It's a new era in Ottawa.
The Senators named Thomas Chabot their captain to begin the 2026-27 season on Tuesday.
Chabot takes the 'C' from Brady Tkachuk, who wore it for five seasons before being traded to the Florida Panthers this off-season.
"Thomas exemplifies everything we want in an Ottawa Senator," Senators president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios said in a statement. "He’s committed to the city and to the organization. He puts the team first."
The Senators open their season Saturday on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT).
Chabot, 29, becomes the first Francophone and 11th overall captain in Senators history. With Ottawa's decision, only the Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings do not currently have a captain.
"Ottawa feels like home. It really does," Chabot said in a statement. "We bought our first house here. We started our family here. Becoming captain here is a huge honour."
The defenceman has spent his entire 10-year NHL career with the Senators since the club drafted him 18th overall in 2015.
In 569 games, he has 78 goals and 257 assists while also helping lead the Senators to the playoffs in each of the past two springs (10 games, one goal, three assists).
The Senators' leadership group will be rounded out by alternates Claude Giroux, Jake Sanderson and Tim Stützle.
