Captain Cat? Newly-Extended Alex DeBrincat Says Wearing 'C' Would Be “An Honor”

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While the Detroit Red Wings still have notable questions to address, one major piece of internal business that had the potential to become a concern has been taken care of.

Forward Alex DeBrincat, who is playing in the final season of his contract and could have become an unrestricted free agent next summer, has agreed to a seven-year, $91 million extension that will keep him with the club through the 2033-34 season.

The agreement puts to rest any anxiety the club and its fans may have had about DeBrincat potentially opting for free agency, especially in the wake of fellow Michigan native Dylan Larkin's unresolved trade request and the reported preference of unsigned restricted free-agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson to be dealt amid his ongoing contract stalemate.

In the wake of Larkin's trade request, the Red Wings announced they would enter the season without a captain, a role Larkin had held since January 2021. While Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond have been serving as alternate captains, DeBrincat could potentially soon join them in a formal leadership role - or potentially succeed Larkin as captain down the road.

According to DeBrincat, while serving as captain would be a tremendous honor, he's content for now to let his play on the ice speak for itself and serve as a form of leadership.

“It would be a huge honor, but you know, at the same time, it doesn't really matter that much," DeBrincat said on Wednesday of potentially inheriting the captaincy. "I think that I just try to go out there and lead in the ways I know I can, and play, work hard, and show everyone I'm here to win."

“I think there's a lot of leaders in that room, and a lot of guys that lead in different ways," he continued. "One of the ways I lead is just by my play, working hard, and going out there every night and doing anything we can to win.”

Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff, who also spoke with the media Wednesday, indicated that DeBrincat's leadership is already evident in his play on the ice, while emphasizing that the club will remain patient when it comes to adding to its official leadership group of players who wear a letter on their jersey.

“I think in terms of leadership, we said we're not going into the season with (the) captaincy. It gives an unbelievable opportunity for all players in that locker room to step up and maintain a leadership role," Horcoff said. "For Alex, it comes natural to him. He's one of those people that just naturally leads both on and off the ice." 

“In terms of more formal things, we're still going to be patient with that, and that's going to take care of itself with time," he continued. "But he's already become, if you talk to the guys in the locker room, part of that main leadership group.”

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Head coach Todd McLellan, who emphasized DeBrincat's importance to the club following his two-goal performance Tuesday, has worked with multiple on-ice leaders throughout his coaching career, each with their own distinct leadership styles.

McLellan began his NHL coaching career as an assistant with Detroit from 2005 to 2008 before later serving as head coach of the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings. He returned to Detroit in December 2024.

When discussing DeBrincat's leadership style, McLellan reflected upon some of the notable figures from his first go-around with Detroit, noting the more vocal style of veterans like Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby along with the reserved, leading by example style of Nicklas Lidstrom. 

“The Detroit Cup team, we had Drapes and Malts who were the cheerleaders and energy guys in the locker room; they were always chirping and going," he said. "We had Lidstrom on the ice that was our playing leader; he just did things right all the time. Then we had the social guys that kind of put the team together and kept them together, the glue guys; it came from all over the place." 

According to McLellan, DeBrincat's leadership style is a bit of a mixed bag.

“Cat hits all of those areas - I think he leads by example on the ice," he said. "He's not an overly 'rah-rah' guy, but he speaks up when he needs to, and when he does, people pay attention. Off the ice, he's become a glue guy...he taps into a lot of different things.”

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