NHL: The best captain in each team’s history (Updated 2023)

Best NHL captain from each franchise: Tampa Bay Lightning – Steven Stamkos

The man, the myth, the legend. Is there anything center Steven Stamkos can’t do? Not only has he been an anchor on the Tampa Bay Lightning since 2008, but he also did his part in 2020 to bring a Stanley Cup championship home. In the 2008 NHL Draft, hockey writers and pundits across the globe considered Stamkos to be the best center in that year’s class and wow, they were spot on.

Stamkos was named team captain back in 2013 after working his way up the ladder. He scored a plethora of goals leading up to his promotion and since then, has truly made a name for himself as a franchise leader in many unique categories.

At this point in time, Stamkos owns the franchise record for most career goals at over 400 and growing, most power play goals, and even the most career regular-season games with at least 4+ goals. At the rate he’s going, Stamkos will only continue adding more to his stats sheet and when he eventually retires one of these days, will make a serious case to have his jersey number retired by the Lightning.

Stamkos is everything you can ask for in a captain and then some. He delivers on a daily basis and continues to get the job done even to this very day on the Lightning. He’s undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer in the making thanks to everything he’s accomplished on the Lightning, especially if he ends his legendary career with the team he originally was drafted by.