NHL & Minor Leagues » Die besten 'C'

Captains with a capital 'C'
NHL.com picks the 10 best captains of the last 20 years

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Hockey captains tend to be bigger than life to most people. Adjudged to be the leader of the team, captains are often among the best players on a squad, as well as being the best leaders. They tend to embody all the attributes that fans find attractive -- skill, savvy, toughness, leadership and humility.
Each NHL player has achieved the personal pinnacle of his career when presented with the "C". His legacy never to be forgotten by the team or its fans.

With that said, however, some captains stand out. Some leaders just have that innate ability to inspire and lead others to greatness. Throughout the NHL's history, legendary captains have become the norm, rather than the exception.

Below, is a look at 10 of the best captains from the last two decades, players having served from the 1982-83 season to the present.

10. Rod Langway, Washington -- The face of the Capitals for so long, Langway let his on-ice play do his talking. The star on the blue line every season for Washington, Langway fashioned a Hall of Fame career through hard work and determination. His superior work ethic served as an inspiration. After missing the playoffs in their first eight seasons of existence, the Capitals never missed the postseason during Langway's tenure as captain.

9. Ron Francis, Hartford, Pittsburgh, Carolina -- Often forgotten when the names of the game's greatest players are discussed, Francis is also a low-profile leader. But that does not mean that his is not an effective leader. Just ask Carolina coach Paul Maurice, who leaned heavily on Francis to get his team past some tough times in the march to the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals. Francis is revered by teammates, the ultimate testimony to his effectiveness as a leader.

8. Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh -- Players cannot help but follow Lemieux into battle. A scoring machine early in his career, Lemieux became a lightning rod for courage and determination later in his career as he battled cancer and debilitating back injuries to continue playing the game he loved at a level few could ever hope to emulate. Despite his success and iconic stature in the game, Lemieux remains just one of the guys in the dressing room.

7. Denis Potvin, New York Islanders -- Just one of several great players on the Islanders' dynasty of the early-1980s, Potvin kept that collection of stars focused on the goal of winning and defending Stanley Cup championships. A supremely talented defenseman, Potvin was not above doing the dirty work needed to keep the Islanders on top of the hockey heap. He also made sure that coach Al Arbour's preaching was accepted by the rank and file.

6. Joe Sakic, Colorado -- Sakic served as an inspiration to the Avalanche during their 2001 Stanley Cup triumph, keeping the team together after it fell into a three-games-to-two hole against New Jersey. Always willing to take on the extra burden, Sakic is one of those superstars that does all the little things, like winning faceoffs and backchecking, to show teammates he is passionate about winning. Sakic also claimed the Conn Smythe Trophy in Colorado's 1996 Cup triumph.

5. Bob Gainey, Montreal -- A responsible, two-way player in the mold of so many great Canadiens, Gainey lived up to the unbelievable burden of leading hockey's most fabled franchise. During his eight-year reign as the club's captain, Montreal never missed the postseason, winning the Cup in the 1985-86 season and reaching the Finals in 1988-89. Only Jean Beliveau, who captained Montreal for 10 years, served a longer tenure as the Canadiens' captain.

4. Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton, Los Angeles, St. Louis -- The "Great One" was not only a great player, as evidenced by his raft of scoring records, he was a great leader. Often quiet and reserved, Gretzky still had a way of eliciting the best from teammates. His role in leading Los Angeles to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals after captaining four Cup championship teams with the Oilers is the ultimate litmus test of his ability to bring a team together.

3. Scott Stevens, New Jersey, St. Louis -- Among the most-feared hitters in the game today, Stevens is not above intimidating his own team to get the results he wants. Stanley Cup triumphs in 1995 and 2000 are testaments to his ability to motivate the troops. Both those championship runs are remembered for signature Stevens' hits -- Detroit's Slava Kozlov in the 1995 Finals and the Flyers' Eric Lindros in the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals.

The prototypical leader, Mark Messier is often just referred to as "The Captain" by the Rangers faithful.
2. Steve Yzerman, Detroit -- Thought to be too young and inexperienced when he was named captain in 1986, Yzerman has quietly carved out a reputation as one of the game's all-time best leaders. He has overseen the Red Wings' climb from also-rans to perennial playoff power. Yzerman, the longest-serving captain in the NHL, served as the conduit between a sometimes overbearing Scotty Bowman and the players exceedingly well, especially during the Wings' three Stanley Cup triumphs since 1996.

1. Mark Messier, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers -- The prototypical leader, Messier is often just referred to as "The Captain" by the Rangers faithful. He has led two of his teams -- the Oilers and the Rangers -- to Stanley Cup championships. His icy stare and motivating techniques are legendary. Sealed his reputation with guaranteed win in Game 6 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals against New Jersey during his first stint with the Rangers.

Honorable mentions: Ray Bourque, Derian Hatcher, Brian Sutter, Dale Hawerchuk, Mats Sundin, Stan Smyl, Darryl Sutter.

Rock on,
and on, and on...

John LeClair breaks down the left wing all alone, moves into the circle and cranks a wicked slap shot with zero hesitation. The baffled goaltender is left with no answers, just questions as the First Union Center's horn blazes and the crowd booms.