On Friday morning, the Habs announced that Max Pacioretty is the new captain of the team following a player vote. He becomes Montreal’s 29th captain in franchise history and the third American-born player to have the honour.
Pacioretty, 26, has spent his entire career thus far in the Canadiens organization after being drafted in the first round (22nd overall) in 2007. He has played in 399 career regular season games for the team, collecting 144 goals and 136 assists while adding 18 points (10-8-18) in 32 postseason contests. It would appear likely that he’ll hold the job for a while as he has four years left on his current contract.
Pacioretty was one of four players to wear an ‘A’ last season. The other three, P.K. Subban, Andrei Markov, and Tomas Plekanec, will all serve as alternate captains again this year while Brendan Gallagher will also sport the ‘A’. Markov and Gallagher will be one team of alternates while Plekanec and Subban will be the other; one duo will wear the letter at home and the other on the road. Presumably, they’ll swap halfway through the year as they did in 2014-15.
Captain History
2015 – TBD: Max Pacioretty
2014 – 2015: No captain that season
2010 – 2014: Brian Gionta
2009 – 2010: No captain that season
1999 – 2009: Saku Koivu
1996 – 1999: Vincent Damphousse
1995 – 1996: Pierre Turgeon
1995: Mike Keane (Apr. – Dec.)
1994 – 1995: Kirk Muller
1990 – 1994: Guy Carbonneau
1989 – 1990: Guy Carbonneau, Chris Chelios (co-captains)
1981 – 1989: Bob Gainey
1979 – 1981: Serge Savard
1975 – 1979: Yvan Cournoyer
1971 – 1975: Henri Richard
1961 – 1971: Jean Beliveau
1960 – 1961: Doug Harvey
1956 – 1960: Maurice Richard
1948 – 1956: Emile Bouchard
1948: Bill Durnan (Jan. – Apr.)
1940 – 1948: Hector “Toe” Blake
1939 – 1940: Walter Buswell
1936 – 1939: Albert Siebert
1933 – 1936: Sylvio Mantha
1932 – 1933: George Hainsworth
1926 – 1932: Sylvio Mantha
1925 – 1926: Bill Coutu
1921 – 1925: Sprague Cleghorn
1910 – 1921: Edouard Lalonde
1909 – 1910: Jack Laviolette
Pacioretty’s Stats:
