It’s been a changing of the guard across the NHL this year, so to speak.
To begin this season, three NHL teams named players under 25 years of age as their new team captains for the 2008-09 season. Another is serving as a member of a “rotating captaincy”, though he has worn the “C” for all but one month thus far.
Add this to a number of other very young captains, along with others filling the role of assistant captain while waiting for their turn to wear the “C," and you have a new look in the leadership of the NHL.
The aforementioned new captains—Dustin Brown (24) of the Kings, Mike Richards (23) of the Flyers, and Jonathan Toews (20) of the Blackhawks—are sure to lead their teams for another 10 years. Rick Nash (24) of the Blue Jackets and Sidney Crosby (21) of the Penguins have both been wearing the “C” for multiple seasons now.
Mikko Koivu (25) of the Wild, is rotating as team captain, and the Canucks named Roberto Luongo (29) as their captain—the first goalie to be a team captain in 61 years.
Then there are the assistant captains who are already the faces of their franchises, but are awaiting the captaincy to become available. These include Ryan Getzlaf (23) of the Ducks, Eric Staal (24) of the Hurricanes, and Alexander Ovechkin (24) of the Capitals.
Anze Kopitar of the Kings is an assistant at just 21-years-old, though with Brown firmly entrenched as captain, Kopitar will quietly lead by example. Dion Phaneuf (23) is in a similar situation in Calgary. In Vancouver, Ryan Kesler (24) also wears the “A,” though takes more of an active leadership role, as NHL rules prohibit Luongo from serving as the official captain during games.
So why the sudden infusion of fresh blood into the leadership ranks?
Some may point to the “new” NHL, which has clearly changed since the lockout. Others may point to the NHL’s push to market its young stars like Crosby and Ovechkin.
In reality, most of these players have been bestowed the highest of honors because they embody what their teams are all about.
Some—like Crosby—are captains merely because of their talent.
But others are simply just captains at heart.
Take a look at Brown. When he steps over the boards, everyone takes notice. He’s got tons of energy and will hit anything that isn’t wearing a Kings jersey. It only takes a few minutes of watching Los Angeles play to realize who undoubtedly leads that team.
The same goes for Richards in Philadelphia. Ask anyone who knows a thing or two about the Flyers, and they’ll tell you “Cappy” bleeds orange-and-black. For a 23-year-old to draw comparisons to Bobby Clarke—Mr. Flyer himself—tells you just how perfectly he fits for that team.
And don’t get me started on Ovechkin. Not only do you know immediately when he’s on the ice, but he’s the truest of superstars. Not only is he arguably the best pure scorer ever to play the game (at the age of 24, no less), but he’s not afraid to throw his weight around either, leading the Capitals in hits.
So while the NHL will always have nothing but reverence for the Joe Sakic’s and Rod Brind’Amour’s of the game, the next wave of elite leaders have taken the NHL by storm, and they’re not afraid to make it known.
4 comments Last one added 6 months ago — Leave a Comment
Sean Lavery 6 months ago
Don't forget players like Paul Stastny, who is clearly the "captain in waiting" as the replacement for Joe Sakic when he retires. Getzlaf will probably take the "C" one day soon too, once some of the veterans on Anaheim retire as well.
Edit Comment Cancel
Jason Glogau 6 months ago
Good call on Stastny. He's definitely another excellent example. In writing and researching the article, I decided to focus on players already wearing a letter on their jersey. There are a lot of players who don't even have one yet, like Stastny, who are a part of this "new-NHL" leadership. I'm sure we'll see other guys in the league step in with an "A" on their jersey real soon, too, like Kane in Chicago, Carter in Philadelphia (already filling in with Gagne out), Malkin in Pittsburgh (part of rotation), along with a slew of others.
Thanks for the comment, Sean!
Edit Comment Cancel
Jim Graham 6 months ago
The youth in this sport is phenomenal. Off the charts. You could have an all-star game of nothing but guys 25 and under and you'd still not have enough roster spots to include all the deserving candidates who are making major contributions to their teams.
Edit Comment Cancel
Jason Glogau 6 months ago
Agreed. The NHL has a very bright future on the ice. It's a shame the league offices don't make the best choices to get optimum exposure for the league. Versus has come a long way since the Outdoor Life Network that first obtained exclusive cable rights, but the way the NHL is trying to cater to the "casual fan", airing the games on ESPN instead would be a much better choice. Casual fans aren't going to look for Versus to watch a game, but if the games were on ESPN, they'd get more viewership simply by accident.
Thanks for the comment Jim!
Edit Comment Cancel
Leave a Comment
You must register to post a comment.