As we approach the 2026-27 NHL season, 10 teams have captaincy vacancies, including the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, and New York Islanders. Could we see Hockey Canada’s future trio of Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, and Matthew Schaefer named captains?
The future of Hockey Canada is marked by three young pillars in the NHL, a trio that is ready to take the next step with their respective teams.
Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks, Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, and Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders, also known as the three first overall picks from the three drafts previous to the 2026 event, could be named captain of their own teams going into next season.
Those three teams are among the 10 NHL clubs that don't have a captain. With that, there's a clear path for Canada's new generation of superstars to earn another honor in their young careers.
There's a different story for the Blackhawks, Sharks and Islanders in how the captaincy became vacant.
For Chicago, the captaincy became vacant at the last NHL trade deadline. The Hawks traded away captain Nick Foligno to the Minnesota Wild for future considerations, joining his brother, Marcus, in the process.
Bedard began wearing an 'A' as an alternate captain this past year. But with a roster full of young players and not many veterans, as well as the 21-year-old being the franchise player of the Blackhawks, it just makes sense.
It's worth mentioning that Bedard will be missing the start of the 2026-27 season after receiving shoulder surgery earlier this month. So even if he's named Chicago's captain ahead of the campaign, it'll be multiple weeks before he dons that 'C' on the ice for the first time.
It shouldn't be much longer before the Sharks name Celebrini as their captain, even if he's a year younger than Bedard.
Celebrini has stood out as a leader on multiple levels. In the NHL, he had an offensive explosion, scoring 45 goals and 115 points. Not only did he lead his team in all scoring categories - by a landslide - but he made a statement to the rest of the league that he's already one of the best players in the game. Being named a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award and a fourth-place finish for the Hart Trophy certainly speaks to that.
Not to mention, Celebrini was one of Canada's top performers at the 2026 Olympics. He finished second in the tournament in scoring with five goals and 10 points, all while being the youngest NHL player at the competition.
It's possible that the 20-year-old would've been named captain earlier, but Logan Couture technically still holds that title and has for the past six years. Even though it's clear he won't return to action due to his osteitis pubis condition, he still has one more year left on his contract.
Finally, the reigning Calder Cup defenseman, Schaefer, rounds out the three anchors of Hockey Canada's talented future.
If Schaefer were to be named captain going into the next season, he'd become the youngest captain in NHL history. Connor McDavid still holds that title, as he was named captain of the Edmonton Oilers when he was 19 years and 266 days old. Schaefer only turns 19 on Sept. 5, which would make him 19 years and 24 days old when the regular season kicks off on Sept. 29.
The Islanders' captaincy became vacant when Anders Lee departed with the team in free agency. Lee was the captain of the Isles for eight years, but has now moved on to the Utah Mammoth.
It would certainly be fitting for a player like Schaefer, who has already claimed multiple records in his rookie season this past year, to start his sophomore year by reaching another achievement.
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