According to names and dates obtained from Hockey-Reference.com, 480 skaters have served as captains of an NHL team. Meanwhile, NHL.com states that 8,459 players (7,591 players and 868 goalies) have played at least one game in the league, meaning only 5% of the all-time registry have served as captains.
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Obtaining the honor of being a team leader is pretty special, but wearing a letter on a sweater for an extended period is one of the few personal milestones anyone can achieve. Furthermore, only 111 players reached five seasons as captain, with the list dwindling to just 25 at the ten-year mark.
Ultimately, the deeper we look into the list, the fewer players there are who reach a decade as a leader, with only ten going 13 seasons, the cut-off for the longest-serving captains in NHL history.
* – Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
Shane Doan – Arizona Coyotes
13 Seasons (2003 – 2017)
Shane Doan spent his entire career with the Arizona Coyotes franchise, transferring to the desert when the team relocated from Winnipeg in 1996. As the leader in games played, goals, assists, and points, it seems fitting that he is also the longest captain in team history.
After the Coyotes traded away Teppo Numminen in July 2003, Doan ascended to the captaincy at 27 in 2003-04. However, he didn’t serve in the role during the 2004-05 lockout but resumed his duties when the league reopened in 2005-06, leading the franchise until his retirement at the end of 2016-17. Ultimately, out of respect for his dedication to the team, they waited a season to name his replacement, promoting Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the role in 2018-19.
Daniel Alfredsson* – Ottawa Senators
13 Seasons (1999 – 2013)
Daniel Alfredsson is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame thanks to a successful career in the NHL and on the international stage. Considering he spent the first 17 seasons playing with the Ottawa Senators, it is not surprising to learn he is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played, goals, assists, and points. Additionally, he is their longest-tenured captain, serving from 1999 to 2013.
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Unfortunately, the former Calder Trophy winner for Rookie of the Year did not finish his career in Ottawa, signing a one-year contract as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings. However, the native of Gothenburg, Sweden, is one of just six skaters from the country to reach 1,000 points and is their longest-serving captain in the NHL.
Mario Lemieux* – Pittsburgh Penguins
13 Seasons (1987 – 1994, 1995 – 1997, 2001 – 2006)
Ultimately, there isn’t a single discussion about who the greatest player in the NHL is without Mario Lemieux‘s name coming up. As one of the most gifted skaters to ever play in the league, there’s no denying the five-time Stanley Cup champion has one of the most distinguished careers ever.
Unfortunately, injuries, cancer, and early retirement periodically derailed his career, so Lemieux played only 915 games from 1984 to 2006. Despite all the setbacks, he tallied 1,723 points, which still ranks amongst the top ten career totals of a player. Conversely, Lemieux has been the heart and soul of the Penguins franchise since his draft day, eventually buying the team in the early 2000s and becoming the first player/owner to skate in an NHL game.
Zdeno Chara – Boston Bruins
14 Seasons (2006 – 2020)
Zdeno Chara is one of the tallest players in NHL history, towering over opponents at 6-foot-9, approaching seven feet on skates. Realistically, he was one of the game’s most feared defenders before he came to Boston in 2006, but it was in black and gold that he carved out his place as one of his generation’s best defensemen.
Besides winning the Mark Messier Leadership Award and the King Clancy Award, he also won the Norris Trophy and was the captain when the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011. At 42, he was the franchise’s oldest captain in 2019-20. Ultimately, the organization let him go in the summer of 2020, so he finished his Hall of Fame career with two teams. Although he doesn’t wear the Spoked B jersey anymore, he remains a fan favorite to this day.
Jonathan Toews – Chicago Blackhawks
14 seasons (2008 – 2023)
As the third overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Jonathan Toews was another significant piece of the Chicago Blackhawks dynasty, which would go on to win three Stanley Cup titles in 2010, 2013, and 2015. Interestingly, he would become the youngest captain in franchise history, which dates back to 1926.
Even though he didn’t tally a thousand points during his 15-year career in Chicago, he ranks in the top 10 in every significant scoring category while serving as the only captain to lead the club to three championships. Unfortunately, injuries may have ended his career at 34. Still, as their longest-serving leader, the Blackhawks announced that they would not name his replacement in 2023-24 to honor his contributions to the franchise.
