The Tampa Bay Lightning named defenseman Victor Hedman their captain, the first change to the role in more than a decade.
Hedman replaces Steven Stamkos, who held the position from the 2013-14 season through the end of last season. He signed a four-year, $32 million free-agent deal with the Nashville Predators on July 1.
The two alternate captains will be forward Nikita Kucherov and defenseman Ryan McDonagh.
“We are thrilled to have Victor leading our team as the 11th captain in franchise history,” general manager Julien BriseBois said Wednesday. “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. We are looking forward to watching him flourish in his new role as we continue to work towards our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.”
Hedman, 33, was the second overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Lightning. He is one of only three players to appear in more than 1,000 regular-season games with the Lightning (1,052) and needs just 31 games to pass Stamkos for the most in franchise history.
Among Lightning defensemen, he leads the franchise in points (728), power-play points (259), shots on goal (2,241), takeaways (529) and more categories.
The native of Sweden has captured two Stanley Cup titles with the team and won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman in 2018.
In Chicago, veteran forward Nick Foligno was surprised by the news that he would captain the Blackhawks in 2024-25. The team played without a designated captain last season out of respect for the departed Jonathan Toews, who was the captain for 15 years.
“Last year we had Seth Jones, Connor Murphy and Nick Foligno wearing letters (as alternate captains),” general manager Kyle Davidson told the players in a team meeting Tuesday night. “We’re going to keep that same group. We’re going to make one change, and we’re excited tonight to announce that the 35th captain in Blackhawks history we’re going to name: Nick Foligno.”
Jones said Foligno was “the perfect man for the job.”
“I think he’s a great leader, on and off the ice. He leads by example, but he’s also a great communicator, whether it’s a young guy or an older guy, whether we’re playing well or they need to work on something.,” Jones said. “He’s always there to kind of fill that gap, especially between coaches and players as well.”
Foligno was the No. 28 overall pick of the 2006 draft by the Senators, and he spent five seasons in Ottawa before joining the Columbus Blue Jackets (2012-21). Now 36, he was captain there for six seasons before brief stops with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. He appeared in 74 games with Chicago last season, part of his 1,155 career games.
–Field Level Media