Sabre Leader

This player you see in the picture is the new captain of the Buffalo Sabres.  His name is Jason Pominville, and this news was first reported by Buffalo News.  This development comes just before the Sabres hit the ice in Finland for their opening games against the Anaheim Ducks, and this will be Pominville's first full run as captain, as he had previously been captain in a rotation for the 2007-08 season.  He is not the superstar that Ryan Miller or Tomas Vanek are, nor is he an up and comer that Drew Stafford is, but he is a dependable player that you can pencil in for at least 30 goals a year on an average year.

As of this writing, only Colorado and Florida have not named captains.

Captial Leadership

WASHINGTON CAPITALS


The final part of the month-long talk about captains wraps up today with the Washington Capitals.  Originally part of the 1974 expansion year along with the Kansas City Scouts (See, you learn something new everyday), the Capitals set the bar for futility, with a 8-67-5 record, or 21 points total for the season.  Remember this the next time you think your team stinks because this kind of futility will never be replicated (at least, I hope it isn't).  Aside from that and the dreadful Jaromir Jagr years (2001-2004), the Capitals have actually been near the respectability line, but only once in their franchise have they been to the Stanley Cup Finals (where they were swept by Detroit in 1998).

In the team's history, they have had fifteen captains.  In the first five years of the franchise, they had four captains, which pretty much sums up the team's early years.  In that time, Doug Mohns (1974-75), Bill Clement (1975-76),  Yvon Labre (1976-78), and Guy Charron (1978-79) all wore the C.  Three years of Ryan Walter would follow before his trade to Montreal in the 1982 offseason.  In that trade, the Caps got Rod Langway, who would be named captain upon his arrival.  From 1982 until 1993, Langway would not only establish himself as one of the best stay-at-home defensemen in the league, he would also wear the C.  He was cut in 1993, giving way to Kevin Hatcher for a season.  Hatcher's trade to Dallas following the season opened the door to agitator extraordinare Dale Hunter, who would in his captaincy from 1994 until 1999, get under the opponents' skin and set an example for teammates to follow.  A late season trade to Colorado ended his time in Washington as captain in 1999, and Adam Oates would inherit the C the following season.  He would wear the C for two seasons before the 2001-02 season would have Steve Konowalchuk and Brendan Witt share the captain duties.  Konowalchuk would take sole possession of the C the following season, and would be captain until an October 2003 trade to Colorado.  For the rest of the season, the Caps would go without a captain.  After the lockout, Jeff Halpern would be named captain, but he would be captain for that season only.  The 2006 offseason would see Chris Clark inherit the captain's role until his midseason trade in 2009-10 to Columbus.  That trade would see Alexander Ovechkin, the face of the current Capitals, be named captain.

Captain of the Raging C's

VANCOUVER CANUCKS


One of two franchises to begin play in 1970 (along with the Buffalo Sabres), the Vancouver Canucks have had an interesting history, to say the least.  In their history, they have had thirteen captains, including one goaltender, and the number of captains in team history is almost twice the number of jersey makeovers.

The first team captain in the NHL existence (they originally played in the old WHL, not to be confused with the WHL that is part of the Canadian Hockey League) was Orland Kurtenbach, who would go on to wear the C until 1974.  The 1974-75 season saw the team go without a captain before single seasons of Andre Boudrias and Chris Oddleifson followed.  Don Lever would captain the team from 1977 until 1979, and would be succeeded for three seasons by Kevin McCarthy.  The 1982-83 season would see Stan Smyl wear the C and despite the Flying V, he would be captain until 1990.  The 1990-91 season had Dan Quinn, Doug Lidster, and Trevor Linden share captain duties.  Linden would take sole possession of the captain duties in 1991, and would hold the C until the 1997 offseason, when the team signed Mark Messier to be captain.  Messier lasted three seasons as captain before re-signing with the New York Rangers in 2000.  That would open the door for Markus Naslund to be named captain, and Naslund would wear the C until 2008. Goaltender Roberto Luongo would inherit the captain duties, although NHL rules prohibit any goaltender to wear the C on their jersey, and the alternate captains had to handle the normal captain duties during games, all of which is under the Bill Durnan rule.  Luongo would give up the captiancy in 2010, and that role would be handed over to the reigning Hart Trophy winner Henrik Sedin.

O Canada

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS


One of the original teams when the NHL formed in 1917, the Toronto franchise was formed in an effort to spite the owner of the Toronto Blueshirts of the NHA.  They operated without a nickname for the first year of their existence before becoming the Arenas in 1918.  That would last a year before the new owners renamed them the St. Pats.  In 1927, the team was renamed to the Maple Leafs.  Since 1927, when they became the Maple Leafs, the team has had eighteen captains.

