The St. Louis Blues announced veteran forward Brayden Schenn as the 24th captain in franchise history Tuesday.
Ryan O'Reilly last wore the "C" for the Blues until he was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.
Schenn is entering his seventh season with St. Louis after he was acquired in a trade from the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017. Considered a heart-and-soul player, Schenn has remained productive into his 30s, recording 21 goals and 44 assists in 82 games last season. He also still possesses that trademark grit as he racked up 140 hits.
The 32-year-old was part of St. Louis' Stanley Cup triumph in 2019, recording five goals and seven helpers in 26 postseason contests.
"I don’t think it has set in yet, to be honest," Schenn said. "The history of this franchise, the great captains they've had, and now getting your own name added to that extraordinary list, it's a huge honor that I'm thankful for. I'm excited for the opportunity and the challenge this will bring."
Seven Blues captains have been inducted into the Hall of Fame: Al Arbour, Bernie Federko, Scott Stevens, Brett Hull, Wayne Gretzky, Chris Pronger, and Al MacInnis.
Schenn has five years remaining on his contract with a $6.5-million cap hit. His full no-trade clause becomes a 15-team no-trade list in 2025. If he stays with the Blues and wears the "C" for the remainder of his deal, he'll be the team's longest-tenured captain since David Backes' five-year run from 2011-16. Alex Pietrangelo was captain for four years afterward, while O'Reilly held the role for three campaigns.
"Schenn is a leader," Blues head coach Craig Berube said. "He's an experienced player, he's done a lot of really good things in St. Louis, and he's been part of a winning team. He shows leadership on and off the ice on a daily basis and he's worked hard since Day 1 when he got here."
Forward Robert Thomas and defensemen Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk will serve as assistant captains to round out the club's leadership group for 2023-24.
Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.