The Winnipeg Jets will not have a captain at the start of the season, the team announced Friday.
Forward Blake Wheeler had been captain for the past six seasons; he was named to the role Aug. 31, 2016. Forward Mark Scheifele and defenseman Josh Morrissey were alternate captains last season, as was forward Paul Stastny, who signed with the Carolina Hurricanes on Aug. 23.
“It is the determination of the coaching staff that we will enter the 2022-23 season without a specific captain, but rather a group of assistants still to be determined,” Jets coach Rick Bowness said. “It is our goal to expand the leadership base within our hockey team. We have high expectations for our core players and we want to provide them with the opportunity to step into those greater leadership roles as a group.”
Wheeler, 36, is the longest-tenured player on the Jets, having been with the team since the 2010-11 season prior to them relocating from Atlanta. He ranks first in points (757) and assists (511), and second in games (825) and goals (246) in Jets/Thrashers history.
The Jets (39-32-11) missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in five seasons, finishing eight points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card from the Western Conference last season. Coach Paul Maurice resigned Dec. 17 and was replaced by Dave Lowry. Lowry was replaced by Bowness on July 3.
Winnipeg is one of seven NHL teams without a captain, along with the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken.
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