Skip navigation

Canucks name Luongo captain

According to the NHL rulebook, goalies may not technically 'act' as captains

Video: NHL from NBC Sports
Fleury comes forward
Oct. 9: Former NHL star Theo Fleury reveals that he was sexually abused by his former junior coach Graham James.

  NHL on NBC
Stanley Cup Penguins Red Wings Hockey
AP

Penguins defeat Red Wings
to win third Stanley Cup
NHL on NBC coverage

Special feature
Vancouver Canucks v Chicago Blackhawks - Game Four
Icy Hot
Check out the Ice Girls from around the National Hockey League.
Slide show
Image:
  Week in Sports Pictures
A Duck goes for a ride, a NASCAR driver takes flight, some bankers take to boxing, and much more.

more photos

updated 2:25 a.m. ET Oct. 1, 2008

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Roberto Luongo is the new captain of the Vancouver Canucks, although he won’t wear a C on his jersey.

According to the NHL rulebook, goalies may not technically “act” as captains. The rule was put in place in the late 1940s following criticism that Canadiens captain Bill Durnan was too often leaving his crease to protest calls, in effect creating timeouts for Montreal.

Defensemen Willie Mitchell and Mattias Ohlund and forward Ryan Kesler will be alternate captains for Vancouver.

Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad here

“I’ve been speaking up more compared to last year, compared to the first year especially,” said Luongo, who was traded from Florida to Vancouver in 2006. “I’m not going to change my ways. There’s more than one way to lead a team and I m going to do my best.”

The Canucks were without a captain after Markus Naslund signed with the New York Rangers. The Swedish forward, whose leadership was often criticized, had worn the C since 2000.

Other Canucks captains have included Mark Messier, Stan Smyl, Orland Kurtenbach and Trevor Linden, who retired this summer.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

  MORE FROM NORTHWEST (CAL, COL, EDM, MIN, VAN)  
  
Second person fired for giving Flames vaccines
 
Add Northwest (Cal, Col, Edm, Min, Van) headlines to your news reader:
 

Sponsored links