Figuring Out the 10 Best NHL Captains

Let’s start off with probably the ugliest nose in pro sports. If you know anything about hockey on a deeper level then the average fan, you could probably guess who I was explaining simply by my first statement.

At 6’2" and 230 pounds this guy’s middle name is “Warrior”, and anyone who has ever played with him will agree. He has represented his country twice on the world stage, once in 2004 at the World Cup winning Gold, and again at the 2006 winter Olympics—again winning gold. In the NHL, he has also claimed two Stanley Cup rings, both with Colorado.

To define Adam Foote’s game, you must look far beyond stats and into his locker room effectiveness, and his on ice defensive play. In his prime, a case could have been made that he was the best defensive defense man there was, simply put—he was feared by many, and respected by all.

After playing for long time, captain Joe Sakic, for many years in Colorado, Adam Foote left to Columbus to lead a young Blue Jackets team for three years, and then was traded for by Colorado, and quickly became their captain, and still remains the heart and soul of the team.

Since some forget that Dallas even has a hockey team, many don’t forget that Brenden Morrow is a legit captain, and a legit presence in any dressing room he walks into. Ever since taking the reigns away from Mike Modano a few years back, all three parties have benefited. Mike Modano played much better, Brenden Morrow thrived with his team following him, and Dallas improved, especially with the young guns following an incredible example.

Is it a coincidence that Morrow is a Canadian, and Mondano, well, isn’t? (Just kidding…chill!)

Point is, this guy has more character then some teams. He plays hard, plays gritty, and doesn’t take a day off. If you even have a thought about criticizing this pick, just wait until team Canada is picked this year, and his name comes up as a role player. He definitely isn’t blessed with hands of gold, but come February his name will be a crucial part of Team Canada.

When figuring out who I would put on my list I quickly looked past Shane Doan for a few reasons, probably the most significant—he hasn’t really done much in his career on a large scale. Sure, he’s played on fourth lines on very good Canada hockey clubs, mainly the World Cup, but in the NHL he hasn’t accomplished anything.

However, as I put a little bit more thought into it I realized the crazy situations he has been put into. He went from playing in Winnipeg, to relocating to hockey crazy Phoenix—those 94 fans can really make some noise! After that, things were somewhat low key for a few years. They made some moves in the playoffs, and actually started the trend of all fans wearing the same color shirts.

Then the team went face first into the NHL joke book with Jim Balsille leading the charge. Safely put, in the last two years he has led this team, if you can call it that, to two incredible starts, and an exciting team. They play fun hockey, they keep a good attitude and to be honest, think of the work it takes in the dressing room when your own coach doesn’t show up to training camp. You could easily make a case that his name should be higher.

So let’s think about his career so far, first he played in the World Championships before he played in the NHL—that’s impressive. Then in his rookie campaign puts up 54 points in 64 games—that again, is impressive. Then he is named the third youngest captain ever—you get the point.

Talk to anyone in the hockey world, and leader is the first word to describe this guy. At 21 years of age, he leads an NHL hockey team in an original six city, and is doing an amazing job doing so.

Another thing that blows people away is how composed he has been since the day he was drafted. In any interview he ever did, he was smooth, savy, and spoke beyond his years.

My guess is, by the time his career is over this guy is going to be remembered as one of the better captains ever, not to mention his name is going to be on some shiny silverware, gold medals, and in a building in Toronto with some pretty amazing names beside him.

As a Leafs fan, it kills me to have this guy so high on this list. But one of the reasons why it kills me to have him here, is because throughout the years, the one name to constantly kill the Leafs is Mr. Alfredsson.

Just like everyone on this list, he does everything. Scores, hits, works hard, leads by example, and most of all is respected by the entire league. Any time the Senators do something. No. 11 is the person, any time the Senators are struggling, No. 11 brings them out of it, and anytime the Senators are winning, No.11 is giving praise to everyone but himself.

Simply put, he’s a class act through and through.

Until the day I die, I will hold to the fact that the worst trade ever made in the history of trades was Toronto’s first round draft pick for New Jersey’s Tom Kurvers. Since I don’t know who Tom Kurvers is, I think that says enough about how terrible that trade was.

Scott Niedermayer is probably on the list as Top-10 defenseman of all time. I understand that there have been many greats throughout the years, but if you think about his four Stanley cup rings. his four gold medals playing for Canada, and the near 700 points he has garnered throughout his career, it is hard not to put him on that list.

