*This was updated ahead of the 2025-26 season
Having the “C” stitched onto a jersey has been a tradition in hockey for over a century. Arguably the biggest honor a team can bestow upon a player, the NHL has had many iconic captains over the years from Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux to Scott Niedermayer and Mark Messier. The modern era has also seen its share of legendary leaders like Sidney Crosby, who has won three Stanley Cups and Steven Stamkos, who has two.
Since I last updated this article, Brad Marchand was traded from the Boston Bruins to the Florida Panthers, where he eventually won a Stanley Cup and signed a six-year extension, Jacob Trouba was dealt from the New York Rangers to the Anaheim Ducks, and Logan Couture was forced to retire due to injury, leaving the San Jose Sharks without a captain. Unlike previous years, where there were up to six teams without a captain, there are only three franchises without someone to don the “C” heading into the 2025-26 season. Here are my predictions for who will succeed Marchand in Boston, Trouba in the Big Apple, and Couture in San Jose.
Boston Bruins – David Pastrnak
There are really only two candidates to become captain in Boston and follow in the footsteps of Marchand and Patrice Bergeron: David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy. While McAvoy revealed in an interview on July 30 that he and Pastrnak will share the duties as alternate captains this season, it will be one of them who will eventually wear the “C”.
Pastrnak and McAvoy lead in different ways. One is quiet in the dressing room and flashy on the ice, while the other is the exact opposite. The flashy one is, of course, Pastrnak, who has blossomed from a late first-round pick in 2014 to a three-time 100-point man. Since making his debut in 2014-15, he has a staggering 391 goals and 833 points in 756 games, highlighted by a career-high 61 goals and 113 points in 2022-23, a season where he led the NHL in goals and won the Rocket Richard Trophy. He has also been a consistent producer in the playoffs with 39 goals and 87 points in 90 games, showcasing a clutch gene that all captains seem to have. But as Ryan Ventura pointed out in a recent article on the future Bruins captaincy, he leads by example rather than emotion, and would be a different type of leader than the team has had in the past.
“While Pastrnak would likely do just fine as the captain, he is less of a vocal leader than McAvoy and former Bruins’ captains like Marchand, Bergeron, and Zdeno Chara. His leadership in recent years has been undeniable; however, his personality type aligns more with a lead-by-example approach than a captain role, which would require constant media appearances and for him to become much more vocal in the locker room. It suits Pastrnak better to stay in a leadership position where he can be the face of the franchise, their best player on the ice, but not have to take on the additional responsibilities that come with being captain of the Bruins.”
McAvoy, on the other hand, shares a lot of traits with the former captains mentioned above. Like Pastrnak, he’s been a life-long Bruin, with 504 games under his belt going back to when he was drafted 14th overall in 2016. However, he also embodies the “Big Bad Bruins” identity that the franchise has forged since it was introduced as one of the Original Six teams. As Ventura stated in that same article, he would lead like Marchand, Bergeron, and Chara did, with his physicality, emotion, and sound two-way game. Not to mention, being just plain mean.
“For years, the identity of the Bruins as a team has been one of toughness and physicality. Like former captains Marchand, Bergeron, and Chara, McAvoy embodies these qualities, playing a hard-nosed, mean brand of hockey.”
Honestly, I don’t think the Bruins could go wrong with either Pastrnak or McAvoy as their next leader, but I am going to disagree with my THW colleague and go with Pastrnak. I think after so many years of the same type of captain, it would be good to have Pastrnak, arguably one of their greatest goal scorers of the modern era, take on the role. We will see how each of them handles it as a duo this season, but I think Pastrnak will emerge as the Bruins’ 28th captain when all is said and done.
New York Rangers – J.T. Miller
Moving to another Original Six team without a captain, the Rangers will be looking for someone to follow Trouba, who wore the “C” for three seasons and had an “A” for two. While it would make sense to give it to their best defenceman and Norris Trophy winner, Adam Fox, there has been talk that J.T. Miller should take on the mantle after returning to the team via trade from the Vancouver Canucks last season. He was in the conversation for the position in Vancouver before Quinn Hughes was named captain, mostly because of his intensity and emotional leadership style. While that style doesn’t always rub players the right way, it does work to shake up a team when they need it – and the Rangers definitely fall into that category after the dumpster fire of last season.
“The captain’s sweater is not just another piece of laundry. It represents the organization’s ethos. The Rangers acquired J.T. Miller to change the team culture. The 32-year-old is hard-edged and can be abrasive. That is the identity the Blueshirts should adopt.”
– Larry Brooks, New York Post (from ‘No excuse for Rangers to not name new captain — here’s who it should be,’ New York Post, 8/9/25)
I think Miller could be a good captain for the right team. Whether that is the Rangers remains to be seen, but considering where they are as a franchise, I have to agree with Brooks. Not only will Miller bring the emotion and toughness every night, but he has also shown that he can take over a game offensively – something captains often do. If he can return to the level he was at in 2022-23, he could be a difference-maker for the Rangers and maybe have the same impact that Mark Messier had when he was captain for over a decade.
San Jose Sharks – Tyler Toffoli
It’s unfortunate that Couture’s tenure as the Sharks’ captain had to be capped at 270 games. He was forced to retire due to concussion issues, and now the franchise will be looking for a new leader. The Sharks are a very young team with Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, William Eklund and Michael Misa forming its exciting new core. Similar to Connor Bedard in Chicago, Celebrini is the captain-in-waiting, but I don’t think they will be putting that pressure on him so soon in his career. They will probably go with a veteran like the Blackhawks did with Nick Foligno. But who could that be?
Related: 3 Teams in & 3 Teams Out of the NHL Playoffs in 2026
For me, that veteran is Tyler Toffoli. He signed a four-year deal with the Sharks last year to play with Celebrini, and he has embraced his mentor role, not only with Celebrini but the other young players. He was part of the leadership group right away as an alternate captain last season and was notably excited to push the Sharks from a bottom-feeder to a contender.
“Right before all the media stuff started happening, I had a meeting with [Ryan Warsofsky]. He let me know that I was gonna be part of the leadership group. Whether I was going to wear a letter or not, I was going to take a lot of pride in it in the first place. Very honored. Ready to work throughout camp, going into the season, and help turn the ship around here.”
Toffoli has never worn the “C” in the NHL, but he did captain Team Canada at the 2023 World Championship and has 890 games of experience in the league. He also has a Stanley Cup and knows what it takes to win at the highest level. He already has the respect of the locker room and is looked at as a role model by the new core. I think he’s the best fit to become the next captain, and then eventually hand it over to Celebrini when he’s ready.
Will We Get an Answer This Season?
We already know that the Bruins won’t be naming a captain this season. So, they will be on this list again when this piece gets updated again next offseason. But what about the Rangers and Sharks? I feel like the Rangers need to name one and not leave their leadership group in limbo heading into such a crucial season. As for the Sharks, they can wait and just name a few alternates to see who steps up among their youngsters. On the other hand, a veteran captain could be good to lead the charge with that aforementioned youth still developing. Whatever the case, fans will be watching closely to see what direction the Rangers and Sharks take in naming the next leader of their team.
