In their 113 seasons of existence (104 in the NHL), the Montreal Canadiens have had 28 captains. Their most recent, Shea Weber, who donned the “C” for three seasons won’t go down as the greatest captain in Canadiens history, but will definitely command the respect of anyone who utters his name in a conversation.
This season the Habs have decided not to have a captain and will name one for the 2022-23 season. Shea Weber is all but retired as he will sit out the rest of his contract on the LTIR and has been all but relieved of any duty with the Montreal Canadiens, which would explain his complete silence towards fans and media since the beginning of the season.
Nick Suzuki, Paul Byron, Joel Edmundson and Brendan Gallagher are part the “A” club this season effectively being the core leadership of the club. Jeff Petry serves as a 5th alternate but on road games only as his role on and off the ice have diminished what with his pending trade request and all.
Regardless of who wore the “C” in the past, good or not, the responsibility of being captain of the Montreal Canadiens amps up the already crushing pressure of playing in such a passionate market. The same can be said of any Original Six team as you don’t just represent your teammates, you represent every player who has worn the jersey. You represent every fan of the team and are the first one with the microphone shoved in your face whether you win or lose.
The question of who will be the next Canadiens captain is not a clear cut answer, even if there is a favorite amongst the fans. The choosing of the next captain will likely depend on how the team will vote.
Let’s take a look at the three best candidates for the job.
Carey Price and Brendan Gallagher are the players with the most seniority with the team. If goaltenders were allowed to don the “C” on their sweaters, Carey Price would likely be in his 8th year as team captain.
If we were to base the pick on a mix of seniority and merit, then Brendan Gallagher would get the honor of becoming the 29th captain of the historic franchise.
Gallagher has been a perennial candidate due to his never-give-up attitude and flat out honesty when facing the media. He’s been loved by every teammate and detested by ever opponent due to his reputation of trash talking and never backing down from difficult situations.
Gallagher is in his 7th season wearing the “A” but has been passed over twice in the captaincy nomination. Max Pacioretty in 2015 and Shea Weber in 2018 were picked over #11.
Pros: Gallagher remains an excellent candidate since he is role model for many younger fans due to his generosity, personality and general tenacity on the ice.
Cons: A laundry list of injuries has clearly slowed down the soon to be 30 year old. Gallagher would need to significantly change his playing style in order to not only justify his $6.5 million annual contract, but be able to actually physically play until the end of said contract which runs out after the 2026-27 contract.
If the title of captain comes down to a player vote, there’s a strong chance the winner would be Joel Edmundson.
Edmundson has grown considerably both as an athlete and as a person since joining the Montreal Canadiens in 2020. His playing style has matured beyond the years he spent with the St. Louis Blues and Carolina Hurricanes and he always has the back of his teammates. You will often see Edmundson chatting it up with both veterans and rookies alike in order to teach and learn himself.
The 28 year old has taken things above and beyond since returning to the team this season after suffering through an extremely painful back injury and grieving the loss of his father. He has taken some younger players under his wing, notably Jordan Harris and Justin Barron. When Harris joined the team in Florida, he immediately took the initiative to take him out for dinner and make him feel welcome, being tagged long with Christian Dvorak (who has emerged as a sort of shy but present leader in the locker room).
He is also in constant communication with Justin Barron both on and off the ice. Edmundson assumed the mentor role in order for Barron’s transition to the NHL is done seemlessly.
Pros: Edmundson embraces the pressure of leadership and always wants what is best for his teammates and the team in general. He is a warrior on the ice and has gotten immediate respect from the fans and coaches alike.
Cons: Despite Edmundson’s unquestionable leadership, you have to wonder if he is capable of handling the media. He does well in front of a microphone but we don’t if he would be able to handle the day-to-day media scrimmages. Furthemore, can he connect to the Montreal culture as deeply as Brendan Gallagher has?
If we were to go with fan votes, well the obvious choice would be Nick Suzuki.
The 22 year old is slowly emerging himself as one of the elite two-way centers of the game. Only time and experience will elevate Suzuki to the ranks of Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, Aleksander Barkov, Ryan O’Reilly and Sean Couturier – all very similar players to Suzuki’s style.
Despite his young age, Suzuki has incredible poise when facing adversity. He posesses a rare combination of endurance, skill, tenacity and will which is something fans of all ages will come to adore for years to come.
Suzuki is the face of the future along with Cole Caufield as they alleviate that pressure from the older guard in Carey Price and Brendan Gallagher. Despite his shy aura, he never backs down from an interview and leads with his play on the ice rather than with his voice.
Pros: Some teams (if not most in the modern day NHL) go with their best players to be their leaders and in this case Nick Suzuki fits the bill. He has shown the willingness to lead the team on the ice and will never back down from an assignment given to him. His teammates love him and the fans love him.
Cons: The Canadiens have a history of naming more seasoned veterans as their captain. Nick Suzuki is only 22 years old and would go down as the youngest captain in Canadiens history after Saku Koivu (24 in 1999) and Sylvio Mantha (24 in 1926). It would also be a matter of if Suzuki is capable of connecting with fans off the ice, which is something past captains Shea Weber and Max Pacioretty have struggled with, and with new VP of Communications Chantal Machabée making sure there is a lot more access to the team and players, that connection and availability will be of the utmost importance in the skillset of the next captain.
What do you think? Who will be the next captain of the Montreal Canadiens? Comment below!
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