Ray Bourque* – Boston Bruins
15 seasons (1985 – 2000)
There are so many legendary hockey players associated with the Bruins, including Eddie Shore, Dit Clapper, Phil Esposito, and Bobby Orr. Despite all their accomplishments, only one player, Ray Bourque, skated in the most games, tallying the most assists and points while serving as captain for a record 15 seasons.
Historically, Bourque is the highest-scoring defenseman in NHL history, winning the Calder Trophy during Wayne Gretzky’s rookie season, eventually losing to The Great One in the 1988 Stanley Cup Final. Unfortunately, Bourque never won the Stanley Cup in Boston, despite two trips to the Final, eventually accepting a trade to the Colorado Avalanche in 2000. Ultimately, in one of the NHL’s greatest moments, he retired a champion, hoisting the Silver Chalice in June 2001.
Alex Ovechkin – Washington Capitals
15 seasons (2009 – Present)
Alex Ovechkin has been a dominant goal scorer since debuting in 2005. Now, in his 19th season, all eyes are on the Great 8 as he continues his quest to dethrone Gretzky as the game’s all-time leading scorer with 894 career goals. Considering he’s less than a hundred lamplighters away, there’s no telling how much closer he’d be if he didn’t miss time due to a lockout and COVID-19-shortened seasons.
Ultimately, it won’t matter where Ovechkin finishes on the NHL all-time charts because he’s already the best player in the history of the Washington Capitals. His legacy is secured after guiding the team to their lone Stanley Cup title in 2018.
Related: Wayne Gretzky, Alex Ovechkin and the Goalies They Scored On
Whether he retires after breaking the goal record, comes up short, or pursues professional hockey opportunities elsewhere, there’s no denying he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible.
Joe Sakic* – Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche
17 seasons (1990 – 1991, 1992 – 2009)
During his legendary 20-season career, Joe Sakic was one of the game’s most feared snipers, with one of the best wrist shots in NHL history. Until Gabriel Landeskog became captain at 20, Sakic held the Colorado Avalanche record for being the youngest captain, earning a promotion at 21 in 1990-91, when the team was still in Quebec, as the Nordiques.
Unsurprisingly, he is the greatest statistical player in team history, owning most of the records while guiding them to two Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001. Besides winning the Conn Smythe Trophy, he was voted league MVP in 2000-01, capturing both the Hart Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award that season. Currently, Sakic ranks eighth all-time in points while sitting comfortably third on this list.
Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh Penguins
17 seasons (2006 – Present)
As the best player in the salary cap era, Sidney Crosby started his career playing with Lemieux and living in his house. After 19 seasons and three Stanley Cup titles, Crosby now ranks second behind his former mentor in almost every statistical category in Penguins history while serving as their longest-tenured captain.
Ultimately, Sid the Kid is one of the most humble players of his generation while acting as its most productive. Even though he’s not ready to pass the torch, scoring 90 points for the seventh time in his career in 2022-23.
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At just 36, he’s got a few seasons left to add to his legacy, which is bound for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Realistically, if Crosby remains healthy, nothing will stop him from becoming the longest-serving captain in NHL history.
Steve Yzerman* – Detroit Red Wings
19 seasons (1986 – 2006)
Steve Yzerman is one of the greatest skaters in NHL history, not only because he won three Stanley Cups or ranks seventh all-time with 1,755 points, but because he also served as captain for the Detroit Red Wings for 19 seasons. Ultimately, he would have reached 20 years if the league hadn’t shut down for the 2004-05 campaign, costing him a full year of hockey.
As a young player in the high-scoring 1980s and 1990s, Yzerman racked up six seasons of 100 points or more, setting a personal best of 155 in 1988-89, to become one of just six skaters ever to collect 150 points during the regular season. Interestingly, he served as captain of the Red Wings in parts of three decades and will always be remembered for scoring the overtime winner in the Western Conference Semi-Finals in 1997, one of the most memorable goals in Stanley Cup playoffs history.
Historical Perspective
As mentioned, becoming the captain of an NHL franchise is a special honor. Remaining in that role for years and guiding a team to a Stanley Cup title is one of the most outstanding personal achievements a skater can achieve.
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Ultimately, some of the best statistical players have served as captains. Moreover, five of these longest-tenured leaders are already in the Hall of Fame, while four more await their invitations. Overall, whether the names on this list ever won awards or scored hundreds of points, their legacies as some of the NHL’s most outstanding leaders remain untouched.
