"Freshly Appointed Leaders: Victor Hedman in Tampa Bay, Nick Foligno in Chicago"
The Tampa Bay Lightning have selected defenseman Victor Hedman as their new captain, marking the first change in the role in over ten years.
Hedman will be taking over for Steven Stamkos, who held the position from 2013-14 until the end of last season. Stamkos recently signed a four-year, $32 million contract with the Nashville Predators on July 1.
The team has also named two alternate captains, forward Nikita Kucherov and defenseman Ryan McDonagh.
General manager Julien BriseBois expressed his excitement for Hedman's new role, stating that he is a highly respected player both on and off the ice. He also mentioned that Hedman embodies the values of the Tampa Bay Lightning and is more than ready for this opportunity.
Hedman, who was drafted second overall in the 2009 NHL Draft, has played over 1,000 regular-season games with the Lightning and is only 31 games away from surpassing Stamkos for the most in franchise history. He also holds several franchise records for defensemen, including points, power-play points, shots on goal, and takeaways.
The Swedish native has won two Stanley Cup titles with the team and was awarded the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman in 2018.
In Chicago, veteran forward Nick Foligno was named the captain for the 2024-25 season. This news came as a surprise to Foligno, as the team played without a designated captain last season out of respect for the departed Jonathan Toews, who had been the captain for 15 years.
General manager Kyle Davidson announced the news to the team on Tuesday night, stating that Foligno was the perfect man for the job. Seth Jones, who was one of the alternate captains last season, also expressed his support for Foligno, stating that he is a great leader on and off the ice.
Foligno was drafted 28th overall in the 2006 draft by the Ottawa Senators and spent five seasons with the team before joining the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2012. He was the captain there for six seasons before brief stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. Last season, he appeared in 74 games with the Chicago Blackhawks, bringing his career total to 1,155 games played.
