Being named captain is one of the biggest honours a hockey player can receive, but right now there are 10 vacant C’s across the NHL.
A captain has to be a leader on the ice, while speaking to the media and when interacting with fans. It's a big responsibility and one players don't take lightly.
For some teams, the honour will go to an up-and-coming superstar ready to become the face of the franchise. For others, it will go to a veteran who will provide stability and share his experience with younger teammates.
Before teams return from summer break, let’s pick a new captain for the 10 without one.
Carlsson made big news this summer when he signed a five-year, $18-million offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers, making him the highest-paid player in the NHL next season.
The fact that the Ducks chose to match that massive contract shows how important Carlsson is to their future. And for good reason, as Carlsson established himself as the team’s No. 1 centre with 29 goals and 67 points in 70 games last season. That effort helped the Ducks snap an eight-year playoff drought and further cemented that the rebuild is over.
With former captain Radko Gudas departing for the Florida Panthers, it’s time for the Ducks to hand the leadership over to the next generation. Carlsson is the brightest star in that group.
Other candidates: Jackson LaCombe, Cutter Gauthier, Alex Killorn
Franchise legends have been leading the Bruins for the last 25 years. Joe Thornton, Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand all authored Hall of Fame careers by setting a standard of excellence as players and captains.
The chain broke in 2025 when Marchand was traded to the Panthers and the Bruins played without a captain last season. But when they do decide to name a new one, they have another generational superstar ready to pick up the title.
Pastrnak has been one of the most lethal goal-scorers in the NHL since breaking into the league. In fact, only Alex Ovechkin, Leon Draisaitl and Auston Matthews have more goals than the 420 Pastrnak has scored since he made his debut in 2014-15. The 30-year-old is now a 12-year veteran who has learned under the great captains of the Bruins past, and he’s under contract for five more seasons to ensure the continuity of excellence will remain strong in Boston.
Other candidates: Charlie McAvoy, Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm
It hasn’t gone as quickly as fans expected, but Connor Bedard is finally emerging as a superstar in the NHL. The much-hyped first overall pick in 2023 broke out in a big way last season, setting new career highs in goals (30), assists (45) and points (75) despite being limited to only 69 games due to injury. Perhaps more importantly, Bedard was one of the players taped to wear an ‘A’ late in the season after the team traded away its veteran leadership group at the deadline.
The Blackhawks further showed how much they value Bedard by signing him to a five-year, $75-million contract this summer. With Patrick Kane back in the fold and a young core maturing around him, it’s time for Bedard to pick up the ‘C’ and lead the Blackhawks back to the playoffs.
Other candidates: Patrick Kane, Bowen Byram, Ryan Donato
Werenski and the Blue Jackets almost had a messy breakup this summer but with fences now mended, it’s time for him to assume the role of captain.
Boone Jenner departed Columbus for Washington in free agency and Werenski nearly followed him out the door as rumours swirled about his future with the team. The situation got so bad that Werenski blocked a trade to the Dallas Stars with his no-movement clause. Eventually the drama blew over, and Werenski released a statement saying: "I want to win and I want to do that in Columbus." He’s signed for two more seasons.
That’s good news for the Blue Jackets as Werenski has been one of the top players in franchise history since arriving in 2016. Last season, he became the first Blue Jacket to win a Norris Trophy, and he is among the top three on most franchise leaderboards, including games played, assists and points.
Other candidates: Charlie Coyle, Ivan Provorov, Adam Fantilli
The Los Angeles Kings said goodbye to a franchise legend and longtime captain when Anze Kopitar retired at the end of this past season. That leaves just one player left from the team’s Stanley Cup glory days — future Hall of Famer Drew Doughty, who should replace Kopitar as captain.
Doughty, 36, is entering a pivotal season for his career, with his future with the Kings hanging in the balance. This season marks the final one of his current contract, and general manager Ken Holland has already said the Kings won’t consider a new deal for Doughty until after the season.
Despite the uncertainty, Doughty showed he still has value by leading the Kings in average ice time again last season. While his best years are behind him, he remains one of the most important players on the team in a post-Kopitar world.
