Captains are common on sports teams around the world for a variety of reasons. They’re in place to help lead the team on and off the rink or playing field and are generally responsible for handling communication and concerns as a go-between for the players and club management. In some sports, the captain is often referred to as the skipper.
In ice hockey, a player with a C sewn onto their jersey is the team captain while those who have an A on the jersey are alternate captains, who are also commonly known as assistant captains. If one of the Captains is on the ice, they have the privilege of talking with the Referee about rules during the game.
What Does the Captain of a Hockey Team Do?
The captain of a hockey team is generally responsible for the players’ behavior on the ice during games as he or she has been entrusted with the honor of leading the team as its role model. A good captain should lead by example both on and off of the ice when it comes to respect, sportsmanship and morality. They represent the players and management and also have the power to interact with and question the on-ice officials about rule interpretations. In professional hockey, the captain is typically the player who deals with media scrums before and after games and their actions and attitude generally set the tone for the rest of the team.
Is the Captain Always the Best Player?
In many cases, the team’s best player is appointed its captain. This could be because he or she leads the squad in ice time each game or in professional hockey, it could simply be to keep the player happy and productive while at the club. But in some cases a team’s best player may prefer not to be named captain as they feel they’re not able to handle the added responsibilities and pressure. In other instances, the player who is simply considered to exhibit the best leadership qualities is named captain regardless of how many points or minutes they rack up during the season.
Is it an Assistant or Alternate Captain?
While many people believe the A on a hockey player’s jersey stands for assistant captain, it actually represents alternate captain.
What is an Alternate Captain in Hockey?
A hockey team’s alternate captain basically handles the duties of the captain when the captain is unavailable or off of the ice during a game. Any alternate who is on the ice at the time is responsible for fulfilling the captain’s role when interacting with the game officials. Some teams will appoint a captain and alternate captains who play on different lines or defensive pairings to be sure there’s always a captain or alternate on the ice as often as possible.
How Many Alternate Captains are there On a Hockey Team?
In the NHL, each team is allowed to dress one captain and three alternate captains. Co-captains aren’t allowed. However, if the club doesn’t have an appointed captain it may dress three alternates for each contest. In the case where a team doesn’t have an appointed captain, it may have more than three alternates but only three of them may wear the A during a game. The number of alternate captains allowed on the ice during a game may differ in other hockey leagues around the world though. Some teams allow players to take turns wearing the A during a season which means numerous players could be alternate captains. In addition, some clubs may also use a rotating captain system.
Who Chooses the Captain and Alternate Captains of a Hockey Team?
The captain and alternate captains of a hockey team are often chosen by the club’s coach or management. But in some cases, the club will ask the players to vote on who they feel would make the best captain. This is because players spend a lot of time with each other ice away from the coaches and management and have a better idea of who the true leaders are and who they’d like to have represent them.
Can a Goalie Be a Captain or Alternate Captain in Hockey?
At present, the NHL states that goaltenders may not act as captains or alternate captains but this rule may be different in other leagues across the globe. In addition, the NHL doesn’t allow playing coaches or playing managers to act as team captain. This wasn’t always the case though as goaltenders were allowed to captain their NHL teams many years ago. Since the captain was the only player on the team allowed to speak to the referee during a game, many coaches found he wasn’t on the ice when a discussion with the official was warranted. To remedy this, the goalkeeper was named captain since he was typically on the ice at all times.
The first known goalie to captain an NHL team was John Ross Roach as he was appointed skipper of the Toronto St. Patricks in 1923 by head coach Eddie Powers. In 1934, the Chicago Blackhawks became the first and only team to hoist the Stanley Cup with a goalie as their captain when Charlie Gardiner wore the C. Throughout NHL history there have been six known goaltenders to captain their team. In theory, a goalie could be named team captain as an honorary gesture but isn’t allowed to assume the on-ice duties of a captain. This was the case in 2008 when Roberto Luongo was named captain of the Vancouver Canucks, but teammate Willie Mitchell handled all of his on-ice responsibilities.
Who is the Youngest Captain in NHL History?
The youngest player ever to be appointed as full-time team captain in NHL history has been Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, who coincidentally is regarded by many as the best hockey player in the world. He received the honor on October 5, 2016, when he was 19 years and 266 days old. The record was previously held by Gabriel Landeskog who was named captain of the Colorado Avalanche when he was 19 years and 286 days of age.
Jamie is the founder of Hockey Response and he is the chief writer/ lead editor. Jamie has been playing hockey for over 20 years. He was the defenseman of the year in NL and has played Jr A level hockey. Jamie has coached several kids hockey camps and he was the assistant coach of the Western Kings.
