No discussion of the captaincy would be complete without an understanding of what the job involves.
Make no mistake. Every NHL player that laces up his skates desires to be a captain.
Unlike in other sports, NHL captains are not figureheads. They are empirical leaders that have the opportunity to rise to historically mythical proportions. They shoulder heavy responsibilities and burdens that few outside of the sport can grasp.
While on the ice, the captain has the rulebook responsibility of dealing with the referees and linesmen. But the true duty of the captain is to lead by example and to insure that his words match his performance. A captain’s words will fall on deaf ears without his high level on-ice performance. Off the ice, he is the media spokesperson and the ethical and moral leader of the team. The most important role that the captain assumes is becoming the liaison between players and coaches. NHL coaches depend on the captain to preserve their separation from the players so to maintain their authority.
Without a doubt, the NHL captain is THE face of the franchise.
What traits separate captains from other players?
“I think the biggest thing, if you had to pick just one, would be trust. Your
players have to trust you. They have to be able to look at you and know that you're consistent in your approach and your philosophy and what you believe in. Establishing a relationship where they can trust you is very important.” – Mark Messier – NHL 16 year captain.
“If you can show up on time all the time, work hard day or night and get along with everybody, that's pretty much your qualities right there. You don't have to be the best player or the best anything, but you have to know how to get all the guys to get along, going in the same direction and just play the game. You can't control everything; you're just one guy. It's all about winning as a team and you try to get everybody to play as a team.” – Wendel Clark – Toronto Maple Leafs three year captain.
“Lead by example, that's the biggest thing. It's more about work ethic, coming to play every night, working hard in practice, showing up for practice, showing up for games, and what you do off the ice, how you carry yourself, because everyone is watching you. All the players are watching you -- how you handle yourself, how you prepare yourself -- and I think that's the most important thing.” – Scott Stevens – MHL 13 year captain.
“The most important thing is winning and doing all the little things right and to accept that what’s good for the team, may not be what is best for you. It’s not all about what you say…it’s
Steve Yzerman – Detroit Red Wings 19 year captain and current Lightning GM. Steve Yzerman – Detroit Red Wings 19 year captain and current Lightning GM.
St. Louis and Stamkos were alternates under Lecavalier and both would be good choices. Many have posed the question, “Who deserves to get the captaincy?” This is a ridiculous question to try and answer, especially by locker room outsiders. Of course both Marty and Stammer are “deserving” candidates.
Stamkos is the hockey world’s most prolific scorer. He has scored 203 goals in his five year NHL career, which includes last year’s shortened campaign. The phenom has accumulated 386 points in 373 gamesand won two Maurice Richard Trophies. His durability is unquestioned as he has missed only three games in his career. He exudes class on the ice and in the community.
St. Louis has 912 points in 989 games in his 14 year career. From 2002 to the present, the diminutive winger has missed only seven games. He has a closet full of NHL hardware including two Art Ross Trophies, three Lady Byng Memorial Trophies, a Hart Memorial Trophy, a Ted Lindsay Award and of course a Stanley Cup. He is already the face of the franchise and the front man with the media.
Both players have the trust of the team, show up on time, all the time, have a tremendous work ethic and perform at a high level on the ice. The one fact that separates the two is that St. Louis has won and as his GM Steve Yzerman stated, winning is the most important thing.
No matter which way it goes both players will continue to be team leaders.
As an outsider looking in, the decision on the next captain is quite simply a no-brainer. The unquestioned inspirational leader of the Lightning team is Martin St. Louis and he has earned the right to wear the “C”.
Even Steven Stamkos agrees, ““Marty is a guy that I've been trying to learn from since day one, everyone knows that,'' Stamkos said. “He's a heart-and-soul guy on this team and he's been here for a long time. He'd get my vote.''
The last remaining member of the 2004 Stanley Cup team, St. Louis is the heart and soul of the franchise. Stitching the “C” on the #26 sweater is affirming a leader that has bled and performed at the highest NHL level for the Tampa Bay organization for 12 years. St. Louis is a comfortable and recognizable leader and is the perfect fit for an organization that does not want to be portrayed as “rebuilding.”
Superstar Steven Stamkos’ time will come, but in the meantime, Martin St. Louis should officially be given the title of “face of the Lightning franchise”…The Captain.