Captain (ice hockey)
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In ice hockey each team has a designated captain, who wears a "C" on his jersey. According to National Hockey League (NHL) rules, the sole official duty of a captain is to be the only player who is allowed to talk with referees about rule interpretations. Another important attribute is team leadership, as the captain is seen by most (including the media) as the primary representative of the team. The captain is also the player who represents the voice and the concerns of the entire team when dealing with management. An additional function of the captain is to mentor the younger players and to show them the ropes.
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[edit] Selection process
Captains are selected by team management; some teams hold a vote among the players to choose the team's captain. Captains are usually veterans or the most veteran player on the team, and can be from any position except that of the goaltender. The selection is often seen as an important moment for a team, and one that can affect the team's (and newly appointed Captain's) performance.
The "C" is an important part of hockey, carrying with it significant honorary responsibilities to provide leadership and guidance to the other players, to be a liaison between the team and management for hockey-related matters, and to act as the representative of the team's players to the public. Some teams switch captains frequently, rather than keep one for an extended period of time.
[edit] Alternate captains
Teams also have up to two alternate captains (from 1975-1985, NHL clubs didn't have alternate captains). (While they are often referred to as "assistant captains" by the public and media, "alternate captains" is the term used by both the IIHF Rules Book and the NHL Rulebook.) When the captain is not on the ice, any alternate captain on the ice fulfills the captain's official role as liaison to the referees. Alternate captains fill in when the captain is injured or absent or if the team has named none, and perform many of the same leadership and team building roles as the actual captain. The alternate captains wear an "A" on their jerseys. Teams may also go without a captain and have three alternate captains, as is currently the case for the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins.
[edit] History
The last goaltender who served as team captain was Bill Durnan of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1947-1948 season. The NHL changed its rules to disallow goalies from being captains, to avoid the additional time required for a goaltender to skate to the referee to discuss issues.
The longest serving team captains in NHL history are Steve Yzerman (captain of the Detroit Red Wings from 1986-2006), Ray Bourque (captain of the Boston Bruins from 1985-2000), Mario Lemieux (captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1987-1994, 1995-1997 and 2001-2006), Joe Sakic (captain of the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche from 1990-1991 and 1992-current), Dit Clapper (captain of the Bruins from 1932-1938 and 1939-1946), Alex Delvecchio (captain of the Red Wings from 1962-1973) and Scott Stevens (captain of the St. Louis Blues from 1990-1991 and the New Jersey Devils from 1992-2004).
[edit] Lists of current captains
- NHL captains (National Hockey League)
- AHL captains (American Hockey League)
- OHL captains (Ontario Hockey League)
- WHL captains (Western Hockey League)
- QMJHL captains (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League)