Speaking about leadership, he does it all. This year when Anaheim was figuring out whether, or not to send Luca Sbisa, a promising young rookie, to the minors, or not. The selling point to keeping him with the big club was the fact that he could play with Scott Niedermayer for the year—enough said.

Quite simply, despite not being collectively mighty Ducks, he will always be the mightiest Duck.

I understand that I am going to get ripped for this, but does anyone else see a young Mark Messier?
Till the day I die I am going to hold to the fact that Messiers’ stats were inflated playing on the Oilers dynasty that was—great player obviously, no argument there.

Speaking about Mike Richards, the guy is a pure hockey player. Doesn’t do one thing amazing, but does everything very well. He kills penalties, will take the final draw, plays the power play, and carries one of the best +/- each, and every year.

Just nights ago he showed how competitive he really is when David Booth cut through the middle, and was hammered by Richards. How many captains will you see do that? While talking about his two-way game it is also worth noting that he lost the Selke trophy last year by three points to Pavel Datsyuk (945-942). Supporting this fact, you can lock him into the third line centre spot for team Canada in the coming Olympics so that he can face the world’s best hockey players every shift of the games.

When I said earlier that Scott Niedermayer was Top-10 all time in terms of defenseman, on that same list, this man is definitely in the Top Three. If you think about the last defenseman that you would like to face one-on-one, I believe that the majority of the votes would go to this man.

In the past 10 years, Niklas Lidstrom has been nominated nine times for the Norris trophy, and is regarded as the best defenseman of our era.

When Steve Yzerman was running the show in Detroit, the good times seemed like they would never end—until Steve Yzerman’s knees turned 91. When he retired things weren’t looking so good, Yzerman has led the team for years, and no one had ever thought about the day that, that changed.

When Niklas Lidstrom was chosen, questions were raised about a European wearing the "C" that so many greats had worn before him. In retrospect, Detroit had nothing to worry about, not missing a step, Lidstrom led them to another Stanley Cup, and continued the play that many believe will put him in the Hall of Fame.

When you want to know what a Warrior is, just watch Jarome Iginla play hockey. He does everything and then some things that you wonder why a fourth liner isn’t doing it for him. He is a mixture of a dynamic scorer, top tier set up man, feared fighter, one of the leagues most hated pests, and a guy who could lead a team through World War II.

Another aspect that isn’t mentioned too often is the fact that Jarome is the NHL’s first ever, black captain. Although that isn’t very notable in today’s society where equality is something we strive for, for everyone. We all understand what black people have gone through in North America, and what Jarome went through in junior hockey. Never a free pass, and never a head start, Jarome worked for everything he got, and everything he has, and to think he never complains and will always back up his word.

Not only is Jarome a leader in the locker room, but he is a leader in the community, and to anyone who cares to pay attention to who he is. He is one of those people who make us all strive to be better, he lives his life the way we all should: Work hard, fight for everything you want, and never let anyone push you around.

Jarome Iginla may never make it into the Hall of Fame, but he will always be remembered as a class act through and through.

You think he is a cry baby? You think he whines and dives? Maybe you should watch him play and just look at him, look at the hacks that this guy takes and the cheap shots, the late hits and the extra garbage that he fights through every single night. I’m guessing if you think he whines and complains, you’ve probably never truly watched him. Fair enough.

For those of us who get the fact that he has been a target since he turned six years old, we know that doing what Crosby has done is simply remarkable. Sorry to all the greats that played while goalies sucked and let in goals that my mom could stop (ya, Gretzky included), but Crosby is playing in a time where media criticism is at an all-time high. He came into the league when his team was supposed to come to Hamilton, and he began his NHL career with Ziggy Palfy deciding he really didn’t want to play 15 games into the season, and then Mario Lemieux deciding the same thing. Oh, and just so you know, he put up 102 points that year.

If you still disagree, just look back to last year. Sure Malkin got a lot of the spotlight, but that was largely because he began playing so well after he played so useless early in the playoffs—Crosby was constant the whole way through. Sure Malkin led the league in scoring, but Crosby played against other teams top lines while playing even strength. And sure, Malkin lit it up on the power play, but Crosby usually did the work to have Malkins great finishing skills do the rest.

Crosby runs the team, the league and will lead team Canada with the "C" on his chest.