TOP CAPTAINS IN THE NHL . . . MONTREAL FIRES CARBONNEAU !

LEADERSHIP IN THE NHL IS CRITICAL

When you are talking leadership in the NHL it doesn’t always mean the teams or leagues best players. Captain’s should be the player that makes other players around him better and lead by example on the ice.

There are several teams that make their best player captain which is a mistake unless the player is ready to take on that responsibility that goes with it. It doesn’t necessarily work that the teams leading scorer is your best leader or most vocal guy in the room.

I consistently when I coached made players captains of my teams that were the best leaders not the best players. Heart, pride and character in the game and the ability to lead players in time of need is key. It’s easy to be the captain when the teams winning just like life, it’s when the team is down that it’s key  your captain still stands up in the room and has that ability to make players better.

Hockey Gods Top 10 captains . . .

1. Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames : Iginla is the best captain in the NHL without a question. Iginla who is sure to be the next captain of team Canada next winter for the Vancouver Olympics is the best all around player in the NHL today.

He can fight, score, lead his team in hits on any given night and constantly handle the media and the coach for the rest of the team. Iginla does it all for the Flames who have a very real shot at Iginla’s first Cup this season.

2. Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim Ducks : First off he is one of the best defensman in the NHL and has been for the last 10 years.

He is a Stanley Cup champion, one of the best puck moving D in the league on top of being the best skating D without a doubt. Will also be a leader on Canada if he doesn’t retire after the season like he did at the start of last season. He may be one of those quiet leaders but he certainly backs it up on the ice every game.

3. Ethan Moreau, Edmonton Oilers : This is the prototypical type of player that

is not the teams best player but he is without question the teams leader.

Moreau drives the net, goes into the corners and does all the grunt work for the Oilers. Moreau is a guy that other players find contagious with his work ethic and determination proving that you don’t have to be the leading scorer to be the guy other players will follow.

4. Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers: Richards has all the tools and is developing nicely  into not only one of the teams best players but a great leader.

Richie will make Team Canada next winter as well and will be looked at to be a key member of the teams special teams. Richards leads his team on the ice with his gritty play but mostly leads by example on the ice and makes guys follow him. Like an Iginla, Richie will fight- score- hit and stand up on the ice whenever anything takes place.

5. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks : This will be controversial to say the least, that a goaltender is one of the best leaders. But your goalie is relied on to  be the best player so why can’t he be the best leader in your room.

Look at it this way he is always on the ice. Refs when in Luongo’s end are just off his left or right shoulder at all times, allowing Luongo to be in the refs ear.

As far as the room whether you are a goaltender or any player if you are a leader you can have the  players ears.

6. Brenden Morrow, Dallas Stars : Morrow is a great character player in the same make of an Iginla without the scoring touch offensively. Morrow is a player as a coach you can’t  help but love as a player and the story on Morrow he is the same off the ice.

Morrow is married to former Montreal coach and former NHL player Guy Carbonnneau’s daughter which really shows you he is a guy that must be solid off the ice. Carbonneau played in Dallas as a player and is said to think the world of Morrow.

7. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins : Crosby is one of the best young players in the league to that there is no argument.

Crosby was made captain perhaps a little to early in his career, but that was mostly to help sell hockey in Pittsburgh and the NHL. Sometimes teams make a guy captain for political reasons and that was the case with Crosby. But Crosby’s ability as a player now as he grows into the role as leader in the NHL has taken off to the point where he carries himself in a leadership way with the way he competes on the ice. Crosby is far less a whiner now and far more of a player that stands up and plays in big games for his team which as we’ve talked about is contagious.

8. Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins : Not often can you make a European captain in the NHL and have it work for the vets on the roster. But Chara backs it up big time !!

Chara once again does it all for the Bruins every night. First off he leads the team in ice time every night, plays the power play and penalty kill. Chara is a huge impact D on top of being the most imposing player in the NHL with his huge frame. Not to mention he seems to enjoy pounding on guys if they mess with him or his teammates.

9. Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche : Joe has been one of the best leaders in hockey for years now and deserves all recognition he gets. Sakic has won Cups and played for Canada several times leading the team on and off the ice.

Sakic is near the end of his career or he would have been much higher on this list, but still deserves this mention and hopefully he gets back to playing at least one more year.

10. Jamie Langenbrunner, New Jersey Devils : When you are Devils coach Brent Sutter you have to have a captain like Jamie. He is all heart and plays the game hard and the same every night.

Langenbrunner has the other players respect in the room for the way he plays and only talks in the room when he feels there is something needed to be said.  To be the captain in New Jersey you have a tun to contend with in a market that is not only heavily media followed but has a GM like Lou Lamoriello around.

For Hockey God I’m Dave Frost

This entry was posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 at 3:07 pm and is filed under Frost on Ice, Frosty's Favorites. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.