Canadiens dodge captain controversy, name four assistants
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The only C that will be worn in Montreal next season will be the one in the team's legendary logo.
The Canadiens announced on Monday morning that they will forgo naming a new captain to replace departed leader Brian Gionta. Instead, four veterans will wear an A: Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec, Max Pacioretty and P.K. Subban.
Canadiens must sew C on P.K. Subban
Markov and Plekanec will wear the letter in all 82 games. Subban will wear it during home contests, with Pacioretty getting the A for tilts on the road.
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This will mark just the second season in franchise history that the Habs have skated without a captain. The first was 2009–10, after Saku Koivu's free-agent move to the Ducks. Gionta took the honor the following season and held it for two years before moving on to the Sabres this summer.
While the decision may strike some of the team's fans as too passive, it highlights the organization's desire to focus more on group leadership than one individual who may not be ready for the task. Don't be surprised if other teams (including the Sharks and the Senators) with a vacan-C and no obvious candidate in place opt for a similar approach.