Random Musings: The Captaincy

It goes without saying that, in the sport of hockey, the captain carries a large weight on his shoulders.  In no other game is revoking this “C” considered when a team struggles, or is thought to be nearly as much of an honor for a player.  The Devils have had many solid captains over the years; since Jamie Langenbrunner’s trade to Dallas, however, they have been without one.  So this year, a new player will sport the well-respected letter on their jersey each night, and will bestow a new whelm of responsibility from the Devils organization as well as expectations from the fan base.

Whoever the Devils eventually select as their new captain will find themselves in the same sentence as many Devils’ greats: from Muller and Stevens to Elias and Langenbrunner.  All three Stanley Cups were won while Stevens wore the C, which he did until his retirement in 2004.  Today, you can look up to the rafters at the Prudential Center and see his name (or you can fly to Toronto and find it in the Hockey Hall of Fame).  He was a true leader, both on the blue line and in the locker room, and has left large shoes to fill since his retirement.

Another Devil who has been a captain in the past (and will surely see his #26 in the rafters someday) is Patrik Elias, who was replaced by Langenbrunner in December 2007.  While it would be hard to come up with anything negative to say about him as a player and a leader of this team, the results weren’t there that year; thus, management thought a change was necessary.  Elias could have a chance to once again earn the “C” this season; he was voted team MVP last year (in which he served as an alternate captain), and might have been the only bright spot  throuought the Devils’ season (obviously, this includes the first half).  If Patty is chosen as captain, it shouldn’t upset anyone in any way; he has always been great among the younger players, productive in many ways on the ice, and now, by the way, is the Devils’ all-time leader in points.  In addition, Elias was recently the captain of Czech Republic’s olympic hockey team.

Another option could be the guy we’ll be watching for another 14 years.  Ilya Kovalchuk became captain of the Atlanta Thrashers (who?) in January 2009, and remained so until his trade to the Devils 13 months later.  Through much of last year, Kovalchuk seemed to work well (this did progress with time) with some of the Devils’ younger players as linemates, surely a very encouraging sign for the future.  Kovalchuk has proven to be one of the best players in the league ever since he was drafted in 2001; however, his leadership has come into question in the past, and management might determine that there are better options for the role.  Kovalchuk, like Elias, served as an alternate captain last season, a role which probably became more significant after the Langenbrunner trade.

One intriguing option for the captaincy could be Martin Brodeur, who has never served this role in the league; however, he did wear the “C” for the Primus World Stars during the lockout in 2004-2005.  While placing this honor upon a goalie could be seen as peculiar in the NHL, it might be reasonable for the Devils to do; Brodeur might be playing his final season of an historic career, and making him captain might be a fitting tribute to the man we have all loved and appreciated for so many years.  I wouldn’t expect for this to happen, but it certainly would be an interesting scenario for management to consider.

My choice for Devils’ captain, however, is not one of the three previously-stated men.  While none of them would be a “bad option”, I would surely have to pick Zach Parise, who has truely been a pleasure to watch ever since his NHL debut.  Parise loves it in New Jersey; the fans love him as well; and Zach seems on the verge of becoming the face of the franchise once Marty decides to retire.  The energy he exhibits on the ice is unmatched, and it is fun to watch him play every shift like it’s his last.  While Parise is not yet signed, I have no doubts that his career as a Devil will continue; he even attended the NHL draft with the team last month.  In fact, when ordering my Parise jersey last summer, I purposely left the “A” off of it, with a good feeling that he would be sporting the “C” in the very near future.

So, there you have it.  I would have to predict (as well as hope) that Parise is named captain, although nothing can be for certain.  The team could easily go with a proven leader (Elias), a superstar forward (Kovalchuk), or a hockey icon (Brodeur), and could possibly even surprise us with a selection like Zajac or Rolston (I would highly doubt anyone except the four I named, however).  The captaincy debate can surely be a great one, so be sure to voice your opinion in the comments (and/or tweet me @ZachandKovy917).  As a new season begins, this question should come into play amongst the team and (especially) amongst us, the fan base.

-Drew