Max Pacioretty becomes the 29th captain in Montreal Canadiens history
Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec, P.K. Subban and Brendan Gallagher will serve as assistant captains
Montreal Canadiens PRESS RELEASE
MONTRÉAL – The Montreal Canadiens announced Friday that forward Max Pacioretty has been named the 29th captain in franchise history, following a vote by the players. Pacioretty is preparing for his eighth NHL season with the Canadiens in 2015-16.
Max Pacioretty, 26, is a product of the Canadiens organization, which selected him in the first round (22nd overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. During his first two seasons at the professional level, Pacioretty spent time with both the Canadiens and the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs.
The native of New Canaan, Connecticut, is the third US-born player to captain the Canadiens, following in the footsteps of former teammate Brian Gionta (2010-14) and Chris Chelios (co-captain with Guy Carbonneau in 1989-90). Pacioretty, who became the first American player to reach the 30-goal plateau in a season with the Canadiens, is also the first left winger since Bob Gainey to wear the ‘’C’’ with the Canadiens.
Since making his debut with Montreal in 2008, Max Pacioretty recorded 144 goals in 399 games. He enjoyed three 30-plus goal seasons, including a personal high of 39 goals in 2013-14. During the playoffs, he contributed another 18 points, including 10 goals, in 32 games. As far as individual honours are concerned, he was the 2012 recipient of the Bill Masterton trophy awarded by the NHL to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game, after returning to the ice following a severe injury on March 8, 2011.
Max Pacioretty also represented his homeland on the international stage, namely the 2014 Olympic Winter Games (in Sochi), the World Championship (2012) and the World Junior Hockey Championship (2008).
ALL-TIME CANADIENS TEAM CAPTAINS
28th Brian Gionta 2010 – 2014 13th Émile Bouchard 1948 – 1956
27th Saku Koivu 1999 – 2009 12th Bill Durnan 1948
26th Vincent Damphousse 1996 – 1999 11th Toe Blake 1940 – 1948
25th Pierre Turgeon 1995 – 1996 10th Walter Buswell 1939 – 1940
24th Mike Keane (1995) 9th Albert Siebert 1936 – 1939
23th Kirk Muller 1994 – 1995 8th Sylvio Mantha 1933 – 1936
22th Guy Carbonneau 1989 – 1994 1926 – 1932
21th Chris Chelios 1989 – 1990 7th George Hainsworth 1932 – 1933
20th Bob Gainey 1981 – 1989 6th Bill Coutu 1925 – 1926
19th Serge Savard 1979 – 1981 5th Sprague Cleghorn 1922 – 1925
18th Yvan Cournoyer 1975 – 1979 4th Newsy Lalonde 1916 – 1922
17th Henri Richard 1971 – 1975 1912 – 1913
16th Jean Béliveau 1961 – 1971 1910 – 1911
15th Doug Harvey 1960 – 1961 3rd Howard McNamara 1915 – 1916
14th Maurice Richard 1956 – 1960 2nd Jimmy Gardner 1913 – 1915
1st Jack Laviolette 1909 – 1910
1911 – 1912