The National Hockey League (NHL), established in 1917, comprises 32 teams, each with the option to designate a captain, identifiable by the letter "C" on their uniform. Alternate captains, wearing the letter "A," serve when the captain is off the ice. Rule 6.2 of the 2008–09 Official NHL Rulebook allows coaches to appoint three alternate captains when the captain is not playing. While goaltenders cannot serve as captains during games, five historical exceptions include Bill Durnan and Roberto Luongo. Luongo, though unable to act as an on-ice captain, incorporated the "C" into his mask design during his captaincy with the Vancouver Canucks for two seasons.
Connor McDavid achieved the distinction of becoming the youngest permanent captain in NHL history when he assumed the role for the Edmonton Oilers. Following McDavid, Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins rank as the second and third-youngest captains in NHL history, respectively.
NHL Team Captains 2024 List-
Currently, twenty-eight out of the thirty-two NHL teams have designated captains. Notably, the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks, and Seattle Kraken are the four teams currently without a captain. Among the twenty-eight captains, twenty-twop have remained with their respective teams for their entire careers. Sidney Crosby, leading the Pittsburgh Penguins, holds the title of the longest-tenured captain in the league, having assumed the role on May 31, 2007
Here is a list of All NHL captains as of February 2024:
| Team | Captain | Since | Pos |
| Anaheim Ducks | Vacant | 2022–23 | — |
| Arizona Coyotes | Vacant | 2021–2 | — |
| Boston Bruins | Brad Marchand | 2023–24 | LW |
| Buffalo Sabres | Kyle Okposo | 2022–23 | RW |
| Calgary Flames | Mikael Backlund | 2023–24 | C |
| Carolina Hurricanes | Jordan Staal | 2019–20 | C |
| Chicago Blackhawks | Vacant | 2023–24 | — |
| Colorado Avalanche | Gabriel Landeskog | 2012–13 | LW |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Boone Jenner | 2021–22 | C |
| Dallas Stars | Jamie Benn | 2013–14 | LW |
| Detroit Red Wings | Dylan Larkin | 2020–21 | C |
| Edmonton Oilers | Connor McDavid | 2016–17 | C |
| Florida Panthers | Aleksander Barkov | 2018–19 | C |
| Los Angeles Kings | Anze Kopitar | 2016–17 | C |
| Minnesota Wild | Jared Spurgeon | 2020–21 | D |
| Montreal Canadiens | Nick Suzuki | 2022–23 | C |
| Nashville Predators | Roman Josi | 2017–18 | D |
| New Jersey Devils | Nico Hischier | 2020–21 | C |
| New York Islanders | Anders Lee | 2018–19 | LW |
| New York Rangers | Jacob Trouba | 2022–23 | D |
| Ottawa Senators | Brady Tkachuk | 2021–22 | LW |
| Philadelphia Flyers | Sean Couturier | 2023–24 | C |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Sidney Crosby | 2007–08 | C |
| San Jose Sharks | Logan Couture | 2019–20 | C |
| Seattle Kraken | Vacant | 2021–22 | — |
| St. Louis Blues | Brayden Schenn | 2023–24 | C |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Steven Stamkos | 2013–14 | C |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | John Tavares | 2019–20 | C |
| Vancouver Canucks | Quinn Hughes | 2023–24 | D |
| Vegas Golden Knights | Mark Stone | 2020–21 | RW |
| Washington Capitals | Alexander Ovechkin | 2009–10 | LW |
| Winnipeg Jets | Adam Lowry | 2023–24 | C |
FAQ's On List of NHL Team Captains
A. Captains are designated by the letter "C" on their uniforms, while alternate captains wear the letter "A."
A. No, goaltenders are not permitted to serve as captains during NHL games.
A. Connor McDavid achieved this distinction when he became the captain of the Edmonton Oilers.
A. Mark Messier captained both the 1990 Edmonton Oilers and the 1994 New York Rangers to Stanley Cup victories.
A. Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins holds the title of the longest-tenured captain, having assumed the role on May 31, 2007.
