The current captain of every NHL team

Wearing the captain’s “C” for an NHL team carries some heft with it. The only role nearly equivalent in sports is being the captain of a soccer club, and that role can be handed from player to player if there is an injury, or even a substitution. When you are the captain of an NHL team, you are the captain. Some NHL captains have been in the role for over a decade, while others have just grabbed it. One team didn't have a captain...and then suddenly it did. Here is the captaincy situation for all 32 NHL squads.

Anaheim Ducks: Radko Gudas (1 of 32)

The Ducks have a new look…which is basically their old look. They also have a new captain. Gudas has been in the NHL for a decade, always as a secondary, defense-first blue line stalwart. He's done that in Tampa, Florida, and starting last season with Anaheim. Gudas is stepping into the role after the Ducks had a season with a captain after the retirement of franchise icon Ryan Getzlaf.

Boston Bruins: Brad Marchand (2 of 32)

Zdeno Chara was captain for the Bruins for years. When he retired, reasonably the role moved onto Patrice Bergeron. The problem there was that Bergeron was no spring chicken himself, and he retired after a couple of years wearing the “C.” Back in the day, Marchand would have been a questionable choice for captain due to his proclivity for penalties and questionable hits. Prior to the 2023-24 season, though, he got the role, an unexpected twist for the most suspended player in NHL history (in terms of a number of individual suspensions).

Buffalo Sabres: Rasmus Dahlin (3 of 32)

Dahlin has been an offensive force from the blue line for the Sabres since being drafted first overall. While Owen Power has yet to look like a first-overall pick, Dahlin has shouldered the load for a team with a lengthy postseason absence. Now, the Swedish defenseman has a new role. The Sabres dealt captain Kyle Okposo to the Panthers last year, where he then won the Cup and subsequently retired. Dahlin has inherited the role.

Calgary Flames: Mikael Backlund (4 of 32)

Backlund is not a star player. He’s been a second-line center type for years. However, he’s spent his entire decade-plus career with the Flames, and he’s played in all 82 games in each of the last three seasons. Sometimes, a star is made the captain because he’s a star. Backlund is in the veteran leader mold of captains.

Carolina Hurricanes: Jordan Staal (5 of 32)

Staal is the same type of captain as Backlund. While guys like Sebastian Aho shoulder the offensive load, Staal provides depth at center and wears the “C” for the Hurricanes. Staal has been the sole captain for the Canes since the 2019-20 season. It’s a family thing. Jordan’s older brother Eric was the captain of Carolina from 2010 until 2016.

Chicago Blackhawks: Nick Foligno (6 of 32)

A prediction: Foligno’s tenure as captain for Chicago will be brief. The Blackhawks just don’t want to put too much on Connor Bedard’s shoulders just yet. He can be “the guy after the guy” now. Jonathan Toews compiled a Hall of Fame resume while captaining the Blackhawks for 15 years. Now, he’s retired. Foligno is a smart interim choice. Not only is he a veteran, but he was previously the captain of the Blue Jackets.

Colorado Avalanche: Gabriel Landeskog (7 of 32)

The Avalanche have been without their captain for a while. Due to a lingering knee issue that has required multiple surgeries, Landeskog has missed the last two full NHL seasons. Colorado has not taken the captaincy from him, though. He’s been in the role since the 2012-13 season, and the team will hope to see more of him on the ice going forward.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Boone Jenner (8 of 32)

Jenner took over from Foligno as captain of Columbus. He’s had to be a steady presence through franchise chaos, and now tragedy. As the Blue Jackets deal with the tragic, untimely death of Johnny Gaudreau, Jenner may be leaned on even more. He’s been handling the role since the 2021-22 season and has been with the franchise for a dozen years. Hopefully Jenner is up to the task.

Dallas Stars: Jamie Benn (9 of 32)

Benn has managed to bridge generations of Stars squads. When he joined the team Brad Richards led the offense and Mike Modano was the captain. Now, the team is being handed to guys like Wyatt Johnston and Miro Heiskanen. Benn has been captain since the 2013-14 season, right before he won the Art Ross, and he’s still able to light the lamp.

Detroit Red Wings: Dylan Larkin (10 of 32)

Larkin had big skates to fill. Steve Yzerman, the foremost icon of Red Wings hockey since Gordie Howe, was captain for 20 years. He was followed by Nicklas Lidstrom, maybe the best defenseman of all time. Lidstrom handed the role to Henrik Zetterberg, a career-long Red Wing with a Conn Smythe and possibly a Hall of Fame resume. And yet, when Larkin was given the role prior to the 2021-22 season, everybody knew he was next in line. He’s from Metro Detroit, he played in college for University of Michigan, and late in the 2022-23 season Larkin committed to the franchise with an eight-year extension. Who offered him that extension? That would be Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman.

