Professional ice hockey players who lead their teams in the National Hockey League
Sidney Crosby , the longest tenured captain in the NHL, and captain of the
Pittsburgh Penguins since
2007 . The captain can be identified by the large "C" on his jersey.
The
National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league composed of 33 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
† Spent entire NHL career with team
Captains
Alexander Ovechkin , captain of the
Washington Capitals since 2010
Gabriel Landeskog , captain of the
Colorado Avalanche since 2012
Jamie Benn , captain of the
Dallas Stars since 2013
Steven Stamkos , captain of the
Tampa Bay Lightning since 2013
Twenty-seven of the thirty-three NHL teams currently have a captain. The six teams without a captain are the
Anaheim Ducks ,
Buffalo Sabres ,
Chicago Blackhawks ,
Seattle Kraken , and the
Utah NHL team , as well as the inactive
Arizona Coyotes . Of the twenty-eight captains, twenty-two 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.
^ Most recent captain,
Ryan Getzlaf , retired at the end of the 2021–22 season.
^ Most recent captain,
Oliver Ekman-Larsson , was traded to the
Vancouver Canucks in July 2021. The franchise has since suspended operations.
^ Most recent captain,
Kyle Okposo , was traded to the
Florida Panthers in March 2024.
^ Most recent captain,
Jonathan Toews , was not re-signed by the Blackhawks following the 2022–23 season.
^ Most recent captain,
Mark Giordano , was traded to the
Toronto Maple Leafs in March 2022.
^ The Utah NHL team has yet to name its' first captain in franchise history.
Alternate captains
Evgeni Malkin , the longest tenured alternate captain in the NHL, and alternate captain of the
Pittsburgh Penguins since 2008
Nicklas Backstrom , alternate captain of the
Washington Capitals since 2010
Brendan Gallagher , alternate captain of the
Montreal Canadiens since 2015
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins , alternate captain of the
Edmonton Oilers since 2015
Thiry-one of the thirty-three NHL teams have named at least the regulation two alternate captains, the two exceptions being the
San Jose Sharks and the currently-inactive
Arizona Coyotes . Of the eighty-two alternate captains, forty-three 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
References
Team 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 .
^
a
b
c
"Marchand named Bruins captain, replaces Bergeron" . nhl.com . September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023 .
^ 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 .
^
"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" . 9 August 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 .
^
a
b
c
"Schenn named Blues captain, replaces O'Reilly" . nhl.com . September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023 .
^
"Lightning Name Steven Stamkos the 10th Captain in Franchise History" .
National Hockey League . Retrieved May 17, 2014 .
^
"Tavares named captain of Maple Leafs, first in three seasons" . National Hockey League. Retrieved January 9, 2021 .
^
"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 .
^
"Islanders Alternate Captains Ladd, Hamonic, Clutterbuck" . 12 October 2016.
^ Hall, Jordan (November 8, 2022).
"Tortorella, Laughton starting to build relationship between coach, leader" . Retrieved November 27, 2022 .
^
"Flyers Name Sean Couturier 20th Captain in Franchise History" . Philadelphia Flyers. February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024 .
^ @SeattleKraken (October 11, 2021).
"Leaders on and off the ice. Jordan Eberle (@jeberle_7), Yanni Gourde (@YanniGourde), Adam Larsson (@AdamLarsson3) and Jaden Schwartz will serve as your #SeaKraken Alternate Captains for the 2021-22 season" (
Tweet ). Retrieved October 11, 2021 – via
Twitter .
^
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 .
Suspended teams Events
History Others
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League records (
individual ,
team )
Statistical leaders (
by country of birth )
Points, career (min. 1,000)
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Points, season (min. 100)
Goals, season (min. 50)
50 goals in 50 games
Games, career (min. 1,000)
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PIMs, career (min. 2,000)
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Goaltenders who have scored
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