Phaneuf Named 18th Captain in Leafs History

At an afternoon press conference at Real Sports Bar & Grill, the Toronto Maple Leafs made official the worst kept secret in the NHL by naming Dion Phaneuf the 18th captain in the club’s long and storied history (22nd if you count the St.Pats and the Arenas).

The Maple Leafs also unveiled the team’s new jersey design.  The new jerseys return the horizontal white stripes to the bottom of the sweater, in homage to past tradition.  For more on the new designs, please see Alec’s earlier post regarding the jerseys.

See the full list of TML captains after the jump.

Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke, on the decision to give the captaincy to Phaneuf:

“Today is a very important day for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs have had many great players fulfill this role in the long history of the franchise, and we wouldn’t be taking this direction if we didn’t think it was absolutely the right step. We liked the impact Dion made with players, coaches and fans alike since his arrival and we consider him a building block toward future team success.”

Phaneuf joins a list of several of the most honored players in Toronto Maple Leafs, each sharing the distinction of wearing the “C” for one of the sport’s most-hallowed teams.

  • Bert Corbeau, 1927
  • Hap Day, 1927–37
  • Charlie Conacher, 1937–38
  • Red Horner, 1938–40
  • Syl Apps, 1940–43, also 1945-48
  • Bob Davidson, 1943–45
  • Ted Kennedy, 1948–55, also 1957
  • Sid Smith, 1955–56
  • Jimmy Thomson, 1956–57
  • George Armstrong, 1957–69
  • Dave Keon, 1969–75
  • Darryl Sittler, 1975–79, also 1980-82
  • Rick Vaive, 1982–86
  • Rob Ramage, 1989–91
  • Wendel Clark, 1991–94
  • Doug Gilmour, 1994–97
  • Mats Sundin, 1997–2008
  • Dion Phaneuf, 2010– present

** No captain in the years spanning 1979-1980, 1986-1989, and 2008-2010.

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  • Kinger

    gravyface wrote:

    Kinger wrote:
    If we get Sharp it will be a mistake. In a quote from Ricky (Trailer Park Boys) You Make my words!

    You’re baked like Ricky if you think that would be a mistake: he’s a leader and a complete player and wasn’t far behind Toews for the Conn Smythe. I think his value is way up (maybe even out of reach), but he’d be a perfect fit on this team.

    Yeah but look at his numbers prior to getting to the Hawks, before he was playing with Kane and Toews etc, yeah I agree his value is up, I just don’t think he would do good outside a team with superstars on his line/team

  • rpearce76

    @ mitch92:

    That deal would put us in a cap situation almost as bad as Chicago is in already.
    One of the main reasons trading Kaberle makes sense is to free up that cap space being used on our blue line and put it into forwards. I don’t think we’d be smart to take Campbell in this deal. We’d have to land some low priced talent and picks as well. If the deal was something like:

    Campbell
    2010 1st round
    2010 2nd round
    2011 1st round

    for Kaberle and Reimer

    Then we’d be talking. Otherwise it makes no sense for TO to take an extra 7 mil in contracts on the blue line. We’d actually be spending 3 mil more on the blue line than we already are. Even if we burried Finger we’d only break even and wouldn’t have upgraded our forwards.

    Someone proposed a deal to Bufalo surrounding Campbell that made way more sense. I just don’t see Campbell coming to TO for Kaberle unless there is a LOT more coming with him and it isn’t all players with 3 mil contracts.

  • BeLeafer

    @ nightcountry:
    wake up Pal!… it’s not rushed, it was perfect timing.. some people are so funny with their negativity about Dion being named captain, wow…
    this is a great move!… he’s going to have a great season

  • BloodonIce

    Mike Keenan is on am640 now commenting on Phaneuf. Pretty much all positive. Says he would choose him as a captain.

  • Schenn

    @ BloodonIce:
    Of course he would. I think if you ask anybody in the hockey business to name a Captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs, almost all of them, if not all of them would pick Dion Phaneuf.
    .
    Who else on this team would be in consideration?
    Sure Komisarek and Beauchemin would be alright choices, but I belive Phaneuf is a better leader.
    Kaberle has been with the Leafs the longest of any player, but I think we can all agree he wouldn’t make a good Captain.
    Luke Schenn might have been an alright choice, but he’s only 20 years old and is a little bit young and inexperience to be leading a group of players.
    On forward, the only reasonable choice would be Bozak and he falls into the same category as Schenn. Kessel seems like somebody who just shows up to the rink, does his thing and wants nothing to do with leading a team or talking with the media.

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