Connor McDavid Becomes Youngest Captain in NHL History

The Edmonton Oilers have named Connor McDavid as their 15^th and youngest captain in franchise history on Wednesday. 

In addition to becoming the youngest captain the Oilers have ever had, the Newmarket, Ontario native, at 19 years and 266 days, is also the youngest player to wear the “C” in the history of the National Hockey League. 

McDavid will be entering his second season in the NHL, after the Oilers selected him with the first overall pick in the 2015 entry draft. Through his rookie season, this past year, he put up 19 goals and 32 assists in 48 games. He was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy, presented to the Rookie of the Year as well. 

Following the season, he helped Canada take home the gold at the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship. With this feat he became the youngest of four Canadians who have won the gold during the IIHF World Championship, IIHF World Junior Championship and IIHF Under-18 World Championship. The other three players include; Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Ryan Ellis.

Over the summer McDavid captained Team North America during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey tournament in Toronto. During the World Cup, he had three assists in three games. 

Prior to being the first overall selection last summer, he led the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League to the OHL Final before falling to the eventual Memorial Cup Champions, the Oshawa Generals. 

In 2015, He was named the Canadian Hockey League, Player of the Year and the OHL Most Outstanding Player of the Year, OHL Most Scholastic Player and OHL Playoff Most Valuable Player. He led the OHL in postseason scoring as he put up 21 goals and 28 assists in 20 games during the 2015 playoffs.

He was also the OHL’s Most Sportsmanlike and Scholastic Player in 2014 as well. In addition, he was the CHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year too.  

As a 15-year-old in 2012-2013, he became the third player to be granted “Exceptional Player” status, allowing him to play at the major junior level a year earlier than permissible. Only New York Islander captain, John Tavares and Florida Panthers defenseman, Aaron Ekblad had been permitted before him. 

Eberle, Milan Lucic and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will serve as the alternate captains for the Oilers.

Eberle, 26, is entering his seventh season with the Oilers.  In 425 games, he has put up 145 goals and 185 assists. In four of his seven seasons, he has lit the lamp 20 or times, including one with 30 or more. 

The Regina, Saskatchewan native has represented Canada nine times, winning the gold at the 2008 IIHF U-18 World Championship, 2009 IIFH World Junior Championship and 2015 IIHF World Championship.

Lucic, 28, will begin his 10^th season in the league and first with the Oilers after signing as an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Vancouver, British Columbia native has laced them up 647 times, while scoring 159 goals and 238 assists. In 101 Stanley Cup Playoff games he has added, 26 goals and 38 assists. 

He hoisted the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011. During the 2007 Canada-Russia Junior Super Series, he captained Team Canada to a series victory. 

Nugent-Hopkins, 23, is entering his sixth season with the Oilers. In 313 games he has scored 77 goals and 145 assists. The Burnaby, British Columbia native has represented his country three times and skated for Team North America during the 2016 World Cup, as he scored one goal and two assists in three games.

Prior to McDavid now becoming the youngest captain in NHL history, Gabriel Landeskog held the honor, who was 19 years and 286 days, when he became captain of the Colorado Avalanche.

 In 1984 though, Brian Bellows was named an interim captain for the Minnesota North Stars, at the age of 19 and 131 days, due to an injury to Craig Hartsburg.

Other Oilers captains include; Ron Chipperfield (1979-1980), Blair MacDonald and Lee Fogolin (1980-1981), Fogolin (1981-1983), Wayne Gretzky (1983-1988), Mark Messier (1988-1991), Kevin Lowe (1991-1992), Craig MacTavish (1992-1994), Shayne Corson (1994-1995), Kelly Buchberger (1995-1999), Doug Weight (1999-2001), Jason Smith (2001-2007), Ethan Moreau (2007-2010), Shawn Horcoff (2010-2011) and Andrew Ference (2011-2015). 

In his final game Ryan Smyth, was an honorary captain during the 2013-2014 season.  

YOUNGEST CAPTAINS IN NHL HISTORY

Connor McDavid          19 years, 266 days

Gabriel Landeskog       19 years, 286 days

Sidney Crosby               19 years, 297 days

Vincent Lecavalier        19 years, 315 days

Jonathan Toews           20 years, 80 days

Steve Yzerman              21 years, 151 days

Jim Schoenfeld             21 years, 362 days

Barret Jackman Announces Retirement from NHL

Barret Jackman announced his retirement from the National Hockey League on Tuesday during a press conference at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. 

Jackman, who spent the majority of his 14-year career with the St. Louis Blues, was given the opportunity to sign a one-day contract before the press conference so that he would be able to officially retire as a member of the Blues. 

During the press conference he said, “For me, I grew up wearing the Blue Note. I came into the league at 18, got drafted, threw that jersey on and moved from Canada down to St. Louis. I met my wife, had my kids, and I did all that with the Blue Note on.”

Jackman played all but 73 games throughout his NHL career with the Blues. He ranks second in All-Time games played for the Blues, with 803, only Bernie Federko (927) has laced them up more times in franchise history. 