Other candidates: Quinton Byfield, Adrian Kempe, Mikey Anderson
The Islanders entered a new era last season with the arrival of No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer, and that transformation continued with the departure of longtime captain Anders Lee this summer. While it is possible Schaefer takes over as captain, he doesn’t turn 19 until the first week of September. That’s a lot of pressure on a teenager, even one as gifted and mature as the unanimous Calder Trophy winner.
But the Islanders have another option in Bo Horvat. The 31-year-old has been a captain before and is as steady as players come. He has scored at least 28 goals in each of his three full seasons with the Islanders, and last season was rewarded with a spot on Team Canada at the Olympics.
Horvat is signed for five more seasons, at which point Schaefer will just be turning 25 and more than ready to take over the job.
Other candidates: Matthew Scheafer, Mathew Barzal, Casey Cizikas
The first big shockwave of the summer came in late June when the Senators traded captain Brady Tkachuk to the Panthers, where he will team up with brother Matthew.
Tkachuk’s trade request, despite the Senators being on the upswing, could disrupt their momentum, but the messaging out of Ottawa has been that the team has no interest in taking a step back.
The Senators are still stocked with superstars from their lean rebuild years and the most important player in that group is Jake Sanderson. The 24-year-old defenceman has appeared on Norris Trophy ballots in each of the last two seasons while leading the team as a puck mover and minutes eater. He has six more seasons on his current deal and should provide stability to a team looking for it after Tkachuk’s departure.
Other candidates: Claude Giroux, Tim Stutzle, Thomas Chabot
Macklin Celebrini hit a level only reached by true legends of the game during his sophomore season. The 2024 first-overall pick finished last season with 115 points, the third-most by a teenager in NHL history behind only Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby. He also competed for Canada at the Olympics, scoring five times, and wore the 'C' for Canada at the world championship on a team that also featured Crosby, John Tavares and Ryan O’Reilly.
“It was really cool of Sid and Ryan O’Reilly and John Tavares, them stepping in and wanting me to take the captaincy,” Celebrini told Sportsnet’s Luke Fox earlier this summer. “It was something I pushed back on. I wanted Sid to take it. There’s not a team in hockey that Sid shouldn’t be captain for when he’s playing on the team. And I expressed that to them. But at the end of the day, it was really cool. I really appreciate them wanting me to take it and wanting me to have that experience.”
The Sharks rewarded Celebrini’s breakout with a record-breaking five-year, $94-million extension that will make him the highest-paid player in the league when it begins in 2027-28. Before that, expect one of the NHL’s brightest stars to wear the captain’s C as the Sharks push for a playoff spot next season.
Other candidates: Tyler Toffoli, Jacob Trouba, Alexander Wennberg
The Blues surprised the league when they won the Stanley Cup in 2019, but in the time since, they’ve hovered around the mushy middle as they tinkered with the roster on the margins.
Last season, they bottomed out and were sellers at the deadline, moving out Justin Faulk and longtime captain Brayden Schenn. Jordan Kyrou was then traded this summer as the team transitions to a new, younger core that includes Robert Thomas, Jake Neighbours, Dylan Holloway, Mason McTavish, Philip Broberg and Jimmy Snuggerud.
But who will lead those younger stars? The best choice is Colton Parayko, the last remaining blueliner from the Stanley Cup team who provides steady minutes for both the Blues and Team Canada. Parayko showed his commitment to the Blues by blocking a trade to the playoff-bound Sabres last season, and while the Blues could always circle back on that, for now he can be the leader that other players turn to.
Other candidates: Robert Thomas, Cam Fowler, Dylan Holloway
Things really hit rock bottom for the Canucks a year ago as captain Quinn Hughes asked for a trade and the team plummeted to last place. With a new management and coaching staff in charge, the Canucks are committing to a rebuild and enter this season with low expectations as younger players assume larger roles.
The most likely scenario is the Canucks go without a captain as they wait to see which of their young stars develops into the best candidate. But if they do decide to name one, veteran winger Brock Boeser could be the choice. Boeser, who is 29 and signed for six more seasons, is the longest-serving Canuck on the roster and the only one who played with new club presidents Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Despite the drama the Canucks have gone through at times over the years, Boeser has been reliable, scoring at least 20 goals in seven of his nine full seasons. He's the type of leader this team needs after years of turmoil among players, many of whom are now elsewhere.
Other candidates: Filip Hronek, Brendan Gallagher, Luke Schenn
