You can tell who never played the game at a high level or at all by the comments bashing captains like Gudas or Foligno. To go further back, they made tbose comments about Lowry.
A C on your jersey is not a badge on the jersey of a teams best player. It’s not peewee hockey anymore where you can vote for yourself all 3 times or you get it because you’re the teams best player.
A captain is someone whose contributions to a team the average fan will not see. A captain is someone who sets the culture and for teams like the ducks or the Blackhawks, the captain is a veteran leader who’s been through it, seen it and is there to guide the next generation. They bridge the gap so that someday, a Bedard or Mason MacTavish can wear the C with honour and continue to do so.