Now that we’ve met the captains for each of the teams in the Eastern Conference, it’s time to learn all about the players who hold the captaincy for the other half of the teams in the NHL which are in the Western Conference. Let’s jump right in!
Central Division
Chicago Blackhawks: Nick Foligno
Courtesy of Jeff Roberson/AP
You might remember Nick Foligno’s name from the brief mention in the Eastern Conference article because he had previously been the captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets before getting traded. But on Sept. 18, Foligno received the honor of having the C sewn onto his jersey once again but this time for the Blackhawks. He’s the 35th captain in franchise history and the first since Jonathan Toews who held the position from 2008 to 2023. Foligno has been a bit of a journeyman throughout his career as Chicago is the fifth team he’s played for over his 17 year NHL career, but he is widely respected by his teammates which makes him a great choice to lead his current team which has a roster full of young players.
Fun facts:
Foligno loves Celine Dion’s music and battle movies.
His father, Mike, played over 1,000 NHL games and his younger brother, Marcus, currently plays for the Minnesota Wild.
Colorado Avalanche: Gabriel Landeskog
Courtesy of Michael Martin/Getty
Despite not having been on the ice since Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final when the Colorado Avalanche won the Cup due to a knee injury and surgery, Gabriel Landeskog has maintained his position of captain. After being drafted second overall by the Avs in 2011, Landeskog was named captain at just 19 years and 286 days old ahead of the 2012-13 season which at the time made him the youngest captain in NHL history taking the title from Sidney Crosby. Because of the injuries throughout his career, Landeskog hasn’t played as many games as he should have but still ranks within the top ten on the franchise record list for most goals, assists, points and games played. His teammates often remark about how much they admire the Swede as their leader which shows the position is a great fit for him.
Fun facts:
When he was younger, Landeskog had his grandma record NHL games on VHS tapes for him to watch since he didn’t have any of the channels that showed the games in Sweden at his house.
He has a tattoo on his forearm of his two kids’ names, Linnea and Lucas.
Dallas Stars: Jamie Benn
Courtesy of the Dallas Stars
The Stars have been under the leadership of Jamie Benn since the 2013-14 season when he was named the sixth captain in franchise history. Benn was drafted by Dallas in the fifth round of the 2007 NHL Draft and has played his entire career with the Stars. His name is splattered all across his team’s record books in various categories: 1,112 games played (second), 383 goals (second), 524 assists (third) and 907 points (second). Despite his on ice role changing a bit in the last few seasons as the younger players start to flourish, it’s clear that Benn was given the captaincy for a reason and will most likely lead his team to another deep playoff run this season.
Fun facts:
Benn’s hockey idol when he was younger was former Nordiques and Avalanche captain, Joe Sakic.
Minnesota Wild: Jared Spuregon
Courtesy of Matt Krohn/AP
Jared Spuregon is another player who was selected late in his draft and has played his entire career with the team he is now captain of. Spurgeon was drafted 156th overall by the New York Islanders in 2008 but was traded before taking the ice in an Isles uniform so he has played all 14 years of his NHL career with the Wild. He received the honor of being captain in January of 2021. Despite missing all but 16 games last season due to injuries, Spurgeon has been constant in the Minnesota lineup for over a decade and is a great leader for the team. His 867 games played are the second most in Wild franchise history and his 384 points are the most by a Wild defenseman.
Fun facts:
At just 5’9”, Spurgeon is one of the shortest defensemen currently in the NHL.
Nashville Predators: Roman Josi
Courtesy of Christian Petersen/Getty Images
We met a Swiss captain in the Eastern Conference, but we have one in the West as well! Roman Josi was drafted by the Predators in the second round of the 2008 NHL Draft and has arguably become the most important player for Nashville. The defenseman has collected a whopping 686 points in his 909 career games (the most by any Preds defenseman in franchise history) and won the Norris Trophy in 2020. Josi was named the eighth captain in franchise history ahead of the 2017-18 season and has continued to excel as a player on the ice and a leader to his teammates over the years. With the impressive offseason Nashville had, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Preds made a deep playoff run under Josi’s leadership.
Fun facts:
Josi is a big country music fan and loves seeing the country artists come out to Predators games in Nashville.
He started skating at age three and began playing hockey at age four. His older brother played hockey and he wanted to do it too.