Edmonton Oilers: Connor McDavid (11 of 32)

McDavid’s not just the best player of his generation, but well on his way to being one of the four or five best players in the history of the game. The Oilers named him captain after his rookie season when he was all of 19 years old. Since then he’s won five Art Ross trophies, three Hart trophies, and became the second forward to win the Conn Smythe for a team that didn’t win the Cup.

Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov (12 of 32)

McDavid didn’t win the Cup because of Barkov and the Panthers. The Finnish center is the most recent captain to hoist the Stanley Cup. Barkov has been captain since the 2018-19 season, and he’s known for his elite defensive play. He’s won two Selkes for best defensive forward, but that’s not all he does. Barkov has routinely tallied over 20 goals and 60 points.

Los Angeles Kings: Anze Kopitar (13 of 32)

Now in his late thirties, the Kings will have to prepare for life without Kopitar, but maybe not quite yet. The best Slovenian hockey player of all-time is still a 70-point guy, and even if his defense has slipped a bit, it’s slipped from his peak of being a two-time Selke winner. Kopitar was the obvious choice for captain when he was handed the role prior to the 2016-17 season, but it doesn’t feel like an obvious replacement is on the roster now (with Drew Doughty as close to retirement as Kopitar is).

Minnesota Wild: Jared Spurgeon (14 of 32)

The Wild have only had two “real” captains, as they spent years with a “rotating” idea that left the burgeoning franchise with nobody actually handling the responsibilities. Mikko Koivu changed all that, and he had the role for over a decade. After Koivu retired, Spurgeon was handed the role in 2021. The defenseman is not a prolific point producer, but he is a steady presence who has been with the team since debuting in 2010.

Montreal Canadiens: Nick Suzuki (15 of 32)

If you want to coach the Canadiens, you’d better be French-Canadian. If you want to be the captain, well, you just have to be really good. The Habs haven’t had a French-Canadian captain since Vincent Damphousse in 1999. Suzuki was drafted by the Golden Knights, but before he ever took the ice for them he was a prospect included in a deal for then-Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty. Suzuki has gotten a little better season by season, and he’s just beginning his proverbial prime years. The captaincy has been his since the 2022-23 season.

Nashville Predators: Roman Josi (16 of 32)

Shea Weber was the best defenseman in Predators history, and he was the captain for several seasons. Now, though, Josi is the best blue-liner Nashville has ever had. He may only have one Norris, but Josi has been a finalist on multiple occasions. Josi should breeze past 1,000 regular-season games with the franchise, and could thus become the first-or-second career Predator into the Hall of Fame, depending on if (more likely when) Pekka Rinne makes it.

New Jersey Devils: Nico Hischier (17 of 32)

First come, first serve! Jack Hughes is the offensive star for the Devils, and he was a first-overall pick. The thing is, Hischier was also a first-overall pick, and he was taken a couple of years earlier. Thus, he became captain during the 2020-21 season when he returned from injury in February 2021. By the way, Hischier makes a fine captain. He’s defensively stout, and he has four 20-goal seasons already.

New York Islanders: Anders Lee (18 of 32)

When Lane Lambert kept Lee as captain, it made sense, given that he had been promoted from within after serving as an assistant coach under Barry Trotz. However, Lee has not officially spanned two regimes. Patrick Roy, yes that Patrick Roy, has retained him as captain since taking over behind the bench. Lee was named captain prior to the 2018-19 season, right after he had scored 40 goals. While Lee has not replicated that, he has been a consistent 20-goal scorer and provided continuity through tumult and changes behind the bench and in the front office.

New York Rangers: Jacob Trouba (19 of 32)

Trouba is the captain that makes us scratch our heads the most. The Rangers aren’t lacking for options. “The Bread Man” Artemi Panarin always delivers. Chris Kreider is a veteran who has routinely scored 30 goals. Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck are above-average centers. Even Adam Fox is a better defenseman than Trouba is. Trouba’s primary claim to fame is making a lot of people on social media mad with questionable hits. Also, he started his career with the Jets, so he’s not even a longtime Ranger. And yet, he was handed the role prior to the 2022-23 season.

Ottawa Senators: Brady Tkachuk (20 of 32)

Other than the lengthy run of Daniel Alfredsson, the Senators haven’t had a ton of luck with captains. Tkachuk could change things. Son of Keith, younger brother of Matthew, Brady was named captain early in the 2021-22 season. He was the first Ottawa captain since 2018, when Erik Karlsson was dealt to San Jose. Like his family members, Tkachuk is a prolific goal scorer, and if he sticks around through his full contract, he will finally give the team some stability at captain.

