To be named captain of an NHL franchise is a huge honor. The team relies on the player to do several things with that letter on the jersey and the respect that comes with it. On the other hand, being traded comes with a wave of emotions and can be either beneficial or a disaster. To be a captain and be traded does not happen often and comes to a surprise to the fan base and captain. What about being a captain and being traded during the season? Adjusting to a new team, new systems, and new teammates, while the team trading has to seek a new captain. Many changes occur but it has happened more than some may think.
NHL captains have new opportunities
A captain has been traded 12 times during the season and the list includes some high-profile names. Some are in the Hall of Fame. Whether it was the choice to request a trade or not, the process can be a huge one and can be difficult during the season. Here are the captains that have been traded during the season.
Jacob Trouba
The most recent captain to be moved. The whole process got ugly at the end with the New York Rangers demanding he accept a trade or be waived. He ultimately chose to be traded to the Anaheim Ducks and will wear #65 to honor his parents, who were both born that year. In return, the Rangers acquired defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Ryan McDonagh
Defenseman Ryan McDonagh has been a steady and reliable player during his NHL career. However, when a team is looking to rebuild that can be an asset in a move, which is exactly what happened. The Rangers traded their captain McDonagh, along with J.T. MIller, to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Vladislav Namestnikov, Libor Hajek, Brett Howden, a 2018 First-round pick (NIls Lundvist), and a conditional 2019 draft pick. McDonagh would sign a seven-year deal with Tampa Bay and win two Stanley Cups during his tenure with the Lightning.
Ryan Callahan
Another Ranger captain dealt was forward Ryan Callahan. He would be involved in a rare one-for-one captain swap. He would be moved to the Lightning in exchange for current Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis. St. Louis would have more success in his new city as the Rangers reached the Stanley Cup final in 2015 and was also part of the Rangers 2015 President's Trophy winning team. Callahan ultimately got the last laugh as the Lightning got the best of the Rangers in the 2015 Eastern Conference playoffs.
Bo Horvat
Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat was dealt to the New York Islanders as part of a four-player deal. As part of the return, the Canucks received Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a first-round pick. The draft pick would be a 2023 top-12 protected pick or it would switch to a 2024 draft pick.
Claude Giroux
Long-time Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux was applauded for playing in 1,000 NHL games and was praised for his achievement. However, that would be shortly lived as he was traded to the Florida Panthers two days later. The Flyers would receive forward Owen Tippett, a 2024 first-round pick (traded to the Edmonton Oilers), and a 2023 third-round pick (Denver Barkey).
Jarome Iginla
Calgary Flames legend Jarome Iginla was the heart and soul of the franchise and was captain of the organization for nine years. However, that reign came to an end on March 27, 2013, as he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Going to Calgary were college forwards Kenneth Agostino and Ben Hanowski and Pittsburgh's first-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft (Morgan Klimchuk). Iginla would score 11 points in 13 games during the regular season and another 12 points in 15 playoff games. He would sign with the Boston Bruins the next season.
Ilya Kovalchuk
Atlanta Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk was enjoying his first season as Thrashers captain but was on the verge of free agency. That's when Atlanta traded the scoring forward to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Nicolas Bergfors, defenseman Johnny Oduya, prospect Patrice Cormier, and a first-round pick in the 2010 NHL Draft (traded to the Chicago Blackhawks). The Devils then signed Kovalchuk to a massive 15-year, $100-million contract on September 3, 2010. That contract was later terminated as he decided to return to Russia.
Ray Bourque
A long storied career turned into one of the best moments in NHL history. Ray Bourque was in his 15th season as Boston Bruins captain when he requested a trade to a playoff contender. The Bruins granted his wish and moved him to the Colorado Avalanche, along with forward Dave Andreychuk. Boston would receive in exchange Brian Rolston, Martin Grenier, Samuel Pahlsson, and a first-round pick in the 2000 NHL Draft (Martin Samuelsson).
Doug Gilmour
Referred to as "killer", Doug Gilmour was in his second season as Toronto Maple Leafs captain when he was traded to the New Jersey Devils in a five-player deal. GIlmour, along with Dave Ellett, was traded to New Jersey in exchange for Steve Sullivan, Alyn McCauley, and Jason Smith. GIlmour would sign with the Chicago Blackhawks the following season.
Wayne Gretzky
Yes, even someone as legendary as the great Wayne Gretzky can be traded more than once. On February 27, 1996, he was traded during his seventh season as Los Angeles Kings captain to the St. Louis Blues. The return? The Kings acquired Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat, Craig Johnson, and two draft picks (Peter Hogan and Matt Zultek). Gretzky would then play for the Rangers in 1997.
Ron Francis
Current Seattle Kraken General Manager Ron Francis was also part of this rare group. As a captain of the Hartford Whalers for five seasons, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with defensemen Ulf Samuelsson and Grant Jennings. Heading to the Penguins were John Cullen, Jeff Parker, and Zarley Zalapski. He would go on to win back-to-back Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh.
A captain can mean so much to a franchise with his leadership abilities. However, regardless of the issue, sometimes it is better to part ways with that player. It can be beneficial to both sides and they both become successful in their own ways. Good captains can be hard to find, but legendary captains can turn a franchise around.