With the ruckus that is being caused by Bo Horvat’s possible departure and trade from the Vancouver Canucks, it opens the door for history to be repeated.
What history? That’s that the player could be traded while he is the current captain of the team, something that hasn’t happened to the Canucks in over 30 years.
Three decades ago
The last time it happened was when one of the co-captains, Dan Quinn, was traded during the 1991 season. He shared the position with Doug Lidster and Trevor Linden.
Two of the team’s captains which followed, Roberto Luongo and Trevor Linden would go on to be traded but only after a new player was chosen to wear the big C.
Likewise, the team does have experience of being ‘captain-less’ during the 2018-19 season. Henrik Sedin (and Hockey Hall of Famer 2022) had retired.
If and when Horvat departs the Canucks, he leaves behind big skates to fill. There are a couple of players that Canuck’s coach Bruce Boudreau could replace him with.
J.T. Miller
A peer of Horvat’s and a natural choice. Miller is a leader, both on the ice and speaking to the media. Miller has been playing with the Canucks since the 2018-19 season when he was traded from Tampa Bay Lightning.
In the last few years, he’s played 231 games, score 85 goals and racked up 244 career points with Canucks.
While he does have the ability to lead, he does struggle to set an example. He struggles to play defensively in the centre and has given away shots which have cost Canucks dearly.
Luke Schenn
Schenn is an old-school NHL player. At 33 years old, he is a two-time Stanley Cup Winner who he plays with a traditional skill and is willing to muck in to defend and assist his team-mates.
While he doesn’t wear a letter on his jersey, he does bring a lot of experience having played on both coasts of Canada as well as tours of US teams during his 18-year career in the NHL.
The problem? He’s also a possible free agent. If he’s selected as captain before the season ends, he might decide to stay.
Elias Petterson
Strong silent types don’t make bad captains, but communication is crucial to get the best out of the team and give the media the schpeel.
Petterson is arguably the team’s best player. He’s versatile and ambitious making him a good choice to help the Canucks get out its funk.
He’s been with the Canucks since the 2018-19 season he’s played 274 games, score 110 goals and racked up 255 career points.
Could he take the A instead of the C for a period?
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Here’s someone with some experience of captaining a team but this season hasn’t been the best.
He played with Coyotes for 11 seasons and was one of the team’s 4 captains. That accolade came in September 2018.
Could he be an option too?
Quinn Hughes
Captain, My Captain? Hughes isn’t headed for an untimely death in a theatre but his skills as a defencemen could trigger his role as the Canucks captain.
Quinn is arguably Canucks best player and defencemen in the squad. He’s another versatile player with 24 points in 25 games since the new season started and managing to average 25 minutes per game.
Although not a vocal player, could he rise to the occasion?