MAPLE LEAF BEGINNINGS TO EXPANSION ERA

Beginning with the renaming of the franchise on Valentine's Day of 1927, Bert Corbeau would be named captain to finish the season.  Beginning with the following season, Hap Day would take over the captaincy, a role he would hold until 1937.  A year of Charlie Conacher would follow before Red Horner would captain the team for the next two years.  Syl Apps would wear the C from 1940 until 1943, which would be followed by two years of Bob Davidson and a 1945 to 1948 reign of Apps.  Ted Kennedy would captain the team from 1948 until 1955, and would be succeeded by Sid Smith for a season.  Jimmy Thomson would begin the 1956-57 season as captain, but Kennedy would finish the season as captain.  George Armstrong would be named captain in 1957 and would hold the captaincy until 1969, and holds the distinction of being the captain of the Maple Leafs' last Stanley Cup team in 1967.

POST EXPANSION ERA


Dave Keon would be named captain in 1969, and would be in that role until 1975.  Darryl Sittler would be named captain in 1975, and would have two separate stints as captain, his first run being until 1979, and his second run being from 1980 until 1982, with the team running without a captain for the 1979-80 season.  Rick Vaive would be named captain from 1982 until 1986.  The next three seasons would have the Leafs go without a captain, and 1989, Rob Ramage would be named captain.  He would wear the C until 1991, when Wendel Clark would be named captain.  A popular player in Toronto, he would wear the C until his trade in the 1994 offseason to the Quebec Nordiques that saw Mats Sundin come to Toronto.  Doug Gilmour would be named captain in the wake of the trade, and would hold the role until 1997.  The aforementioned Mats Sundin would be named captain in 1997, and would wear the C until the conclusion of the 2007-08 season.  Two seasons without a captain followed before Dion Phaneuf would be named captain in 2010.

Lightning Strike

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING


Along with the Ottawa Senators, the Tampa Bay Lightning entered the league in 1992.  Unlike the Senators, the Lightning were playing closer to borderline playoff contender status in their early days.  However, after their first playoff appearance in 1996, the Lightning went downhill, largely due to poor decisions from the front office.  The mid-2000's saw the team regain some respectability, winning a Stanley Cup in 2004.  However, more front office squabbles would derail the team in the late 2000's.  Recently, the Lightning cleaned house, and the team is back on the road to respectability.

In the team's history, the Lightning have had eight captains.  For the first three seasons, the Lightning went without a captain.  In 1995, Paul Ysebaert was named the first team captain, holding the captaincy until 1997.  The next four years would mirror the struggles, as the team went with Mikael Renberg (1997-98), Rob Zamuner (1998-99), Chris Gratton (1999), Bill Houlder (1999-2000), and Vincent Lecavalier (2000-01) all wear the C in that time.  After a year without a captain, Dave Andreychuk would be named captain in 2002.  He would establish the team's locker room tradition of not stepping on the team logo in the middle of the locker room and in the process, lead the team to a Stanley Cup in 2004.  After he retired in 2006, Tim Taylor would take over the captaincy.  Another veteran, there wasn't much of a drop-off in leadership.  Taylor would wear the C until his retirement in 2008.  Lecavalier would be named captain again in 2008, a role he currently holds.

Blood in the Water

SAN JOSE SHARKS


In 1991, the San Jose Sharks entered the NHL as an expansion franchise and many of the players on that first team were acquired in a dispersal draft.  Much of the team's existence has been full of playoff runs, many of which never really get off the ground.  In the team's history, they have had eleven recognized captains.

The first two seasons were captained by Doug Wilson, a veteran player who was perfect for an expansion team like San Jose in that he offered some toughness and the ability to lead.  1993 to 1995 had Bob Errey as captain, and like Wilson, Errey was a good fit as captain, in that when the Sharks made the playoffs for the first time in 1994, he offered some playoff experience and a Stanley Cup championship in his time with Pittsburgh.  The 1995-96 season was captained by Jeff Odgers, and the following two seasons were captained by Todd Gill.  In 1998, Owen Nolan would be named captain, and he would bring a power forward mentality for the next five seasons.  The 2003-04 season began with rotating captains, as Mike Ricci, Vincent Damphousse, and Alyn McCauley would begin as captain.  Midway through the season, Patrick Marleau would be named captain.  He would be stripped as captain after the 2008-09 season in which the Sharks were the top seed in the playoffs, yet lost to Anaheim in the first round.  Rob Blake would be named captain for the 2009-10 season and would serve that one season before retiring.  The offseason would see the Sharks name Joe Thornton as captain.

