Who Should be the Next Captain of the Vancouver Canucks?
April 2nd, 2023
Ryan Gurevitz
In the next couple of weeks, the Canucks season will almost certainly come to a close. While I, along with an overwhelming majority of Canucks faithful believe that this season has been a disappointment, I can confidently say it was an eventful disappointment. The Canucks saw a major rotation of core pieces filter in and out of the organization this season. New faces such as Vitaly Kravtsov, Aatu Raty, Anthony Beauvillier, Filip Hronek, Ilya Mikheyev and most importantly Andrei Kuzmenko all donned the orca (and the skate) for the first time in their careers. Head Coach Rick Tocchet also joined the organization with assistant coaches Sergei Gonchar and Adam Foote midway through the season following the controversial exit of the beloved Bruce Boudreau and the less controversial exit of assistant coach Trent Cull. Shortly after the coaching switch, the Canucks traded Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders. Bo Horvat had been a Canuck since being drafted 9th overall in 2013 and was given the captaincy at the start of the 2019-20 season.
Horvat's departure was well anticipated given his contract situation, but that did not take away from the heartbreak it caused Canucks fans, many of whom called Horvat their favourite player. The Canucks finished the season without naming a captain, instead naming Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and JT Miller alternate captains until the end of the season. It is reasonable to believe one of those four will most likely be named the 15th captain in Canucks history.
My Pick: Elias Pettersson
I believe Elias Pettersson has all the right qualities to captain the Canucks to their first Stanley cup. Since having dinner with the Sedins before he was even drafted in 2017, the Canucks organization has nurtured "Petey" into becoming a leader. Pettersson plays with heart, grit, and determination, his constant willingness to take on challenges paired with his exceptional talent makes him a captaincy candidate who has serious potential to become a franchise icon. To me, Elias Pettersson embodies what it means to captain the Canucks, and for that reason, I believe he is the fittest for the job.
Alex's Pick: Quinn Hughes
Had this question been asked a few weeks ago, Elias Pettersson likely would have been my pick, but the idea of giving the C to Hughes has grown on me. Hughes seems very comfortable speaking his mind in front of the media and holding himself and the team accountable, which is one of the most important duties of a captain and points towards good maturity and leadership in the locker room. Additionally, Hughes was recently endorsed by Tocchet as a favourite for the role, showing that the new coach has a lot of trust in his player's leadership skills. Elias Pettersson and perhaps JT Miller could also be good candidates for the job, but if I were deciding today, Quinn Hughes would be the next captain of the Vancouver Canucks.