Oct 12, 2013; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Todd Richards during the second period against the Boston Bruins at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports
Everything about the hockey season is uncertain: will my team win? Who will they trade? Will they make the playoffs? Who else will make the playoffs? Theses are questions every hockey fan and every Columbus Blue Jackets fan asks themselves every season. However, the biggest questions for Jackets fans this season are, when will the team name a captain? And when they do, who will it be?
Team management has some important decisions to make. They have to pick a captain eventually. A team’s captain can really make or break a franchise, and have long-lasting effects. The captain is the face of the team, the leader of the players, and a role model for every little kid playing hockey in the community. He is important to the community as well as to the success of the team, thus every general manager and coach wants their team to have a good captain, preferably a great captain. He has to be someone who fits in with the team, is a hard-working player, an encouragement to the team, a good leader, and so on.
Jan 28, 2014; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing R.J. Umberger (18) checks Ottawa Senators defenseman Eric Gryba (62) at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Some names have been thrown around, including R.J. Umberger and Brandon Dubinsky to name a few. But who should we go with? Who deserves to be the face of the team? These are the questions management must ask themselves, and the answers are unclear. What is clear, however, is that picking a captain is a tough decision for the management and coaches, and finding the right guy for the job is a big responsibility.
However, management has to decide how long a team can go on playing without a captain being named. The Jackets played all of last season and this season to date without a captain. Is it okay to continue building a franchise with no captain? If not, one needs to be named soon. But is timing everything? Or is finding the right guy more important? Do the Jackets even have anyone ready to fill the captain role?
The Jackets have made many acquisitions and trades in the last few seasons, so they may need time as a team to see who works well with everyone and who stands out as a leader. But how long can they go on playing without a captain? What do you think?