List of current NHL captains and alternate captains

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league with 32 teams founded in 1917. Each team can select a captain, who has the "sole privilege of discussing with the Referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game". Each team is also allowed to pick alternate captains, who work when the captain is not on the ice. Captains have to wear the letter "C" on their uniform to show who they are; alternate captains wear the letter "A". Both letters are  in height.

Some teams in the NHL do not have a captain. Rule 6.2 of the 2008–09 Official NHL Rulebook says that "[only] when the Captain is not in uniform, the Coach shall have the right to designate three Alternate Captains. This must be done prior to the start of the game." Many NHL teams with a captain select more than two alternate captains and change who wears the "A" for different games during the season.

Goaltenders are not allowed to be captains during games. This rule was made in 1948 after teams did not like that it took Montreal Canadiens goaltender Bill Durnan too long to skate to talk with the officials and back to his crease. However, Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo was the team's captain, but because of the NHL rule against goaltender captains, the league did not allow Luongo to act as captain on-ice. Because of this, the Canucks were allowed to have three alternate captains in games, instead of two that most teams have. Two (of the three) alternate captains took care of Luongo's on-ice work: Willie Mitchell (then alternate captain) talked to the officials. Luongo was not allowed to wear the "C" on his jersey, but it was part of the artwork on the front of his mask. Other than Durnan and Luongo, five other goaltenders have been captain o their team: John Ross Roach of the Toronto St. Patricks, George Hainsworth of the Montreal Canadiens, Roy Worters of the New York Americans, Alex Connell of the Ottawa Senators, and Charlie Gardiner of the Chicago Black Hawks.

When Connor McDavid was named captain of the Edmonton Oilers, he became the youngest permanent captain in NHL history. Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, are the second- and third-youngest players to be named captain in NHL history, respectively. In 1984, Brian Bellows was named interim captain of the Minnesota North Stars when Craig Hartsburg was injured, and is the youngest player to captain a team in NHL history. However, because Bellows served only on an interim basis, McDavid retains the distinction of being the youngest permanent captain in the League's history. Mark Messier is the only player to captain two separate teams to Stanley Cup championships, those being the 1990Edmonton Oilers and the 1994 New York Rangers. Sidney Crosby also became the youngest captain to win the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009. The oldest permanent captain in league history was Mark Messier of the New York Rangers, who turned 43 years old, during his last NHL season, 2003–04. The longest tenure in league history was Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings, who served as captain of the Red Wings for (nineteen seasons) twenty years.

 Key 
 Spent entire NHL career with team
+ Position abbreviations Abbreviation DefinitionC CentreLW Left wingRW Right WingD Defenceman

 Captains 
alt=|thumb|Jonathan Toews, captain of the Chicago Blackhawks since 2008
alt=|thumb|Alexander Ovechkin, captain of the Washington Capitals since 2010
alt=|thumb|Ryan Getzlaf, captain of the Anaheim Ducks since 2010
Twenty-six of the thirty-one NHL teams currently have a captain. The five teams without a captain are the Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, and the Vegas Golden Knights. Of the twenty-six captains, twenty of them have been with their team for their entire career. The current longest-tenured captain in the League is Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who has served in the role since May 31, 2007.
+List of current NHL Captains Team Captain Since Pos Anaheim Ducks  2010–11  Arizona Coyotes  2018–19 D Boston Bruins  2020–21 C Buffalo Sabres   2018–19  Calgary Flames  2013–14  Carolina Hurricanes  Jordan Staal 2019–20  Chicago Blackhawks  2008–09  Colorado Avalanche  2012–13  Columbus Blue Jackets  2015–16  Dallas Stars  2013–14  Detroit Red Wings  2020–21  Edmonton Oilers   2016–17  Florida Panthers  2018–19  Los Angeles Kings  2016–17  Minnesota Wild  2020–21  Montreal Canadiens Shea Weber 2018–19 D Nashville Predators Roman Josi 2017–18  New Jersey Devils Vacant 2019–20 — New York Islanders Anders Lee 2018–19 LW New York Rangers Vacant 2017–18 — Ottawa Senators Vacant 2018–19 — Philadelphia Flyers  2012–13  Pittsburgh Penguins  2007–08  San Jose Sharks  2019–20  St. Louis Blues Ryan O'Reilly 2020–21  Tampa Bay Lightning  2013–14  Toronto Maple Leafs John Tavares 2019–20  Vancouver Canucks  2019–20 Vegas Golden Knights  2020–21  Washington Capitals  2009–10  Winnipeg Jets  2016–17 

Alternate captains
Thirty of the thirty-one NHL teams have named at least the regulation two alternate captains. The one team having less than the regulation two named alternate captains is the Buffalo Sabres. Of the eighty alternate captains, forty-nine of them have been with their team for entire career. Teams that have named more than the regulation two alternate captains, excluding those without a captain, are required to rotate the two "A"s between those players by methods of their choosing. The current longest-tenured alternate captain in the League is Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who has served in the role since October 3, 2008.
+List of current NHL alternate captainsTeamAlternate captain(s)SincePosAnaheim Ducks 2015–16  2019–20 D  2019–20 RWArizona Coyotes  2017–18   2019–20 Boston Bruins  2013–14   2020–21 Buffalo Sabres  2019–20   2020–21 Calgary Flames  2018–19    2015–16   Matthew Tkachuk 2018–19 LWCarolina Hurricanes  2019–20   2019–20 Chicago Blackhawks  2019–20   2008–09 Colorado AvalancheMikko RantanenRW Cale Makar   Columbus Blue Jackets  2018–19https://www.facebook.com/bluejacketsnhl/photos/a.131741573917/10156129252318918/?type=3&theater   2015–16   2018–19 Dallas Stars  2019–20   2017–18   2019–20   2017–18 Detroit Red Wings  2019–20    2018–19 Edmonton Oilers  2019–20   2017–18   2015–16   2019–20 Florida Panthers   2016–17    2018–19     2017–18 Los Angeles Kings  2015–16   2016–17 Minnesota Wild  2012–13   2012–13 Montreal Canadiens  2018–19   2015–16 Nashville Predators  2017–18   2017–18   2017–18   2017–18 New Jersey Devils  2019–20   2017–18   2020–21   2013–14 New York Islanders  2018–19   2016–17 New York Rangers  2017–18   2020–21   2020–21   2018–19 Ottawa Senators  2019–20   2020–21   2020–21 Philadelphia Flyers  2018–19   2019–20   2020–21   2018–19 Pittsburgh Penguins  2017–18   2008–09 San Jose Sharks  2019–20   2019–20   2019–20   2020–21 St. Louis Blues Colton Parayko 2020–21  Brayden Schenn 2020–21   2016–17 Tampa Bay Lightning  2017–18   2018–19 Toronto Maple Leafs   2019–20   2019–20   2016–17 Vancouver Canucks Alexander Edler 2016–17  Brandon Sutter 2016–17 Vegas Golden Knights  2020–21    2017–18 Washington Capitals  2010–11   2019–20 Winnipeg Jets  2019–20   2016–17 

Notes
  Player is currently on the injured reserve list
  Player is injured and expected to miss the remainder of the season.

References

Category:Lists of National Hockey League players