Are NHL captains today different vs. the past?

[seancolorado]

This thought came to me literally just now so please let me know up front if my perception doesn't align with reality. It could very well be that I am romanticizing the past, but let's hear your thoughts regardless:

Do a higher rate of captains today exemplify less of a 'good guy' role while on the ice compared to decades past? Is being big, tough and imposing a more valued quality more than before?

I bring this up because of guys like David Backes, Shea Weber, Dustin Brown, Ryan Getzlaf, Shane Doan, Andrew Ladd, Willie Mitchell, Gabe Landeskog, Dion Phaneuf, to name some examples - these are all great hockey players and many of them are awesome people behind the scenes, but they are also guys that rub a lot of people the wrong way (to varying degrees), mainly due to on-ice incidents, or if not on-ice actions then just through their general style of pesky, gritty & dominant play. I just don't remember there being this many captains in the 90s that so many fans vocally spoke out against so strongly, and I'm wondering whether or not it correlates to how hockey today is played (bigger, tougher, faster), or if it's more due to the fact that we just talk to each other more about it because of websites like this.

I could be wrong and reading too much into it, which is why I wanted to get a pulse on everyone's thoughts:

The league changed - did the captains change with it? Or rather, with social media and video footage so widespread, has it simply just become much easier for us to hate certain players as a community (online bonding through on-ice bashing), with certain captains happening to fall into this category more than others? Or a little bit of both?

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[WayneSid9987]

Two words...Mark Messier.

The criteria for naming a "C" has never changed. It'll always remain the same. Could be the best player on the team who leads by example or the rough and tumble vet who is the heart and soul of a team. Usually it'll be one or the other or somewhere in between.

 

[WTG]

Two words...Mark Messier.

The criteria for naming a "C" has never changed. It'll always remain the same. Could be the best player on the team who leads by example or the rough and tumble vet who is the heart and soul of a team. Usually it'll be one or the other or somewhere in between.

Messier was a ****** leader. What he did to the Nucks is inexcusable. The guy has no respect

 

[Legionnaire]

Messier was a ****** leader. What he did to the Nucks is inexcusable. The guy has no respect

I don't think there are too many people outside of Vancouver who are going to totally agree. He had too long of a track record as one of the best to totally ignore what he was able to accomplish as a leader.


And Sid nailed it. There have always been rough and tough and guys who were captains and there have been teams who had gentlemen as captains. It is about choosing who best represents the locker room and the attitude, and attributes you hope to see carry over to rest of the room.

 

[c-carp]

Sure, because the way the game has changed, could and old school captain like Brian Sutter even get a long enough look to crack the lineup in the soft as butter NHL of today?

 

[Cult of Hynes]

This thought came to me literally just now so please let me know up front if my perception doesn't align with reality. It could very well be that I am romanticizing the past, but let's hear your thoughts regardless:

Do a higher rate of captains today exemplify less of a 'good guy' role while on the ice compared to decades past? Is being big, tough and imposing a more valued quality more than before?

I bring this up because of guys like David Backes, Shea Weber, Dustin Brown, Ryan Getzlaf, Shane Doan, Andrew Ladd, Willie Mitchell, Gabe Landeskog, Dion Phaneuf, to name some examples - these are all great hockey players and many of them are awesome people behind the scenes, but they are also guys that rub a lot of people the wrong way (to varying degrees), mainly due to on-ice incidents, or if not on-ice actions then just through their general style of pesky, gritty & dominant play. I just don't remember there being this many captains in the 90s that so many fans vocally spoke out against so strongly, and I'm wondering whether or not it correlates to how hockey today is played (bigger, tougher, faster), or if it's more due to the fact that we just talk to each other more about it because of websites like this.

I could be wrong and reading too much into it, which is why I wanted to get a pulse on everyone's thoughts:

The league changed - did the captains change with it? Or rather, with social media and video footage so widespread, has it simply just become much easier for us to hate certain players as a community (online bonding through on-ice bashing), with certain captains happening to fall into this category more than others? Or a little bit of both?

Mark Messier, Scott Stevens, Eric Lindros, Dale Hunter, Michael Peca, Bobby Clarke, Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour, Chris Pronger, Derian Hatcher, Chris Chelios, Denis Potvin, are just a few guys that were captains that were hated by other teams or at one point their own team and werent really good guys on ice. Some of them had off ice issues and had their organizations and or teammates question them or call them on their ********. A lot of them hurt people, intentionally, unintentionally and pissed off other fan bases. I think you may be romanticizing the past a bit. Also, I dont think hockey today is even close to as tough as it 10+ years ago. I do think social media makes it more apparent that people dislike other teams captains or their's.

 

[tarheelhockey]

You also have to keep in mind that there are a lot more captains now. 50% more than in the 1980s.

No offense to Landeskog,' Mitchell, and Ladd,'but they wouldn't be captains during that era.

 

[Sky04]

I'd say yes, there's less Captains today who are the "Veteran Leaders" or purely lockerroom guys who play on the 3rd/4th line.

The captains today are usually the teams best player who also represent the style of play of the team.

Getzlaf
Zetterberg
Toews
Stamkos
Crosby
Ovechkin
Staal
McDonagh
Giordano
Chara
Tavares
Backes
Sedin

Look at those players and their respective teams style of play, it almost mirrors those players.

 

[Brooklanders*]

I think free agency and salaries have changed the Captain mystique. I find it more difficult to lead a bunch of highly compensated teammates who may leave after the seasons end do largely to salary cap restrictions. More turnover in the game and less passion.
Some players play more for the money than the love of the game.
I think hockey players as a whole are good guys. I feel they are the most down to earth and gracious of all the major sports. Off the ice/court/field they are the best citizens.
However I see things changing and the aforementioned maybe a valid reason. Money can change plenty.

 

[The Grouch]

I think technology certainly plays a part in the perception. In decades past, you would see the play live and then maybe get one or two replays, and if you missed the game, you would have to settle for a water cooler version of events. Tracking down game footage was quite the task. Present day the video is up and a .gif created within minutes of a play... You Tube makes every dirty play immortal.

Also I think each new generation of fans has their own definition of acceptable play. Gradually the game is getting "softer" and players that don't conform to that seem to take heat. The fans that are influenced by today's NHL are the players of tomorrow's NHL.

 

[jgatie]

Terry O'Reilly and Wayne Cashman were captains in the 80's.

/END THREAD