List of current NHL captains and alternate captains


The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league composed of 32 teams, founded in 1917. Each team may select a captain, who has the "privilege of discussing with the referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game." Each team is also permitted to select alternate captains, who serve when the captain is not on the ice. Captains are required to wear the letter "C" on their uniform for identification while alternate captains wear the letter "A"; both letters are in height.
Rule 6.2 of the 2008–09 Official NHL Rulebook indicates that " when the captain is not in uniform, the coach shall have the right to designate three alternate captains. This must be done prior to the start of the game." Many NHL teams with a named captain select more than two alternate captains and rotate the "A"s among these players throughout the season.
Goaltenders are not permitted to serve as captains during games. This rule was instituted in 1948 after teams complained that it took Montreal Canadiens goaltender Bill Durnan too long to skate to talk with the officials and back to his crease. Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo served as captain for two seasons, but because of the League's rule, he was not allowed to serve as captain on-ice or wear the "C" on his jersey, though it was incorporated into the artwork on his mask. As a result, the Canucks were allowed to dress three alternate captains in games, as opposed to the League standard of two. Two alternate captains handled on-ice duties in Luongo's place. Other than Durnan and Luongo, five other goaltenders have captained their team: John Ross Roach of the Toronto St. Patricks, George Hainsworth of the Montreal Canadiens, Roy Worters of the New York Americans, Alec Connell of the original Ottawa Senators and Charlie Gardiner of the Chicago Black Hawks.
When Connor McDavid was named captain of the Edmonton Oilers, he became the youngest permanent captain in NHL history. Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, are the second- and third-youngest players to be named captain in NHL history, respectively. In 1984, Brian Bellows was named interim captain of the Minnesota North Stars when Craig Hartsburg was injured, and is the youngest player to captain a team in NHL history. However, because Bellows served only on an interim basis, McDavid retains the distinction of being the youngest permanent captain in the League's history. Mark Messier is the only player to captain two separate teams to Stanley Cup championships, those being the 1989–90 Edmonton Oilers and the 1993–94 New York Rangers. Sidney Crosby also became the youngest captain to win the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, when Crosby was just 21 years old. The oldest permanent captain in league history was Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins, who turned 43 years old during his last NHL season with the Bruins. The longest tenure in league history was Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings, who served as captain of the Red Wings for nineteen seasons, over a span of twenty years.

Key

Spent entire NHL career with team
AbbreviationDefinition
CCentre
LWLeft wing
RWRight wing
DDefenceman

Captains

Twenty-nine of the thirty-two NHL teams currently have a captain. The three teams without a captain are the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks. Twenty-one of the twenty-nine captains have been with their team for their entire career. The current longest-tenured captain in the league is Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who has served in that role since May 31, 2007.
TeamCaptainSincePos
Anaheim DucksRadko Gudas2024–25
Boston BruinsVacant2024–25—
Buffalo SabresRasmus Dahlin2024–25
Calgary Flames2023–24
Carolina Hurricanes2019–20
Chicago Blackhawks2024–25
Colorado Avalanche2012–13
Columbus Blue Jackets2021–22
Dallas Stars2013–14
Detroit Red Wings2020–21
Edmonton Oilers2016–17
Florida Panthers2018–19
Los Angeles Kings2016–17
Minnesota Wild2020–21
Montreal Canadiens2022–23
Nashville Predators2017–18
New Jersey Devils2020–21
New York Islanders2018–19
New York Rangers2025–26
Ottawa Senators2021–22
Philadelphia Flyers2023–24
Pittsburgh Penguins2007–08
San Jose SharksVacant2025–26–
Seattle Kraken2024–25
St. Louis Blues2023–24
Tampa Bay Lightning2024–25
Toronto Maple Leafs2024–25
Utah Mammoth2024–25
Vancouver CanucksVacant2025–26—
Vegas Golden Knights2020–21
Washington Capitals2009–10
Winnipeg Jets2023–24

