Captain (ice hockey)

In ice hockey each team has a designated captain, who wears a "C" on his jersey. According to National Hockey League rules, the sole official duty of a captain is to be the only player who is allowed to talk with referees about rule interpretations or poor calls. Another important attribute is team leadership, as the captain is seen by most (including the media) as the primary representative of the team.

Related Topics:
Ice hockey - Captain - National Hockey League - Referees

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Captains are usually selected by team management, but player votes can also be used. 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, and the honour is one with signifigant responsibilities. Immediatly after being drafted in 1998, the 18 year old Vincent Lecavalier was given the captaincy of the Tampa Bay Lightning by owner Art Williams. Lecavalier struggled, and many pointed to this and other situations as proof of Williams' incompetence. Other situations involving the position include Eric Lindros having his captaincy taken away for criticising the Philadelphia Flyers medical staff.

Related Topics:
Vincent Lecavalier - Tampa Bay Lightning - Art Williams - Eric Lindros - Philadelphia Flyers

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Teams also have up to two alternate captains. (While they are not seldom 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.) They 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. Goaltenders cannot be captains; the last one was Bill Durnan of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1948 season.

Related Topics:
Jerseys - Bill Durnan - Montreal Canadiens

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The longest serving team captains in NHL history are Steve Yzerman (captain of the Detroit Red Wings from 1986-current), Ray Bourque (captain of the Boston Bruins from 1985-2000), Mario Lemieux (captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1987-1997 and again from 2001-current), Joe Sakic (captain of the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche from 1992-current), Dit Clapper (captain of the Bruins from 1932-1946, excluding the 1939 season) and Alex Delvecchio (captain of the Red Wings from 1963-1974).

Related Topics:
Steve Yzerman - Detroit Red Wings - Ray Bourque - Boston Bruins - Mario Lemieux - Pittsburgh Penguins - Joe Sakic - Quebec Nordiques - Colorado Avalanche - Dit Clapper - Alex Delvecchio

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~