Jackman was drafted 17^th overall by the Blues in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, in Boston, Massachusetts. 

He said, “I remember sitting in the stands and knowing I had a few interviews with different teams the day before. The Blues were one of them. Going into draft day, you do not know what number you will be picked or where you will be going, but you are just excited you get to go to an NHL training camp. When my name was called for the Blues, I was thrilled, but was more focused on walking down the stairs without falling.”

In his rookie season, he was able to become the first, and only, Blues player to win the Calder Trophy, as Rookie of the Year, after racking up 19 points, 190 penalty minutes and a plus-23 rating. 

Al MacInnis, who happened to be Jackman’s defensive partner during the 2002-2003 NHL season said, “It was nice to see Jax win that Calder Trophy, because those types of players never seem to get the recognition they deserve.”

 

MacInnis added, “I can still remember his first game. It was in Detroit when we called him up in the playoffs. His first game in the National Hockey League, he looked like he was in the league for five or six years. That is the kind of poise and composure he showed.”  

Former teammate, Chris Pronger said, “Every team has a heart-and-soul type of guy, someone that wears their heart on their sleeve and does what is best for the team, sacrifices his body. Jax was that guy in St. Louis for a long time.”

 

He added, “It is not easy a lot of times, and those are the things that go unnoticed. Those are the intangibles that do not end up on the score sheet. You have to watch someone like Jax night in and night out to appreciate what he does for the team.”  

In his final seven seasons in St. Louis, he put up a plus-46 rating, which tied him for 21^st amongst defensemen in the league during that time frame. He also is one of only 15 defensemen to record at least 500 hits and 700 blocked shots through that span. 

Current Blues captain, Alex Pietrangelo said, “He has been a leader ever since I have known him. Jax is a good friend to a lot of us, and he helped me a lot when I was coming up. Speaking for myself and a lot of the guys [in this dressing room,] we owe a lot to him. We were really privileged to have played with him and to have had him take us under his wing.”

He added, “He had an unbelievable career and not only that, he dedicated his whole career and life to the city of St. Louis. What he has given back is absolutely tremendous.”

Up until he signed with the Nashville Predators during summer of 2015, he had been the longest tenured athlete in the “Gateway City.” That helped to make him of the most recognized names throughout the St. Louis community. 

In his 14 years in St. Louis, he has supported many charitable organizations. Some of those groups include, The Dream Factory, which grants wishes and vacations to children with serious illnesses, The Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments and Stray Rescue of St. Louis. 

Jackman said that the last 14 years went by fast and were “a whirlwind and an amazing journey.” One that has led him, his wife, Jenny, a St. Louis native and son, Cayden and daughter, Makena, back home. 

He added, “Just being out in public, you are out for dinner, or taking your kids to school or different events around St. Louis, the fans come up and say they enjoyed watching you play. That they know you played hard and played the game the right way. I took a lot of pride in that. Guys like Bobby and Barc Plager, and Kelly Chase, they may not be all-stars, but every time they were on the ice, whether it was for two minutes or 20, they were not cutting any corners and they were playing every shift like it was their last. That was what I tried to do.”  

He went on to say, “I look forward to, many more years in St. Louis, making this my home and being a part of the Blues Alumni. I feel very honored to be a Blue.”

 

The team will honor Jackman at the Scottrade Center, when they take on the Detroit Red Wings on October 27. Tickets are still available at www.ticketmaster.com or www.stlouisblues.com.

Nashville Predators Give Peter Laviolette Two Year Extension

The Nashville Predators announced on Saturday that they have signed head coach Peter Laviolette to a two-year extension. 

The 51-year-old coach has led the Predators to an 88-52-24 record in his two seasons behind the Nashville bench. After failing to qualify for the postseason, in the two seasons prior to Laviolette’s arrival, the Predators have made it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in both of those seasons. 

The extension assures the Predators that Laviolette will remain behind the bench through the 2020-2021 National Hockey League season. 

This past season Nashville went 41-27-14, and won the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. After defeating the Anaheim Ducks in the opening round, they fell to the eventual Western Conference Champions, the San Jose Sharks in the second round. 

Following the 2014-2015 season, his first season in Nashville, Laviolette finished third in the voting for the Jack Adams Award, for Coach of the Year this past season, after leading the Predators to a second place finish in the Central Division and a franchise third best wins (47) and points (107).  

With over 14 seasons behind the benches of the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers and Predators, he has compiled a record of 477 wins, 334 losses, 87 overtime losses and 25 ties, through 923 games. In 102 postseason games, he has led his teams to a 52-50 record. 

Laviolette became the second coach of the Predators, on May 6, 2014 replacing current Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz, who led Nashville behind the bench, for their first 15 seasons in the NHL.  

During the 2005-2006 season the Franklin, Massachusetts native led the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup victory over the Edmonton Oilers. 

Laviolette is 77 games shy of joining 26 other head coaches in the 1,000 games club. He is also only 23 victories away from 500, a mark only attained by 23 other coaches.