In a move that marks a milestone for the National Hockey League, every team in the league now has a designated captain, a feat not achieved since the 2010-11 season. The Seattle Kraken filled the last remaining vacancy by naming Jordan Eberle as their team captain, just hours before their season opener against the St. Louis Blues, which ended in a 3-2 defeat.
This development follows a series of recent captaincy announcements from around the league. The Utah Hockey Club has entrusted Clayton Keller with the role, while the Buffalo Sabres have handed the reins to promising young player Rasmus Dahlin. Other teams to appoint new captains this year include the Anaheim Ducks, who have chosen Radko Gudas, the Chicago Blackhawks, who have named Nick Foligno, and the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have promoted Victor Hedman to succeed Steven Stamkos, who departed for Nashville in free agency.
In recent years, some teams have opted to forego the traditional captaincy model, instead relying on a leadership group comprising three alternate captains, denoted by the “A” on their jerseys. However, with the Kraken’s decision, every NHL team now has a single, designated leader.
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