The Chicago Blackhawks felt it was a little too early to hand the captaincy to young sensation Connor Bedard.
Thus, the Illinois team announced on Wednesday that veteran Nick Foligno will wear the “C” on his jersey.
Foligno thus becomes the 35th captain in the history of the concession.
“In a very short period of time, Nick has earned the respect of his teammates and our staff,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. “Nick’s presence in the locker room has been instrumental in helping our team find its identity. He has served as a mentor to our young players both on and off the ice.”
Foligno signed a two-year, $9 million contract extension with the Blackhawks in January. He finished third on the team in scoring with 37 points, including 17 goals, in 2023-24.
Hedman, leader of the Lightning
On the Tampa Bay Lightning side, it was without much surprise that defenseman Victor Hedman was awarded the letter C. The Swede became the 11th player in club history to obtain this privilege; Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh will act as associate captains.
Hedman, 33, is the Lightning’s all-time leader among defensemen with 728 points and 1,052 career games. A Norris Trophy winner, he will be entering his 16th season in the Bettman League.
“Victor is a cornerstone who is highly respected by his teammates, coaches and peers throughout the league. In his previous seasons, he was a first-class representative for our organization, both on and off the ice. He embodies what it means to be a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and he is ready to take advantage of this opportunity,” general manager Julien BriseBois said in a statement.
There are four teams without a captain left in the National Hockey League: Utah, Seattle Kraken, Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks. The Sabres, however, plan to name a captain when they travel to Europe, in Prague, Czech Republic, for their first game of the regular season.
