences
editTeam rosters
- "Anaheim Ducks team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- "Arizona Coyotes team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
- "Boston Bruins team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- "Buffalo Sabres team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
- "Calgary Flames team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
- "Carolina Hurricanes team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- "Chicago Blackhawks team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
- "Colorado Avalanche team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- "Columbus Blue Jackets team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- "Dallas Stars team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- "Detroit Red Wings team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- "Edmonton Oilers team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
- "Florida Panthers team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- "Los Angeles Kings team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- "Minnesota Wild team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
- "Montreal Canadiens team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- "Nashville Predators team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- "New Jersey Devils team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- "New York Islanders team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- "New York Rangers team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- "Ottawa Senators team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- "Philadelphia Flyers team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- "Pittsburgh Penguins team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- "San Jose Sharks team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- "Seattle Kraken team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- "St. Louis Blues team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
- "Tampa Bay Lightning team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
- "Toronto Maple Leafs team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- "Vancouver Canucks team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
- "Vegas Golden Knights team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- "Washington Capitals team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- "Winnipeg Jets team roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
Specific
- ^ a b c d "Rule 6 - Captain and Alternate Captains". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 4, 2008.
- ^ Buffery, Steve (October 9, 2008). "Stalled Stajan". Toronto Sun. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
- ^ "Kings' Brown, Sabres' Rivet named captains". Postmedia News. August 10, 2008. Archived from the original on October 9, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
- ^ a b "Luongo sports captain's 'C' on goalie mask". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. October 5, 2008. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ a b "Canucks name goaltender Luongo as team captain". The Sports Network. September 30, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-12-02. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
- ^ Pelletier, Joe (September 30, 2008). "Captain Puckstopper". Greatest Hockey Legends. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ a b "Edmonton Oilers Name Connor McDavid Captain". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
- ^ McKeon, Ross (December 10, 2007). "Mailbag: More Crosby". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
- ^ "Legends of Hockey – Introduction Showcase – Mark Messier". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on June 28, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
- ^ "Eberle named Kraken captain, replaces Giordano". NHL.com. October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ "Gudas named Ducks captain, replaces Getzlaf". NHL.com. September 19, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Marchand named Bruins captain, replaces Bergeron". nhl.com. September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ "Dahlin named Sabres captain, replaces Okposo". NHL.com. September 26, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ Flames PR (September 27, 2023). "Flames Extend Backlund, Name Him 21st Franchise Captain". National Hockey League. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ Canes PR (September 29, 2019). "Canes Name Jordan Staal as Team Captain". National Hockey League. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
- ^ "Nick Foligno Named as 35th Captain in Blackhawks Franchise History". Chicago Blackhawks. September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ "Landeskog Named Avalanche Captain". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- ^ "CBJ name veteran F Boone Jenner seventh captain in franchise history". National Hockey League. October 12, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ "Jamie Benn Appointed Captain of the Dallas Stars". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- ^ "Red Wings name Dylan Larkin captain". National Hockey League. 13 January 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ "Aleksander Barkov Named Captain of the Florida Panthers". National Hockey League. 17 September 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ "Kings name Kopitar team captain". TSN. 16 June 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Spurgeon named captain of Wild, replaces Koivu". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ "Nick Suzuki named 31st captain in Canadiens history". National Hockey League. September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ "Roman Josi Named Captain of the Nashville Predators". National Hockey League. 19 September 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ "Hischier named captain of Devils". National Hockey League. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ "Lee named captain of Islanders". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ "Jacob Trouba honored by Rangers as team's 28th captain in history". August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ "Senators name Brady Tkachuk 10th team captain in franchise history". National Hockey League. November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
- ^ "Flyers Name Sean Couturier 20th Captain in Franchise History". Philadelphia Flyers. February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ "Penguins Name Crosby As Captain". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
- ^ "Couture named captain of Sharks, replaces Pavelski". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ "Kraken Name Jordan Eberle Team Captain". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Schenn named Blues captain, replaces O'Reilly". nhl.com. September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ "Lightning name Victor Hedman the 11th captain in franchise history". nhl.com. September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ a b McCarthy, Dave (August 14, 2024). "Matthews named Maple Leafs captain, replaces Tavares". NHL.com. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ "Keller named 1st captain in Utah history". www.nhl.com. 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
- ^ "Introducing 'Captain Quinn'". NHL.com. September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
- ^ "Mark Stone Gets the C". National Hockey League. 13 January 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ "Capitals Name Alex Ovechkin Team Captain". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
- ^ "Adam Lowry named Jets captain". Winnipeg Jets. September 12, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ a b "Flames announce leadership group for 2023-24 season". sportsnet.ca. October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- ^ Canes PR (September 29, 2019). "Canes Name Jordan Staal as Team Captain". National Hockey League. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
- ^ Canes PR (September 29, 2019). "Canes Name Jordan Staal as Team Captain". National Hockey League. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
- ^ "CBJ name veteran F Boone Jenner seventh captain in franchise history". National Hockey League. October 12, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ "Edmonton Oilers name Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse as alternate captains". Oilers Nation. October 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
- ^ "Oilers name alternate captains for 2015-16 season". Edmonton Oilers. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Edmonton Oilers name Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse as alternate captains". Oilers Nation. October 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
- ^ "Brian Gionta becomes the 28th captain in Canadiens history". National Hockey League. September 29, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ "Mike Matheson named alternate captain". nhl.com. September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ "Flyers Name Sean Couturier 20th Captain in Franchise History". Philadelphia Flyers. February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ Hall, Jordan (November 8, 2022). "Tortorella, Laughton starting to build relationship between coach, leader". Retrieved November 27, 2022.
- ^ a b "Canucks' Hughes and Pettersson join Miller and Ekman-Larsson as alternate captains". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
- ^ "Capitals name defenseman John Carlson an alternate captain". The Washington Post. October 1, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- ^ a b Oland, Ian (November 2, 2023). "Tom Wilson and TJ Oshie will share the second alternate captain's 'A' with Nicklas Backstrom away from the Capitals". RMNB.com. Retrieved November 2, 2023.