St. Louis Blues: Brayden Schenn
Courtesy of Jeff Le/USA Today Sports
Brayden Schenn is one of the newer NHL captains only having received the C before the 2023-24 season, replacing Ryan O’Reilly who held the honor before being traded. Schenn was drafted fifth overall by the Kings in 2009 and played two seasons with LA, then six with the Flyers and just finished his seventh year with the Blues. Although he may not always be the most productive player in relation to offsense, his leadership and goals for the team solidify St. Louis’ choice to make him the 24th captain in franchise history. With a Stanley Cup on his resume, Schenn is putting his name into Blues history as their current captain.
Fun fact:
If Schenn wasn’t a hockey player, he would be a firefighter like his dad was.
Utah Hockey Club: Clayton Keller
The Utah Hockey Club is the newest franchise in the NHL and will be taking the ice for their first ever season soon. But before the regular season officially gets underway, Utah named Clayton Keller the first captain in franchise history. Keller was drafted seventh overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2016 NHL Draft and played his entire career with the Yotes up until the franchise became inactive at the end of the 2023-24 season. Now, Keller is one of the most experienced players on Utah’s roster and is the perfect fit to lead the NHL’s newest team to success after growing into an established player and leader over the last few years. He led the Coyotes in scoring four out of his seven full seasons there and is one of only two players in Arizona franchise history to record 400 points. With an entirely new sheet of ice, it’ll be exciting to see what Keller does as captain of the Utah Hockey Club this season.
Fun fact:
Keller is a really great golfer and has even played with some PGA Tour players.
Winnipeg Jets: Adam Lowry
Courtesy of Matt Slocum/The Associated Press Files
Adam Lowry was named captain of the Winnipeg Jets last September ahead of the 2023-24 season and has had the chance to follow in his father’s footsteps as he was the captain of the Calgary Flames from 2000 to 2002. Lowry was drafted by the Jets in the third round of the 2011 NHL Draft and has played all 10 years of his career in Winnipeg. He’s just the third captain in Jets history since the team relocated from Atlanta. It is well known that Lowry is one of the most respected players by his teammates, players around the league and the coaching staff. The 2024-25 season will only be his second with the C on his jersey, but it’s sure to be a good one for the Jets with Lowry’s leadership at the helm.
Fun facts:
Lowry wears jersey number 17 because it was the number he wore throughout his entire junior hockey career.
Despite being born in St. Louis, Missouri, Lowry grew up in Calgary since that was where his father played during his NHL career.
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks: Radko Gudas
Courtesy of Chris Szagola/AP
Widely known across the league as “The Butcher,” Radko Gudas is the newest appointed captain in the Western Conference as he becomes the ninth captain in Ducks franchise history. Anaheim hasn’t had a player with the C on their jersey since Ryan Getzlaf retired after the 2021-22 season. Gudas has also had quite a unique journey in the NHL as he was drafted in the third round of the 2010 NHL Draft by the Lightning and has now played for five different teams over his 12 year career in the NHL. Similar to Chicago, Anaheim has a roster full of rookies and young talent so the veteran’s leadership will greatly help the team have a successful season once again.
Fun fact:
Gudas knows how to ballroom dance.
Calgary Flames: Mikael Backlund
Courtesy of Sergei Belski/USA Today Sports
Mikael Backlund is another recently named captain having been given the storied C ahead of the 2023-24 season making him the first European-born captain in Flames franchise history. After being drafted 24th overall by the Flames in the 2007 NHL Draft, Backlund has played the entirety of his 16 year career in Calgary and has become a key part for the Canadian team. Although he has battled through many injuries, he has amassed 531 points (200 goals, 331 assists) in 990 games played. With two years left on his current contract extension, Backlund’s leadership and play is sure to be beneficial to the Flames’ success as they look to return to the postseason for the first time since 2022.
Fun facts:
Backlund is from the same hometown as NHL legend Nicklas Lindstrom (Vasteras, Sweden).
He supports the ALS Society of Alberta in honor of his wife’s mom and Chris Snow, Flames Assistant GM, who both passed away from the disease.