Philadelphia Flyers: Sean Couturier (21 of 32)

Claude Giroux was dealt away at the deadline of the 2021-22 season, and that summer John Tortorella was hired as the new head coach. He didn’t name a captain at first, but eventually Torts found his man. Unsurprisingly, he’s a gritty center with a Selke trophy to his name. Couturier has had injury issues in recent years, but he has two 30-goal seasons to his name. He became Tortorella’s first Flyers captain in February 2024.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby (22 of 32)

No hockey fan has asked themselves, “Who’s the Penguins’ captain?” in quite some time. Everybody knows it's Crosby, and it has been Crosby for a long, long run. Back when “Sid the Kid” was a reasonably accurate moniker and not just a rhyme burnt into our hockey-loving minds, Crosby was named captain of the Penguins when he was 19. This was before the 2007-08 season. Since then, Crosby has been in the role of captain for Pittsburgh, and he is the longest-tenured captain in the NHL. He will never leave the franchise. He will retire a one-team player, just like Mario Lemieux. Not every franchise gets a Sidney Crosby. Every franchise wants one.

San Jose Sharks: Logan Couture (23 of 32)

As the Sharks’ aggressive rebuild continues, Couture’s time as captain could be coming to an end soon. In his mid-thirties, he’s not on the same time table as the team’s young players like Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini. Couture also missed almost the entire 2023-24 season with an alarming pelvis issue. He’s served the Sharks well for over a decade, and been captain since the 2019-20 season. However, via trade, via retirement, or via the Sharks simply deciding it is time to pass the torch, Couture’s captaincy feels tenuous.

Seattle Kraken: Jordan Eberle (24 of 32)

Well, give the Kraken credit for showmanship. While the franchise had a captain in its expansion season, after Mark Giordano was traded (during said expansion season), the Kraken went sans captain. Heading into the 2024-25 season, no captain had been named. Then, suddenly, in the season opener, out-skated Jordan Eberle wearing the "C." Turns out, Seattle does have a captain!

St. Louis Blues: Brayden Schenn (25 of 32)

The Blues saw one captain (Alex Pietrangelo) leave in free agency pretty bitterly, and then dealt their next captain (Ryan O’Reilly) at the deadline. Fortunately, they had another veteran from their Cup-winning team left to give the role to. Schenn is no stranger to being dealt himself, as he was brought over from the Flyers in a deal. He’s responded with five 20-goal seasons as a Blue, including in 2023-24, his first as captain.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman (26 of 32)

An era has ended. Steven Stamkos is going to the Hall of Fame. He lifted multiple Cups as captain of the Lightning. However, the two sides decided to part ways. Stamkos signed with the Predators, and Hedman was the obvious choice to replace him. Hedman has a Norris and a Conn Smythe and has spent his entire NHL career with the Lightning, a career that began in 2009. It seemed like he might never get a chance to wear the “C,” but his time is now.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews (27 of 32)

Craig Berube? He ain’t Patrick Roy. After Berube was hired as the new head coach of the Maple Leafs, he made a big move. John Tavares’ tenure as captain was over. The role now belongs to Matthews. In a way, it makes sense. Matthews was a first-overall pick by the franchise, he’s younger, and he’s the better player. After all, he has two 60-goal seasons. That is rarified air.

Utah Hockey Club: Clayton Keller (28 of 32)

The Utah Hockey Club are operating under Baltimore Ravens rules. The history of the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes did not move with the team, much as was the case for the Cleveland Browns. That way, if hockey returns to the desert, the history of the Coyotes returns with it. That makes Keller the first captain in Utah Hockey Club history, which is actually a new role for him. The Coyotes did not have a captain after dealing Oliver Ekman-Larsson in 2021.

Vancouver Canucks: Quinn Hughes (29 of 32)

First, do you think Daniel Sedin felt weird that Henrik Sedin got to be captain? That was a few years ago now, though. Bo Horvat was actually captain after Henrik, but then he was traded to the Islanders. Hughes was named the new captain prior to the 2023-24 season. So far, so good: Hughes won the Norris in his first season as captain.

Vegas Golden Knights: Mark Stone (30 of 32)

The Golden Knights didn’t name a captain for a couple seasons, but then they decided the time had come. While Stone wasn’t a “Golden Misfit” i.e. an original Golden Knight, he was the choice. Stone has been captain since the 2021-22 season, and he’s been the only captain the franchise has ever seen.

Washington Capitals: Alex Ovechkin (31 of 32)

Ovechkin will retire with more goals than Wayne Gretzky. That’s wild to think about. While the Capitals have ceded a bit of quality to Ovechkin’s quest for the record, he’s still a good player, and still the captain. Though Ovechkin hasn’t served in the role as long as Crosby, he’s been Washington’s captain since 2010, so he’s still been at it for well over a decade.

Winnipeg Jets: Adam Lowry (32 of 32)

Rick Bowness, doing the “tough guy” head coach thing, took the captain’s “C” away from Blake Wheeler. For a season, the Jets didn’t have a captain. Then, Bowness made his own choice, and he went with a pick that isn’t surprising given his whole deal. Lowry is a gritty, veteran center who has never had 40 points in a season. He’s like a lesser version of Backlund in Calgary. Lowry had the role in 2023-24, and has kept it for 2024-25, even though Bowness retired. To be fair, the Jets’ new head coach is Scott Arniel, who was an assistant under Bowness.