We Got the Blues

ST. LOUIS BLUES


Another team that joined the NHL in 1967, when the Expansion Era began, the St. Louis Blues were named after a W.C. Handy song of the same name.  Though the Blues have had a steady amount of success for much of their existence, they will always be linked to the Bobby Orr goal in the 1970 Finals (You know the one: just Google it).  In the team's existence, they have had eighteen different captains.

The early years of the Blues were captained by Al Arbour, who led the team from 1967 until 1970.  The following season, Red Berenson would lead the team, but would be traded to Detroit prior to the conclusion of the season, and Arbour would finish the season as captain.  A season of Jim Roberts as captain followed before Barclay Plager would take over the captaincy, holding it from 1972 until 1976.  However, Plager would not finish the 1975-76 season as captain, as a returning Berenson would finish the season with the C.  A season of Gerry Unger would follow, which were followed by seasons of Berenson and Barry Gibbs.  Brian Sutter would inherit the C in 1979, holding it until 1988.  Sutter is the longest tenured captain in Blues history.  The next four seasons would see single season reigns from Bernie Federko, Rick Meagher, Scott Stevens, and Garth Butcher before Brett Hull would take over the captain duties in 1992.  A very public drama with then-coach Mike Keenan would result in Hull losing the C prior to the 1995-96 season, with Shayne Corson taking over.  Corson would give up the C before the season was done, as the Blues had acquired Wayne Gretzky in February 1996.  When Gretzky left for New York after the season, the Blues went without a captain the following season.  The 1997-98 season began the Chris Pronger captaincy, and Pronger rewarded the Blues with a Hart Trophy performance, winning it in 2000.  He would give up the role in 2003 to Al MacInnis, who is best known for the slapshot from the point that shattered one of the plexiglass panes in a game.  MacInnis would hold the captaincy for a season before retiring.  After the lockout, Dallas Drake would take over the captain duties for two seasons.  Part of the 2007-08 season saw the team go without a captain until February 2008, when Eric Brewer was named captain, a role he still holds to this day.

March of the Penguin

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS


One of the franchises that formed when the NHL decided to expand in 1967, the Pittsburgh Penguins' early years were often unremarkable, as they were overshadowed by cross-state rivals the Philadelphia Flyers, who also entered the league in the same year.  After years of losing, things began to change when the Penguins had the first overall pick in 1984.  If you follow your hockey history, you know the rest of that story, and that will be covered in this piece to some degree.

In the team's history, the Penguins have had twelve captains, with two players having served more than once as captain.  The first captain in team history was Ab McDonald, who would go on to serve that inaugural season as captain.  The following year, the team went without a captain, and would do so until 1973.  Ron Schock would end that streak with his own, serving from 1973 until 1977.  Jean Pronovost would serve for a season before Orest Kindrachuk would take over in 1978, serving until 1981.  The lean years of the Penguins would see Randy Carlyle wear the C from 1981 until 1984.  The 1984 offseason saw some changes, with Mario Lemieux being drafted by the Pens and becoming the team's savior (in more ways than one) and Mike Bullard taking over the captain duties.  Bullard would serve until 1986.  Rosco Ruskowski would handle the captain duties for the 1986-87 season.  The 1987-88 season would see Dan Frawley start as captain, but an injury would have Mario Lemieux  in the first of three stints as captain, take over two months later.  Lemieux's first term as captain saw two Stanley Cups, and a courageous battle with Hodgkin's Disease.  He sat out the lockout shortened season of 1994-95, and as a result, the C was handed over to Ron Francis, who himself was serving the first of two stints as Pens captain.  Lemieux's return to the lineup in 1995-96 meant a return to captaincy, a role he would hold this time until his first retirement in 1997 due to illness.  The 1997-98 season would see Francis return as captain until his trade to Carolina after the season.  Three seasons of Jaromir Jagr would follow until his trade to Washington in the 2001 offseason, but not before he dominated the game like few others in the last thirty years.  Lemieux came out of retirement in December 2000, and would be named captain again after the Jagr trade.  Lemieux would hold the captiancy this time until his retirement in 2006.  The 2006-07 season saw the team go without a captain, and the following season, Sidney Crosby would be named captain, a role he has held since.  Crosby has already won a Stanley Cup and scored the gold medal clinching goal, so who knows what else he has in store.