Alternate captains

All thirty-two NHL teams have named at least the regulation two alternate captains. Of the eighty-nine alternate captains, forty-eight of them have been with their team for their entire NHL career. Teams that have named more than the regulation two alternate captains are required to rotate the two "A"s between those players by methods of their choosing. The current longest-tenured alternate captain in the league is Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who has served in that role since 2008.
TeamAlternate captainSincePos
Anaheim Ducks2025–26
Anaheim Ducks2025–26
Anaheim Ducks2023–24
Anaheim Ducks2025–26
Anaheim Ducks2024–25
Boston Bruins---
Boston Bruins2025–26
Boston Bruins2023–24
Boston Bruins2023–24
Buffalo Sabres---
Buffalo Sabres2024–25
Buffalo Sabres2024–25
Buffalo Sabres2024–25
Calgary Flames---
Calgary Flames2024–25
Calgary Flames2022–23
Calgary Flames2024–25
Calgary Flames2024–25
Carolina Hurricanes---
Carolina Hurricanes2021–22
Carolina Hurricanes2019–20
Carolina Hurricanes2019–20
Chicago Blackhawks---
Chicago Blackhawks2025–26
Chicago Blackhawks2021–22
Colorado Avalanche---
Colorado Avalanche2016–17
Colorado Avalanche2023–24
Columbus Blue Jackets---
Columbus Blue Jackets2023–24
Columbus Blue Jackets2021–22
Dallas Stars---
Dallas Stars2022–23
Dallas Stars2024–25
Dallas Stars2019–20
Dallas Stars2017–18
Detroit Red Wings---
Detroit Red Wings2025–26
Detroit Red Wings2025–26
Edmonton Oilers---
Edmonton Oilers2019–20
Edmonton Oilers2015–16
Edmonton Oilers2019–20
Florida Panthers---
Florida Panthers2016–17
Florida Panthers2022–23
Los Angeles Kings2025–26
Los Angeles Kings2016–17
Los Angeles Kings2025–26
Minnesota Wild2021–22
Minnesota Wild2023–24
Montreal Canadiens---
Montreal Canadiens2015–16
Montreal Canadiens2023–24
Nashville Predators---
Nashville Predators2024–25
Nashville Predators2023–24
Nashville Predators2025–26
New Jersey Devils---
New Jersey Devils2025–26
New Jersey Devils2022–23
New York Islanders---
New York Islanders2024–25
New York Islanders2024–25
New York Islanders2024–25
New York Rangers---
New York Rangers2023–24
New York Rangers2020–21
New York Rangers2025–26
New York Rangers2018–19
Ottawa Senators---
Ottawa Senators2019–20
Ottawa Senators2022–23
Philadelphia Flyers---
Philadelphia Flyers2023–24
Philadelphia FlyersTravis Sanheim2025–26
Pittsburgh Penguins2017–18
Pittsburgh Penguins2008–09
San Jose Sharks---
San Jose Sharks2025–26
San Jose Sharks2021–22
San Jose Sharks2024–25
San Jose Sharks2024–25
San Jose Sharks2025–26
Seattle Kraken2024–25
Seattle Kraken2021–22
Seattle Kraken2021–22
St. Louis Blues2023–24
St. Louis Blues2020–21
St. Louis Blues2023–24
Tampa Bay Lightning---
Tampa Bay Lightning2022–23
Tampa Bay Lightning2024–25
Toronto Maple Leafs2016–17
Toronto Maple Leafs2024–25
Utah Mammoth2024–25
Utah Mammoth2024–25
Utah Mammoth2024–25
Vancouver Canucks2025–26
Vancouver CanucksFilip Hronek2025–26D
Vancouver Canucks2024–25
Vancouver Canucks2022–23
Vegas Golden Knights---
Vegas Golden KnightsJack Eichel2023–24
Vegas Golden KnightsWilliam Karlsson2023–24
Vegas Golden Knights2020–21
Washington Capitals2019–20
Washington Capitals2023–24
Winnipeg Jets---
Winnipeg Jets2019–20
Winnipeg Jets2016–17
Winnipeg Jets---