Hey guys help me solve a debate. What year if any did the NHL start referring to Alternate captains as "alternate captains" my father insists until recently they were referred to as Assistants.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
When did the NHL implement "Alternate Captains"
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Killion
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The correct terminology is "Alternate Captain" and always has been though ya, some people do refer to them as "Assistant Captains". Thats really kind of moot, a matter of semantics and the correct assignation is indeed "Alternate"..... At the NHL level, a team can appoint up to 2 Alternate Captains either game by game or for the season or, as was the case with the Boston Bruins in 69/70, 3 Alternate Captains in Johnny Bucyk, Ed Westfall & Phil Esposito but no team Captain with the singular 'C' on their jersey.
Bear of Bad News
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Exactly - the alternate captain doesn't "assist" the captain on the ice. He acts as captain when the captain is not on the ice (hence, the word alternate).
Killion
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Indeed. And then theres a hierarchy involved in that as well based on age or years with the club. In 1970 for example when Boston had three Alternates, Johnny Bucyk presented with the Stanley Cup as he was the most senior of the 3.
King Forsberg
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The Flyers added another "A" when they introduced Kimmo Timonen as the "Associate Captain" prior to the shortened 2013 season. During the season all this meant was that he wore an A for every game. Daniel Briere and Scott Hartnell were named Alternate captains as well and simply rotated wearing an A at home and on the road.
Bill Durnan, goalie for the Canadiens, was a Captain during the 1947-48 season and the NHL changed the rule that no goalie could wear the C or A. The reason being that too much time was wasted with him coming out of the net to argue calls with the referee and the other teams were complaining that in effect, he was giving the Habs unscheduled time outs.
Luongo was named Captain of the Canucks but he couldn't wear the C or A on the ice.
Luongo was named Captain of the Canucks but he couldn't wear the C or A on the ice.
Bear of Bad News
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Durnan was the last of the "official six" (has a nice ring to it, no?). Here's the full list:
http://www.hockeygoalies.org/faq/captains.html
Killion
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I think the NCAA is the only league that permits Goaltenders to wear the 'C' & to actually argue call's.... though it would certainly give them an unfair advantage to also be allowed to take ceremonial face-off's. And those really do matter huh? Thats if he played it straight, fair.... I prefer the "Never mind the puck" style. Just lean right into the guy. Knock him off his skates.
This made me think about teams that have a C and A on the same line. Seems like it should be spread around more, no?
Kane One
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Luongo was pretty much just an honorary captain. He was never an official captain.
Big Phil
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Beliveau was named captain in 1961-'62 for the Habs. I remember an interview where he said he was surprised they picked him since he wasn't even an "alternate captain". So I guess it goes back as far as then when there were alternate captains. I honestly have never thought about when the officially started otherwise.
I always thought that even without having a letter on his sweater that Johnny Bucyk was the captain of the Bruins within that room.
I always thought that even without having a letter on his sweater that Johnny Bucyk was the captain of the Bruins within that room.