Jetting to the Head of the Pack

PHOENIX COYOTES


The Phoenix Coyotes broke into the league as the Winnipeg Jets in the 1979-80 season as one of four teams to have been taken from the WHA.  The Jets would later move to Phoenix in 1996, where to this date, they have yet to advance past the first round.  In their history, they have had thirteen captains.

The first team captain in the NHL chapter of their existence was Lars-Erik Sjoberg, who was previously captain in the WHA days, and would only serve one year as the captain in the NHL's Jets.  Single seasons of Morris Lukowich and Dave Christian would follow before Lucien DuBlois would captain the team for two seasons.  1984 until 1989 was Dale Hawerchuk's turn with the C, and as the first superstar of the team, he was to the Jets what Wayne Gretzky was to the Oilers: they let their on-ice talents do the talking.  The 1989-90 season had Hawerchuk share the C with Thomas Steen (a Jets lifer) and Randy Carlyle.  After Hawerchuk was traded to Buffalo at the conclusion of the season, Steen and Carlyle would continue to share the C the following season.  Eventually, the captaincy would be handed to Troy Murray, who would hold the C from 1991 until 1993, when he was traded to Chicago before the trade deadline.  Dean Kennedy would finish the 1992-93 season as captain.  Keith Tkachuk would take over in 1993 and would hold the C until 1995, when Kris King would finish the Jets' chapter as captain.  After the move to Phoenix, Tkachuk was reinstated as captain, a role he would hold for the team's first five seasons before a trade to St. Louis in the 2000-01 offseason.  Taking over was another Jet leftover in Teppo Numminen, who was never the best defenseman on the team, but was one of the most dependable.  He would have the C until 2003, when Shane Doan took over.  He currently holds that distinction, as well as the last player on the Coyotes to have played for Winnipeg, doing so in 1995-96.

Fleet Captains

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS


One of the first franchises to play in the Expansion Era, the Philadelphia Flyers were named in an effort to identify the team with speed, as the logo attests.  Since the beginning, the team's logo and colors have remained the same and the jerseys have largely maintained a certain status quo about it.  The team's real identity was discovered in its Stanley Cup years in the mid-70's, when the team earned the nickname the "Broad Street Bullies," so called for the style of play they employed.

In the Flyers' history, they have had sixteen captains, all of which have given off the identity that the Flyers have been known for, with their own unique abilities.  The team's first captain was Lou Angotti, who only served the first year as captain.  He was replaced by Ed Van Impe, who would go on to serve as captain until 1973, when Bobby Clarke would take over.  The quintessential Flyer, Clarke would go on to wear the C in the Flyers' heyday and would be captain until 1979, when the role of Assistant Coach was added to his title and he had to give up the captaincy.  He would also later serve as the team GM in the 1990's and is still working in the Flyers' front office as Senior Vice President.  Mel Bridgman would replace Clarke in 1979 and would serve until 1981.  A year of Bill Barber would follow before Clarke would wear the C again from 1982 until 1984.  1984 until 1989 was the captaincy of Dave Poulin, which was followed by two years of Ron Sutter and a year of Rick Tocchet before the team went without a captain in the 1992-93 season.  The 1993-94 season had Kevin Dineen serve as captain before Eric Lindros would take over following that season.  His time as captain would be known as much for his dominance of the game on the ice as it would the bickering with the front office off it.  He was stripped of the C in 2000 and in a rather public manner, the C was sewn onto the jersey of Eric Desjardins, who would wear it for a year.  Keith Primeau would assume captain duties from 2001 until a concussion ended his career in 2006, and the C was given to Derian Hatcher to finish the 2005-06 season.  Peter Forsberg (who was included in the Lindros trade of 1992) and Jason Smith would serve a season each before Mike Richards would be named captain in 2008, signifying the team's commitment to youth.

Senators and Romans

OTTAWA SENATORS


The most recent Canadian entry into the NHL, the Ottawa Senators began play in 1992, but were not the first team named the Senators to play in Ottawa, as a franchise under the same name began play in the 1930's, but folded a year after moving to St. Louis.  The early years of the current incarnation were a disaster, to say the least, as the team finished in the basement for the first four years of their existence.  The captaincy is a good reflection on the team's successes and failures.

