New Captain of the Vancouver Canucks
This morning at a press conference at GM Place the organization announced that goalie Roberto Luongo will be Captain for the 2008-2009 season. I swear, it’s gotta be the new haircut as this has taken a few by surprise. Not that he’s not a leader, but a goalie being captain is pretty much uncharted territory.
Congratulations also go to Ryan Kesler, Mattias Ohlund and Willie Mitchell who will wear the “A”.
Update: As of today, Naslund will still be the last person to wear the “C” in Vancouver. According to TSN: “By league rule, the Canucks goaltender cannot wear the “C”, but he can be named captain.”
Update: From Alanah at Canucks and Beyond (who pasted an entire section of the rulebook on her post): “Bottom line—he can’t act as captain during the course of the game, so his assistants will take those responsibilities.”
Update: You know, we should have all clued in when us Fan Zone folks were in the suite last week. The marketing department was saying Nazzy’s Suite had been renamed using Luongo’s name.
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September 30th, 2008 at 11:40 am
You are quick!! Fastest blogger in the west!
September 30th, 2008 at 11:41 am
yay bobbie louie! score! i <3 luongo - he totally deserves to wear the C.
September 30th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Is it allowed? I thought the NHL rule states goalies can not be captains?
September 30th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Anybody know how their getting around the no goalie as captain rule? Or has that been changed?
September 30th, 2008 at 11:46 am
*blink* *blink* wow…
Interesting… the NHL rulebook would seem to make it impossible for this to happen: http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/rulebook/rule14.html
“No playing Coach or playing Manager or goalkeeper shall be permitted to act as Captain or Alternate Captain.”
September 30th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Yah, Wikipedia says goalies can’t be captains, and that is hasn’t happened since the 40’s.. I wonder what changed.
September 30th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Wow!!!!
September 30th, 2008 at 11:53 am
He should wear a backwards C then. Like the B’s in ABBA.
September 30th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Just listening to Rick Ball (cause the TEAM 1040 puts bread on my table) and he made a good point… playing a position so taxing throughout the night, can he handle the extra responsibilities? I have complete trust in Kes, Willie and Ohlund - guess the Canucks just *had* to be different
September 30th, 2008 at 11:55 am
So he can be the Captain, but can’t actually “be” the Captain? So this is more of a ceremonial thing than an actual “Luongo can be the go-between with the referees”?
September 30th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Yeah, that’s a puzzling result. I had the same response as Keith, that he can’t be named captain. It seems like a curious decision–I’m not seeing the upside here.
September 30th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Yeah I mean he’s a leader regardless, and he’s a driving force of the team who can even set the pace of an entire game based on his mood or performance - but technically, he can’t be as visible on-ice can he? OR…. does off the ice matter most?
September 30th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Maybe they’ll just paint a big-ass ‘C’ on his mask.
September 30th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Too bad he can’t wear the C. However, I think this improves the chances of him sticking around. Will he be able to talk to the refs when there is a dispute?
September 30th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
@ Urban Dweller - I don’t think he’ll be allowed to do that - but hey, he’ll be the first person to lift the cup for us then, eh
September 30th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
If by ‘lift the cup’, you mean ‘collect team jockstraps after a loss’, I think that’s the rookie’s job, isn’t it? Go, Jannik, go.
September 30th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I worry that the Canucks are turning into a bit of a clown show. First, the surprise quick decision on GM, then offering a 37 year old Sundin 20 million and leaving it on the table for months and now this…We’ll see when they hit the ice but I can’t see a goalie as captain.
September 30th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
@ Darren - LOL that was funny
@ Miss 604 - Yeah I figured he wouldn’t be able to do that. Hopefully he gets to lift the holy grail soon
September 30th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
A bizarre decision but maybe that’s just a way to show Luongo that the management is committed to build a winning team and a way to get him to stay after his contract is up?
I like the idea of painting a C on his mask. Or maybe not explicitly a C… just paint an orca in the shape of C. Oh wait that’s the Canucks logo.
September 30th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
the scuttlebutt rumour inside is that this was a move to keep him in town/interested so we can have a chance at the cup. might be bull but consider this is his 2nd year of a 2 year contract….
September 30th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Not to be a total pedant (but, yeah, I am), but our new neutered captain is actually in the fourth year of a four year contract. If the team is tanking, I hope they try to move him at the deadline. He’s incredibly valuable.
October 2nd, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Sorry Darren but Luongo still has two years on his deal including this season.