The Montreal Canadiens did not have a captain last season, as Shea Weber’s professional career all but officially ended at the conclusion of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final that saw the Habs miss their chance at a title for the 1st time since 1993.
Of course, last year was the season from hell for Montreal, who would fire head coach Dominique Ducharme after an abysmal start en route to finishing dead last in the NHL at 22-49-11. However, it appears as though a new dawn of leadership is on the horizon for the bleu, blanc et rouge.
According to a report released earlier this summer from Montreal Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy, the Habs are preparing to give the captaincy to either Brendan Gallagher or Nick Suzuki.
But according to former Stanley Cup winning head coach Bob Hartley, he believes that Suzuki is on par with the likes of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews.
“For poise, Suzuki is in the same league as Crosby and Toews.” – Bob Hartley
Well, that’s certainly quite the comparison for Hartley to make. Of course, Hartley certainly knows about leadership, having coached the likes of Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg over the course of his coaching career. In addition to leading the Colorado Avalanche to the 2001 Stanley Cup championship and within a game of a return to the Final the following season, Hartley has also coached the Atlanta Thrashers, helping them to their first and only postseason appearance during the 2006-07 season. .
What’s more, he also took his talents to northern Alberta, serving as head coach of the Calgary Flames, winning the Jack Adams Award for his efforts in the 2014-15 NHL season.
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