Report: Rangers to name Ryan McDonagh captain

The New York Rangers have been without a captain since trading Ryan Callahan to the Tampa Bay Lightning. According to reports, that will change on Thursday, when coach Alain Vigneault announces defender Ryan McDonagh as the new recipient of the “C” at his first press conference of the season.

McDonagh said on Friday that he’s ready to accept the responsibility. 

“I think I’ve progressed into being a go-to guy, someone teammates can look up to and someone they can count on,” McDonagh told the New York Daily News. “I think guys see I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win… (Captain) is a big responsibility, too. It’s not just about on the ice but how you carry yourself off of it and represent the organization.”

The 25-year-old McDonagh had 43 points in 77 games last season, and led the team with 24:49 minutes per game. He would become the 27th captain in Rangers history. 

Thornton on losing captaincy: ‘It’s a big responsibility so it’s a little strange when they take it away from you’

By: Thomas Drance

The San Jose Sharks announced on Wednesday that captain Joe Thornton and alternate captain Patrick Marleau (who was stripped of the captaincy in 2009) will come into training camp without letters on their jersey. 

“We are going to have a fresh slate at training camp as far as leadership goes,” Sharks head coach Todd McLellan told David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News. “The veteran players that were on this team last year will have to come up with the way they’re going to carry themselves, the way they’re going to lead. And then we’ll determine who our ‘C’ and ‘As’ will be as we go forward.”

While McLellan indicated that Thornton had been appraised of the club’s plans, when Pollak reached out to Thornton for comment, Thornton indicated that he hadn’t been informed of the teams plan prior to the announcement. 

“It’s a big honor and it’s a big responsibility, so it’s a little strange when they take it away from you,” Thornton added.

Though McLellan and Thornton have reportedly sorted out this poorly timed lack of communication, it will do nothing to quell the theory, espoused by Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman in late June, that the Sharks “are trying to get Thornton to go.”

San Jose Sharks may strip Joe Thornton of Captain status

The San Jose Sharks went from being perenial Stanley Cup favotires after scoring a million goals in three games against the Los Angeles Kings to a team so ashamed of themselves that they may just take everyone’s pudding away and put it in the pantry for an entire season.

According to ESPN.com, the San Jose Sharks may end up stripping Joe Thornton of his captain status and going through the 2014-15 season without captains on the team.

“What would happen if nobody wore a letter on our team this year? Not a single guy?” head coach Todd McLellan said today. What if nobody wore a letter? We’d still be the San Jose Sharks and we’d be a leadership group. What would happen?”

This is when you know things are bad as the Sharks were a force last season but flamed out hard in the first round of the playoffs. They were scoring goals like nobody’s business against Jonathan Quick but they were buzz sawed quicker than Prince Oberyn had his eyes gouged out and the result may be that the team rebuilds itself in disgust.

There has been talk of the Sharks possibly trading Thornton away, along with fellow veteran leader Patrick Marleau, but as of right now it appears that the Sharks are more interested in sending their players to their room rather than kicking them out of the house for the way they behaved in the postseason.

Steven Stamkos named captain of Lightning

Steven Stamkos returned to play for the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday as their new captain, taking over for Martin St. Louis.
Stamkos had the “C” on his jersey when he skated out to face the Buffalo Sabres in his first game since Nov. 11. The 24-year-old center had been sidelined since breaking his right tibia in a game against the Boston Bruins.

St. Louis, who had been captain since the start of this season, was traded to the New York Rangers on Wednesday.

“Steven Stamkos was destined to be the leader of our team,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said in a statement. “The fact that it’s happening now just puts us one step closer to achieving our ultimate goal, and that is trying to win the Stanley Cup.”

Defenseman Eric Brewer will serve as a full-time alternate captain, the Lightning said, filling Stamkos’ previous position. Defenseman Matt Carle and forward Nate Thompson will continue to share an alternate designation, but will change to Carle wearing the “A” at home and Thompson wearing it on the road.

Forward Ryan Callahan, the former captain of the Rangers acquired in the trade, made his debut for the Lightning at Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Dallas Stars appoint Benn as team captain

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Young left wing Jamie Benn has been appointed captain of the Dallas Stars.

General manager Jim Nill and coach Lindy Ruff announced Benn’s appointment Thursday as the sixth captain in Dallas Stars history.

Benn succeeds Brenden Morrow, the Stars captain from 2006 until getting traded to Pittsburgh last March.

Nill says the 24-year-old Benn has ”in a very short period of time” gone from being an exciting up-and-coming NHL player to a franchise cornerstone.

Benn has spent all four of his NHL seasons with the Stars. He led the team with 33 points (12 goals, 21 assists) in 41 games last season. He has 193 points in 263 career games, and was an All-Star in 2012.

Previous Dallas captains were Mike Modano, Derian Hatcher, Neal Broten and Mark Tinordi.

John Tavares To Be Next NY Islanders Captain

John Tavares is slated to be the next captain of the New York Islanders.

Islanders beat writer Arthur Staple tweeted that the young star would be given the “C” prior to the start of training camp next week.

“#Isles will have their new captain in place by the start of camp, I’m told — @91Tavares will be named early next week,” Staple tweeted.

Tavares would be the 14th captain in the history of the team and would replace Mark Streit as leader. Ed Westfall was the first Captain of the Islanders and was followed by the likes of Clark Gilles, Denis Potvin, Brent Sutter, Patrick Flately, Bryan McCabe, Trevor Linden, Kenny Jonsson, Michael Peca, Alexei Yashin, Bill Guerin and Doug Weight.

Tavares would become the sixth Islanders captain since 2000. The longest tenured leader in that span was Michael Peca who led the squad from 2001-05; since Peca, no Islander has remained captain for more than two years. Tavares is currently signed through 2017-18 and will likely remain captain during that span. If Tavares remains captain through the end of his contract he would be the longest tenured captain since Peca. He would also be the youngest Islander captain since Bryan McCabe; McCabe was 22 years old when he was awarded the role, the same age Tavares would be if he is named captain next week.

Tavares entered the league in 2009-10 and has led the Islanders offensively in every single season since. In his rookie campaign, he put up 54 points, including 24 goals. In 2010-11, he scored 29 goals and finished with 67 points. In the 2011-12 season Tavares scored 31 goals and 50 assists. In 2012-13, he scored 47 points, including 29 goals, and was nominated for the Hart Trophy for league MVP.