The inaugural year of 1992-93 had Laurie Boschman as the team captain.  The following year, three different players served as the captain: Mark Lamb, Brad Shaw, and Gord Dineen.  The lockout shortened season had the team go without a captain before Randy Cunneyworth was named captain.  He is only one of two players to have served more than one season as the Senators' captain, doing so from 1995 until 1998.  The 1998-99 season had Alexei Yashin wear the C, but much like the 1995-96 season, a contract dispute would derail his chance at a second season with the C and eventually, he would be traded to the New York Islanders in 2001.  In his place as captain is the active longest serving captain in the NHL Daniel Alfredsson, who started wearing the C in 1999.

Broadway Leaders

NEW YORK RANGERS


Originally an expansion franchise in 1926, the New York Rangers began play in the NHL to compete with the New York Americans, who also played in that time.  Obviously, the Rangers are still operating and the Americans are ancient history, and in their history, have had twenty-five captains.

BIRTH TO WORLD WAR II


The early years of the Rangers were captained by Bill Cook, who would go on to lead the team from 1926 until 1937.  Art Coulter would take over the C in 1937 and would hold that distinction until 1942.  Coulter would also be the captain of the last Rangers team to win the Stanley Cup until 1994.  Ott Heller would be the captain in 1942 and would hold it until 1945.

POST WORLD WAR II TO EXPANSION


After the War, Neil Colville would have the C in 1945 and would hold it until halfway through the 1948-49 season.  The next two seasons would see Buddy O'Connor and Frank Eddolls wear the C for a season each before Allan Stanley would take the captain duties for the next two seasons.  Two more captains serving two seasons each would follow in Don Raleigh (1953-55) and Harry Howell (1955-57).  George Sullivan would take over in 1957, captaining the team until 1961.  Andy Bathgate would captain the team for the next three years before a season of Camille Henry would follow.  Bob Nevin would take over the captain duties in 1965 and have it until 1971, which by then, saw new teams enter the league.

POST EXPANSION TO 1991


The first Expansion era was not very kind to the Rangers, as they experienced some lean years.  After Nevin vacated the C, Vic Hadfield would take the C in 1971 and hold it until 1974.  A year of Brad Park would follow before a Phil Esposito in the twilight years reign would last from 1975 until 1978.  Two seasons of Dave Maloney and a season of Walt Tkaczuk would follow after that before Barry Beck would see the captain duties through from 1981 until 1986.  A year of Ron Greschner followed before Kelly Kisio took over in 1987 until the conlcusion of the 1990-91 season, when he was taken by the San Jose Sharks in the Dispersal Draft.

1991 TO PRESENT


1991 was a year of change, as Mark Messier stepped into the captain's role.  That would bear fruit in 1994, when Messier led the team to the Stanley Cup and in the process, earned himself a spot in Rangers lore.  His free agent signing to Vancouver in 1997 opened the door for Brian Leetch, who would have the captain duties until 2000, when Messier returned to the team.  Messier would go on to captain the team until his retirement at the conclusion of the 2003-04 season.  The first season after the lockout saw the team go without a captain, though, and the following season, a resurgent Jaromir Jagr would be named captain.  He would wear the C for two seasons before signing with a team in the KHL.  Chris Drury was signed from Buffalo in 2007, and would be named captain in 2008, a role he holds to this day.

An Island of Leaders

NEW YORK ISLANDERS


In the beginning, the New York Islanders seemed to be the better team from New York, with the apex being in the early 80's, when they won four straight Stanley Cups.  However, the 90's, specifically 1994, was a turning point for the team, as they literally staked claim to the basement in the standings for years.  New ownership in 2002 showed the team had promise of being a contender.  That dream was dashed in 2008, when the team started to haemmorage money once more.  That isn't to say the team has been lacking for captains in their history.  Far from it, actually, as the Islanders have had twelve captains in thirty-nine years as a franchise.

The first five years of the franchise were captained by Ed Westfall.  Tough guy Clark Gillies would follow and be captain from 1977 to 1979.  The Islanders' glory years were led by Denis Potvin, who would have the C from 1979 until 1987.  Brent Sutter, one of the Sutter Brothers from Viking, AB, would have the captain's role from 1987 until 1991.  1991 would mark the beginning of the Patrick Flatley era, and it would be until 1996 when he would be captain.  In that time, the Islanders' descent and the infamous "Fish Sticks" jersey were evident.  The next five seasons would show some instability, with no captain in 1996-97, Bryan McCabe (1997-98), Trevor Linden (1998-99), and Kenny Jonsson (1999-2000), with a no captain to end that run in the 2000-01 season.  Eventually, the stability returned, sort of, with Michael Peca being named captain from 2001 until 2004.  Post-lockout saw Peca moved to Edmonton prior to the 2005-06 season and Alexei Yashin, the poster boy for overpaid players, promoted to captain.  He would be captain until 2007, when the Islanders bought out his contract, for which they are still on the books.  Two years of Bill Guerin would follow until his trade to Pittsburgh at the trade deadline in 2009.  Doug Weight is the current captain, which is fitting, since the Islanders are in the midst of a youth movement.

