Derek Lee and Patrick Present discuss the Ducks acquisition of Jacob Trouba from the New York Rangers

For parts of the last five seasons, Cam Fowler wore the ‘A’ for the Anaheim Ducks. While many had pegged Fowler to be the successor to Ryan Getzlaf as team captain following Getzlaf’s retirement after the 2021-22 season, that never came. Radko Gudas was named team captain prior to the start of the 2024-25 season after the Ducks went two seasons without a captain.

Now, Fowler is no longer a Duck. He was traded to the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 13 after 15 seasons with the Ducks organization. A mutual understanding between Fowler and Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek was that the defenseman was looking for a change.

Now there is an alternate captain role up for grabs with Alex Killorn holding the other one. Ryan Strome may be the leading candidate for the part. He wore the other ‘A’ while Fowler was out with an upper-body injury and wore it in the Ducks’ first game after Fowler was traded to the Blues. Strome previously wore the ‘A’ as a member of the New York Rangers. As a junior player, he was also captain of the Niagara IceDogs in his final OHL season.

Dec 1, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Strome (16) prepares for a face-off against the Ottawa Senators during the third period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images

“I got to be a captain in New York for a few years, which is very special,” Strome said. “I think you try not to change who you are, depending on if you have a letter or not, but I think it's certainly a nice little token of appreciation. I think I’m a guy who likes to make guys feel comfortable and talk to young guys and see how they're doing. Have them over or do little things behind the scenes and make everyone feel comfortable.

“When you get to the NHL, there's a lot of unknowns. I remember being a young guy and how alone I felt sometimes and how everything kind of happened so fast. It’s so intimidating. So I try to share my experiences with guys and do little things like that. For the coaches to see that in their viewing of things means a lot.”

“(Strome is) great in locker room,” Killorn said. “He's always able to get everyone together, doesn't matter how old or young guys are, he can connect with everyone in the room. He’s really easy to talk to. I think he's been great.  He's a huge leader on this team.”

Dec 12, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Strome (16) congratules forward Frank Vatrano (77) on his goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

“I think (Strome) speaks very well,” Gudas said. “He speaks through his heart and I think he addresses things in a way I think some of us older guys don't know how to. He’s been doing a very good job speaking what needs to be said. I think it's a big, big part of our success that he's so invested and so outspoken about the things that we need to do.”

“He’s a very talkative guy,” head coach Greg Cronin said. “We have a quiet group. As we get deeper into these younger generations of players to where they spend half their day on their cell phones, there’s not as much community conversation as there was 20 years ago. I think Ryan represents that. He's been in the league for a while and he's naturally comfortable talking.

“Again, this generation's different. When you have a conversation with a player—particularly as a leader—and you're trying to create good habits, sometimes those conversations can be a little bit sandpaper-ish, right?  He's able to navigate that pretty well and say it in a way that I think the player understands. Some guys will be silent, some guys will get overly robust with the message. That's the world we live in.  You’ve got to make sure you design the right package for the right message and I think Ryan's got the wisdom to understand that.”

Brian Dumoulin is another veteran player who has worn a letter this season while Fowler was out. Dumoulin spent the first 10 seasons of his NHL career with the Pittsburgh Penguins and wore a letter for his final four seasons there.

“People forgot he won two Stanley Cups,” Cronin said. “He's been around a long time. He won a national championship at (Boston College). Teams that have mature defensemen that are comfortable with pressure, they handle the breakouts well. You’ll see in the defensive zone where you're trying to stop progression in the corner and the puck squirts out. Some just ram it back up the wall because they’re stressed. They just try and get rid of it and then it comes right back at you.

“(Dumoulin) is one of those guys that can hold it, wait and slip it to the middle and you can just exit the zone cleanly. Not only is that a good talent to have on your bench, but it's also a good mentor for young kids who tend to take the first response, which is to throw it up the wall. He’s had a real positive impact.”

Although still relatively new to the team after being acquired from the Seattle Kraken this past summer, Dumoulin brings more than a decade’s worth of NHL experience and leadership on the blue line while playing alongside some of the NHL’s best players.

Recently acquired defenseman Jacob Trouba is another player who brings many years of experience. He was the Rangers’ captain for parts of the last three seasons and was part of the Rangers’ leadership group for five of his six seasons spent with the organization.

Strome praised Trouba’s high character and described him as a “steady, humble leader” several hours after the trade had been made official. “To add someone like that in his character and what he brings to the game and the fear he puts in another team, I think (it) makes our young guys and our skill guys play a little freer. Take some heat off (Gudas) and some of our bigger boys back there. I think it's gonna be a great add.”

Both Dumoulin and Trouba have spoken in the past about how their mentalities weren’t to come in right away and try to be a leader. They also both mentioned that leadership can come naturally through developing relationships and having a positive impact on teammates.

“The onus is on us as veteran guys, older players to make sure that we're leading by example and helping the younger players as best we can,” Fowler said last month. “It starts with us. They have to see us doing it consistently in practice and when that happens, it always carries over into the game. The way I like to handle it is I try and lead by example and if a younger guy sees me or (Gudas), (Killorn), (Strome) or whoever it is doing things the right way, then they'll fall in line.”

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