The Binghamton Devils announced today that Kevin Rooney will be their captain for the rest of the season. He is probably the player that makes the most sense on that roster.
It’s no secret that I’ve had some less than nice words to say about Kevin Rooney in the past. It was nothing personal, but it was more frustration that he was on the New Jersey Devils roster over the likes of John Quenneville, Nick Lappin and Joey Anderson. That’s why today I can say I am happy for Rooney, as he gets the “C” on his jersey for the rest of the season in Binghamton.
This is an honor bestowed upon a prospect who deserves it. Rooney is the kind of player you want as your captain. He isn’t going to have the numbers of Quenneville, or the play-making ability of Michael McLeod, but he has the ability to hold the distinction for more than one season.
Rooney does have a one-way contract starting next season, but we don’t expect him to start the season on the Devils even with that. There are too many Devils prospects and young players to open up a spot for him. He will be able to command the Binghamton room for a while.
Rooney only has three assists this season, with zero goals. Again, it’s not his statistics that make him worthy of being a captain. It’s the fact that he’s willing to do the little things like back checking and shot blocking that make him one. On the AHL level, it is hard to find those kinds of players.
Binghamton head coach Mark Dennehy took the naming of a captain very seriously. Look at what he told a local television station prior to the season about why he wasn’t naming one right away.
"“We’ll have some temporary letters for the time being, but I take leadership pretty seriously. To be honest with ya, 25 years of coaching, I’ve probably only have had a handful of great captains. Being a leader is difficult.”"
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The Devils could have named John Ramage or Kurtis Gabriel, two players who are veterans on that roster, as team captain. It honestly would not have made much sense. There are too many young players on this roster to name a player like that the leader. This captain needs to be able to talk to the 20-year-old first-round pick, and the veteran who’s trying to hold on to his career. Rooney can empathize with both those parties.
Rooney was the right choice, and probably at the right time. He likely won’t get a call up for the rest of the season, so he can get some consistency in leadership. Plus, he can use that to help him in the future if he ever gets another shot in the NHL.