Scouting the Rockies for Devils

NEW JERSEY DEVILS


Long before the debacle that is becoming the Ilya Kovalchuk contract and before the Devils won three Stanley Cups from 1995 until 2003, the New Jersey Devils previously played in two different stops: in Kansas City as the Scouts and in Colorado as the Rockies (not to be confused for the baseball team of the same name).  The team we know now as the Devils began play in 1974, and were quite terrible, both on the ice and in the box office.  The number of captains in team history is sixteen, with many of those coming in the years prior to New Jersey.

PRE-DEVILS ERA


The franchise's first captain was Simon Nolet, a journeyman who was nearing the end of his career.  From the beginning until his trade to Pittsburgh in 1976, he was the team captain.  After his trade, Guy Charron would finish the season as captain.  After the season, the team moved to Colorado and Nolet was re-acquired to be the first captain at the Colorado stop.  He would be captain for that season before retiring.  The longest tenured captain in the Colorado era was Wilf Paiement, who held the role from 1977 until 1979.  The next three seasons were a mess, as the team still couldn't find success, and had five captains in that time.  Gary Croteau would hold the C in the beginning of the 1979-80 season.  However, he would not finish the season as captain, giving way to Mike Christie.  The following season, Rene Robert would try his hand as captain, but would not finish the season as captain, giving way to Lanny McDonald.  The captain in the team's final season in Colorado was Rob Ramage.

THE DEVILS ERA


The Devils moved to New Jersey in 1982 and Don Lever was named the first captain in that stop.  He would have the captaincy from 1982 until 1984.  Mel Bridgman would take over, holding the role from 1984 until 1987.  The consolation prize from the 1984 draft, otherwise known as Kirk Muller, would hold the captaincy from 1987 until 1991, in which the Devils will be known best for the "Have another doughnut" game.  Bruce Driver would hold the captaincy after Muller's trade to Montreal in the 1991 offseason, wearing the C for a season.  The 1992 season began the Scott Stevens captaincy, and he would not let go of the C until 2004, when injuries ultimately forced him to relinquish the C to Scott Niedermayer, who would finish as captain in 2004.  Before that happened, Stevens became the second most important Devil in history (after Martin Brodeur), establishing himself as a hard hitter who made many nights for offensive players miserable.  The first season after the lockout saw the team go without a captain.  The 2006-07 season saw a season of Patrik Elias as captain before current captain Jamie Langenbrunner took over after the season.

The Roar of Leadership

NASHVILLE PREDATORS


The oldest of the four most recent entries into the NHL, the Nashville Predators began play in 1998 and are one of the most stable franchises when it comes to front office.  The ownership?  Well, that's another story for another day.  In their history, the Predators have had five captains, which is more telling of the style of play the Predators have employed in their time.

The early years of the team were led by Tom Fitzgerald, who brought expansion competitivness to the team from his days as an original Florida Panther.  In his time as captain from 1998 to 2002, the Fitzgerald-led teams were competitive and played hard every night.  That tradition continued with Greg Johnson, who captained the team from 2002 until 2006, and brought a Stanley Cup championship pedigree with him from his Detroit Red Wing days.  A year of Kimmo Timonen followed, and in that season, the Preds briefly relied on star power to try and advance in the playoffs.  It ultimately failed, and Timonen was traded to Philadelphia due to financial reasons (this will be a recurring theme with the Preds in their entire existence).  Jason Arnott followed, and he brought back the toughness to the team (their usual level, anyway, which is very high).  He would be captain until an offseason trade a few months ago, in which he would return to New Jersey.  Shea Weber was named the fifth captain in team history soon after.

Ancient History of Leaders

MONTREAL CANADIENS


The oldest franchise in the NHL today, the Canadiens also have the most championships of any team in hockey history.  They are the only team to have existed prior to the formation of the NHL, and since this blog is covering only the NHL part of the captaincy history, the Canadiens' history will begin with the 1917-18 season, the year the NHL was formed, which by Wikipedia count, is twenty-five different players having the C.

