Montreal Canadiens Will Start Season Without a Captain
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Mike Schultz
The Montreal Canadiens currently don’t have a team captain and a debate has persisted throughout the summer as to who should wear the “C”.
Last year’s team captain, Brian Gionta, left for Buffalo via free agency during the off-season, and veterans Josh Gorges and Daniel Briere were traded, leaving a leadership void in Montreal. It became apparent that Max Pacioretty and P.K. Subban wanted to be considered for the job, but general manager Marc Bergevin and coach Michel Therrien want to ease the young stars into leadership roles.
Instead of naming an outright captain, Bergevin and Therrien have opted to name four alternate captains. The Habs announced Monday that Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec would be full-time alternate captains, while Subban and Paciorrety would alternate home and way games wearing the ‘A’ on their sweater.
Bergevin and Therrien believe the decision will give each of the four alternate captains the ability to develop their leadership skills and take on more responsibility slowly. In a way, it serves as a motivational move for each of the players and gives them something to work towards on and off the ice. Regardless, the Canadiens will have several options to choose from when it comes time to award the role as captain in the future.
This won’t be the first time the Habs have been without a captain going into a new season. After the 2009-10 season, former Canadiens coach Jacques Martin did not assign the coveted ‘C’ after Saku Koivu’s contract expired and he signed with the Anaheim Ducks. Montreal isn’t the only team to yet name a captain. The Columbus Blue Jackets have yet to name a captain since Rick Nash left for the New York Rangers in 2012 and the Ottawa Senators currently do not have a captain on the roster.