Fans Call For Alex DeBrincat to Be Named Next Red Wings Captain Following Fight vs Panthers' Sam Bennett

 It was a night the Detroit Red Wings would like to forget, but one moment from Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Florida Panthers has become a viral hit with fans. Detroit blew a 4-1 lead, yet the talk online has centered on winger Alex DeBrincat dropping the gloves with Sam Bennett, a known fighter.

The fight came in the second period with Detroit leading 3-1 and DeBrincat not backing down, jawing back an forth with Bennett. DeBrincat, who stands five-foot-eight, appeared to be the one challenging the six-foot-one Bennett. 

He landed some good shots before Bennett took him down, but the moment showed fans a player whose heart is visibly invested in the game and who leads by example.

Just over seven minutes later, Marco Kasper tipped in a goal in front to make it 4-1. The Red Wings could have used another surge of momentum from there, but Florida scored late in the second period to make it 4-2 and added three unanswered goals in the third to complete the comeback.

The fight left many Detroit fans calling for DeBrincat's alternate captain's 'A' to be swapped for the captain's 'C.' Commenters on social media praised his willingness to fight. "I don't like debrincat but respect for this fight," one wrote, while another said, "hell yeah, he got some good shots in."

Other posts nicknamed him "Captain Cat," and some replied with a GIF of the famous scene from the Robin Williams film Dead Poets Society, in which students stand on their desks to salute their teacher, a sign fans were doing something similar for DeBrincat. 

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One commenter wrote: "I've been saying it for months and I can't say it enough. Cat should be wearing a big fat C on the front of his jersey."

It appears Detroit's fan base has a new leader in mind. The 28-year-old Farmington Hills, Michigan, native has made clear that he loves playing in Detroit. On Oct. 13, despite the Red Wings missing the playoffs for the tenth straight season, he signed a seven-year extension carrying a $13 million cap hit that will keep him in Detroit through 2034. That commitment could make him a likely candidate for the captaincy.

DeBrincat wore an 'A' in his final two seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, and this is his first season as an assistant captain with the Red Wings. Many fans have said they want star defenseman Moritz Seider to be the next captain, but DeBrincat makes a solid case. 

He is a local Michigan native, has played 716 NHL games and has shown time and again that he'll do whatever it takes to help his team win, including fighting.

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