Montreal Canadiens to name Brian Gionta as new captain
The quest for the Montreal Canadiens’ new team captain has finally come to an end.
According to a report, the team is slated to name right-winger Brian Gionta as their new captain. The Habs have not had a full-time captain ever since previous captain Saku Koivu departed
for Anaheim in 2009. As a result, the team opted to use three alternate captains last season, of which Gionta was one.
On Monday, general manager Pierre Gauthier confirmed that the Canadiens would name a new captain before the beginning of the regular season.
“There has been a process developing an identity for the club last season and the further we advanced (in the playoffs), the more people stepped in - it wasn't just a select group of players,”
Gauthier said. “We're going to get the end of the process before the start of the first game.”
The Rochester, New York-born Gionta, who plays a lot larger than his 5ft 7in frame, is 28th player to wear the captain’s ‘C’ for the storied franchise. He is also only the second American
player to hold the honour for the Habs. The team’s first American captain was Chris Chelios, who served as co-captain in 1989.
Gionta was one of several players signed by the Canadiens last summer during a massive overhaul of the team’s roster. The 31-year-old forward was signed to a five-year, $25 million deal,
and led all Canadiens players with 28 goals last season. He also added 18 assists for a total of 46 points in 61 games, and was a plus-3. During the Habs’ surprising playoff run, Gionta scored 15 points (9G, 6A) in 19 games.
Before joining the Canadiens, Gionta played his entire career with the New Devils, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2002-03. His best season to date was an 89-point (48G, 41A) campaign in
2005-06, where he was also a plus-18.
In 534 career games in the National Hockey League, Gionta has scored 180 goals and 178 assists for a total of 358 points.
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