Captains are the face of each NHL franchise. Just a few days ago, NHL fans saw that leadership in action watching Aleksander Barkov accept the Stanley Cup from Commissioner Gary Bettman.
The players getting the Stanley Cup first has always been a special part of hockey. Other leagues present their championship trophies to owners first, but in the NHL players are the ones who take the trophy to the team.
There are a handful of teams who have had the same captain for ten plus years. Sidney Crosby was named captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2007-08, Alexander Ovechkin in 2009-10 and Gabriel Landeskog in 2012-13.
The five NHL teams without a captain entering the 2024 NHL offseason.
1. Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks do not appear in a rush to name a new captain after losing Getzlaf in 2022. There are options like Troy Terry or even Cam Fowler. Fowler has been with the organization for a long time and could easily step into the position.
Most recent captain: Ryan Getzlaf (retired after the 2021-22 season)
2. Buffalo Sabres
Most recent captain: Kyle Okposo (was traded to the Florida Panthers in 2024, won Stanley Cup)
The Buffalo Sabres just recently gave up their captaincy when they traded Kyle Okposo to the Florida Panthers. It is always a joy to see a team give a fan favorite like Okposo a good opportunity to win now near the deadline and that is exactly what Buffalo did. As for the future face of the franchise, I do not think there is much of a rush to name a new captain. The Sabres could benefit from a year of letting the room decide who the new leader is, and can this team take a step forward and make the playoffs.
3. Chicago Blackhawks
Most recent captain: Jonathan Toews (was not re-signed by Chicago at end of 2022-23 season)
Eventually it feels like Connor Bedard will be adding a big C to his jersey. The Blackhawks did the right thing not naming Bedard captain this past season, but now the question remains should they give the captaincy to someone like Nick Foligno or Connor Murphy in the interim until Bedard is fully ready.
4. Seattle Kraken
Most recent captain: Mark Giordano (was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in March 2022)
This is one of those trivia questions that could stump people down the line. Who was the first captain of the Seattle Kraken? Mark Giordano was traded after 55 games with the Kraken. The organization did not need to pick a captain in their freshmen season but they opted for Giordano and he was gone as a trade deadline rental. Seattle has a number of options for who could become captain but Matthew Beniers would be my pick.
5. Utah Hockey Club
Most recent captain: N/A
Arizona most recent: Olivre Ekman-Larsson (was traded to Vancouver in July 2021)
The Coyotes hadn't had a captain for the past three years and now the Utah Hockey Club takes over the organization with an opportunity to decide the face of the franchise. This will be a major decision in the first year of Utah, do they pick a captain and establish their face of the organization or do they allow the group to find a leader as they go along. Utah Hockey Club is filled with players who have all been together for a long time now, the new comers are the fans and maybe a season to allow the fans and players to get to know each other might be best before naming a captain.