Edmonton Oilers: Connor McDavid
Courtesy of The Canadian Press
Connor McDavid isn’t just arguably the best player in the league today with an impressive trophy case and a slew of records to his name, he’s also the captain of the Edmonton Oilers. McDavid was given the honor before the 2016-17 season, making him the youngest captain in NHL history which he still holds and the 15th captain for the Oilers. McDavid was drafted first overall to Edmonton in 2015 and has become a living legend in a very short time. In just 645 games, McDavid has collected 982 points which is the fourth most in franchise history and is on the way to becoming one of the fastest players to record 1,000 points. After a run to the Stanley Cup Final last season, it’s almost a guarantee that McDavid’s and his captaincy will be another key to success this year.
Fun facts:
McDavid has a Bernesedoodle named Lenny who he often trains with for fun during the offseason.
As an Ontario native, McDavid actually grew up a Leafs fan.
Los Angeles Kings: Anze Kopitar
Courtesy of AP Photo/Ashley Landis
Anze Kopitar has cemented himself among both Kings and NHL history as a great player. With two Stanley Cups, Lady Byng trophies and Selke trophies, Kopitar’s done it all. But he is also captain of the team he was drafted to back in 2005. Kopitar had the C sewn onto his jersey ahead of the 2016-17 season and is one of the most well respected players in the league. His legacy with the Kings extends beyonds trophies as he is the franchise leader in games played (1,373) and assists (792) while his name is on the team record books for goals (419, fourth), points (1,211, second) and power play goals (120, fourth). Kopitar still has time on the ice to add to his fantastic career while continuing to bring Los Angeles to the playoffs year after year.
Fun facts:
Kopitar is the first Slovenian to play in the NHL.
Two places he would really love to travel to are Japan and Dubai.
San Jose Sharks: Logan Couture
Courtesy of Jeff Chiu/AP
After Joe Pavelski left the Sharks, the captaincy was open and Logan Couture was named the 10th captain in franchise history before the 2019-20 season began. He’s held the position since meaning he’s entering his fifth season with the C. Couture was drafted ninth overall by San Jose in the 2007 NHL Draft and has played all 15 years of his career with the Sharks. Over the course of more than a decade on the ice, Couture has put his name in the Sharks record books as he now ranks in the top five of all major categories in franchise history (games played, goals, assists, points). Although the last few years haven’t been that encouraging for San Jose with a full rebuild underway, Couture continues to lead the way.
Fun facts:
Couture is an avid reader and even started an online book club when the NHL season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seattle Kraken: No Captain
Vancouver Canucks: Quinn Hughes
Courtesy of Bob Frid/USA Today Sports
The oldest of the three iconic Hughes Brothers, Quinn Hughes has forged his own successful path in the NHL which includes the C that’s sewn onto his jersey. Hughes was named the 15th captain in Canucks franchise history ahead of the 2023-24 season and has continuously proved why he’s worthy of the honored leadership position. After being drafted seventh overall to the Canucks in 2018, Hughes has played all six seasons of his NHL career in Vancouver. In each of his last three seasons, he set a new franchise record for most points by a defenseman in a single season and is the most recent winner of the Norris Trophy. In just 365 games, Hughes has collected 333 points which is already the second most by any Vancouver defenseman. And with plenty of time left on the ice, Hughes is sure to further cement his legacy in the Canucks history books and in league history as well.
Fun facts:
In elementary school, Hughes was always looking outside his classroom window to watch his dad and younger brother Jack skate on a makeshift ice rink which led to him being allowed to skate during lunch period because he got so distracted in class.
Hughes switched to playing defense when he was 12 after his coach noticed he had a lot of defensive tendencies when playing forward.
Vegas Golden Knights: Mark Stone
Courtesy of ESPN.com
Mark Stone can say he’s the most unique captain in the league as he was named the first ever captain of the Vegas Golden Knights in January 2021. Stone was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the sixth round in 2010, he played seven seasons there before being traded to Vegas who was in the midst of their second season ever. Since then, he’s become a cornerstone for the franchise and with the C on his jersey, helped lead the team to their first ever Stanley Cup in 2023. In his 274 games with the Golden Knights, Stone has collected 89 goals and 167 assists for 256 points all while battling some pretty serious injuries. With another season fast approaching with high expectations on the team, Stone is sure to remain a steadfast leader for his teammates.
Fun facts:
Stone is one of 19 active NHL players who are from Manitoba, Canada.
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