THE EARLY YEARS TO WWII

The first captain in the Canadiens' maiden voyage in the league was Newsy Lalonde, who had been captain on two previous occasions prior to the league formation and was captain the year before, as well, in the 1916-17 season.  He would go on to hold the captaincy until 1922.  Sprague Cleghorn would follow for three seasons and Billy Coutu for one season before Sylvio Mantha took the role from 1926 through 1932.  George Hainsworth would assume captain duties for a year before Mantha would re-assume duties from 1933 through 1936.  Babe Siebert followed for three years before handing duties over to Walter Buswell for a year.  From 1940 until 1948, three years after World War II, Toe Blake handled the captain duties.

POST WWII TO EXPANSION ERA (1967)


Blake relinquished the role in January 1948, and for the rest of the season, Bill Durnan would hold that role. That would be significant because he inspired the Durnan Rule, which meant goalies could not wear the C on the sweater, as it would be demonstrated by the Canucks' Roberto Luongo sixty years later.  Following that experiment, Emile Bouchard would take over as captain, holding the role from 1948 until 1956.  The Rocket Maurice Richard, who inspired a children's story in The Hockey Sweater (which is a great read to children, and I highly recommend it) and scored quite a few goals in his time.  He would wear the C from 1956 until 1960, giving way to Doug Harvey for a year.  The Gentleman Jean Beliveau would take over in 1961, and for the next ten years, would be the face of the franchise for all the right reasons.  Until his retirement in 1971, he brought a class and talent level that made Canadiens one of the most respectable franchises in the league.

POST-EXPANSION TO TODAY

From 1971 to 1975, the Pocket Rocket Henri Richard would handle the C, and like older brother Maurice, he could score.  He was also a winner, having won more Stanley Cups as a player than any other player in history.  Yvan Cournoyer would have the C on his sweater from 1975 to 1979, and would be followed by Serge Savard for two seasons.  Bob Gainey would have the C from 1981 to 1989, and redefined how a forward could play defense.  A year of co-captains happened in the 1989-90 season, with Guy Carbonneau and Chris Chelios being named to the role.  Carbonneau would take sole possession of the role after Chelios' trade in the 1990 off-season to Chicago.  Carbonneau would hold the role until his trade in the off-season in 1994 to St. Louis.  The lockout shortened season of 1994-95 saw some instability, as Kirk Muller would be captain until his trade to the Islanders prior to the deadline.  Mike Keane would finish the season as captain, and would be captain for the beginning of the 1995-96 season until he was included in the Patrick Roy deal to Colorado.  Pierre Turgeon would finish the season as captain.  Turgeon's trade to St. Louis after the season opened the door to Vincent Damphousse to be named captain, a role he held from 1996 to 1999.  The first European captain of the Canadiens took over in Saku Koivu, and in his time from 1999 until he left for Anaheim in 2009, he provided an inspiration for the team that few others had.  The 2009-10 season saw the team go without a captain, and despite that, the team had its best showing in the playoffs since 1993.  This season, Brian Gionta was named captain of the Canadiens.

A Wild Way to Lead

MINNESOTA WILD


The most successful of the four recent entries into the NHL, the Minnesota Wild make no mistake as to who is number one, as in the number retired in tribute to the fans.  They also have had an interesting take on the captaincy.  In the Jacques Lemaire era, the captaincy was rotated on a monthly basis, and it was only last season that the team decided to go with a permanent captain, which coincided with a change in GM, coach, and star player.  In the inaugural season, the team went with (in order, as all lists will be in this piece) Sean O'Donnell, Jim Dowd, Wes Walz, Brad Bombardir, and Darby Hendrickson as captains.  The following year, Dowd, Filip Kuba, Brad Brown, and Andrew Brunette were the team captains.  2002-03 was the first year they made the playoffs, and arguably the team's most successful season.  Their captaincy had Bombardir, Matt Johnson, Sergei Zholtok, and Bombardir again as captains, with Bombardir serving from February until the end of the Wild's playoff run in his second run that year.  The following year saw Brown, Brunette, Richard Park, Bombardir, Dowd, and Brunette again as captains.

After the lockout, the team went with Alex Henry, Kuba, Willie Mitchell, Brian Rolston, and Walz as captains.  The following season saw Rolston, Keith Carney, Rolston again, and Mark Parrish wearing the C.  2007-08 was the most recent time the Wild made the playoffs, and had Pavol Demitra, Rolston, Parrish, Nick Schultz, Mikko Koivu, and Marian Gaborik wear the C.  The following year was the last year of the rotating captaincy, and saw Koivu, Kim Johnsson, Koivu again, Brunette, and Koivu for a third time wear the captain's C.  One regime change later, Koivu was named the team's first permanent captain in 2009.

