The Tampa Bay Lightning named Victor Hedman their newest captain, while the Chicago Blackhawks gave Nick Foligno the 'C.' That leaves four NHL teams with vacancies.
Victor HedmanThe Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks have filled in their captain vacancies, leaving four NHL teams without some wearing the 'C.'
The Lightning named Victor Hedman as their 11th captain in franchise history. The Blackhawks, meanwhile, chose Nick Foligno as their 35th captain in franchise history.
'Victor Is A Cornerstone Player'
In a press release, the Lightning also named Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh as their alternate captains.
"We are thrilled to have Victor leading our team as the 11th captain in franchise history," said BriseBois. “Victor is a cornerstone player that is extremely well respected by his teammates, coaches and peers across the NHL. Over the past 15 seasons, he has been a world-class representative for our organization, both on and off the ice. Victor embodies what it means to be a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and is more than ready for this exciting opportunity.”
The news comes just months after former captain Steven Stamkos, who served from 2013 to 2024, signed with the Nashville Predators.
Hedman, 33, leads all Lightning defensemen in franchise history in games played (1,052), points (728), power-play points (259), shorthanded points (14), overtime goals (eight), game-winning goals (28), shots on goal (2,241), hits (1,132), blocked shots (1,613) and takeaways (529).
Foligno's Demanding Presence In Chicago
Foligno became the first captain of the team since Jonathan Toews served in the role from 2008 to 2023.
In a press release, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson talked about how much of an impact Foligno has made after joining the team last season.
"In a very short amount of time, Nick has quickly earned the respect of his teammates and our staff," Davidson said. "Nick’s commanding presence in the locker room has been instrumental in helping the team find its identity.
"He has served as a mentor to many of our young players both on and off the ice while also heading up the leadership group composed of our veteran players, and we are beyond confident that he will flourish in the role of captain as we usher in a new era of Blackhawks hockey."
Foligno, 36, is entering his 18th season in the NHL, having already captained the Columbus Blue Jackets before. In his first season with the Blackhawks, Foligno recorded 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points in 74 games.
Which NHL Teams Are Left?
Now that the Lightning and Blackhawks have filled their captain vacancies, that leaves the Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Seattle Kraken and the Utah Hockey Hockey Club as NHL clubs that have yet to name a leader.
For the Ducks, Radko Gudas seems likely to be the pick. The Sabres traded Kyle Okposo at the 2024 NHL trade deadline and could consider Alex Tuch as a replacement.
It is a harder decision for the Kraken and Utah HC. Both clubs may not name a captain, but if they did, some front-runners could be Adam Larsson and Jordan Eberle for Seattle and Clayton Keller for Utah.
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