Yes, it has been a weird and Wild (no pun intended) trip for the captain's C in Minnesota, but would you expect anything less from a team that plays in a hockey mad state?

King of Kings (Sorry, Triple H)

LOS ANGELES KINGS


One of the first expansion franchises to begin play in 1967, the Kings have been the longest running franchise to have played on the West Coast in the NHL.  In their history, they have had fourteen captains, and despite the relative lack of success in the playoffs, they have actually had a fairly stable history when it comes to captains.  The captain for the team's first two seasons was Bob Wall.  He was followed by (in order) Larry Cahan, Bob Pulford, and Terry Harper, who served two seasons each as captain.  Mike Murphy was named captain in 1975, and held the role until 1981.  Dave Lewis and Terry Ruskowski succeeded him as captain, with each serving as captain for two seasons.  The team lifer Dave Taylor took his turn as captain from 1985 until 1989, when The Great One Wayne Gretzky served as captain.  He would hold the C until his trade to St. Louis in 1996.  In that time, Luc Robitaille would serve as captain in 1992-93 while Gretzky was injured.  From 1996 until his trade to Colorado in 2001, Rob Blake took his turn as captain.  He would later become captain in his second term with the team in the 2007-08 season.  In between, Mattias Norstrom would be captain from 2001 through 2007, when his trade to Dallas would end that tenure.  In that time, Robitaille would serve as captain in 2006 for the final games of his career.  After a year of Blake, Dustin Brown would take over the role, signifying the team's commitment to youth, which is being served right now.

Leaders on Boats

FLORIDA PANTHERS


The Florida Panthers joined the NHL in 1993, and early in their existence, it looked like they would have long term success.  Unfortunately, the new decade rolled around and they haven't seen the Playoffs since.  In their history, they have had six captains, and like their overall history, the captain history reflects the team's successes and failures.  From the beginning until 1997, the team captain was Brian Skrudland, who wasn't particularly talented, but his leadership was perfect for a team just breaking into the league.  He was succeeded Scott Mellanby, who along with John Vanbiesbrouck, is the face of the Panthers' successes.  He is most notable for beginning the "Year of the Rat" in the 1995-96 season that saw them reach the Stanley Cup finals.  His trade to St. Louis at the 2000-01 trade deadline coincided with the team's downfall.  The 2001-02 season had co-captains in Paul Laus and Pavel Bure.  The following season, the team went without a captain.  2003 was the beginning of the Olli Jokinen captaincy, and his time as captain was as notable for the offensive numbers as it was the effort that Jokinen put forth on a daily basis, which is to say no one really knew which Jokinen would show up.  He was traded in the offseason to Phoenix in 2008, ending his run as captain.  The 2008-09 season saw the Panthers go without a captain again.  Currently, the C is held by Bryan McCabe, who was named to the role in 2009.

Put on the Hard Hats

EDMONTON OILERS


The Oilers were one of four teams to come into the NHL from the WHA in 1979, and is the only team that is still in its original location.  Their success in the early years of the NHL existence have intertwined with some lean years in recent years and an underdog mentality when they do make the playoffs.  The team has had thirteen captains in their history, and many of them exemplify the Oilers franchise.  The first two captains in the first two years of the franchise in the NHL are Ron Chipperfield and Blair McDonald, who served a season each.  Lee Fogolin served two years after that, going from 1981 to 1983.  The Great One (Wayne Gretzky) followed, serving as captain from 1983 until his trade to Los Angeles in 1988.  His good friend Mark Messier took over, serving from 1988 until his trade to the Rangers in 1991, earning his reputation as a great leader in the process.  Kevin Lowe, who was another Oiler original as the team's first draft pick in their NHL existence, was captain for a year before his trade to the Rangers.  Craig MacTavish followed for two seasons until his trade to (you guessed it) the Rangers.  He is more notable for being the last player to play without a helmet full time.   The lockout shortened season saw Shayne Corson take over the captain duties before Kelly Buchberger took over from 1995 until 1999, when he was picked in the expansion draft by Atlanta.  Two seasons of Doug Weight followed until his trade to St. Louis in 2001.  The rugged Jason Smith took his turn with the C, wearing it until his trade to Philadelphia in 2007.  Ethan Moreau was next, taking the captain role until being claimed on waivers by Columbus in the 2010 offseason.  Recently, the Oilers named career-long Oiler Shawn Horcoff as the thirteenth captain in team history.