Calgary Flames coach explains new alternate captain choices
The Calgary Flames will look like a much different team when they hit the ice for their season opener on Thursday.
This is a far younger Flames team than we’ve seen in years past, with GM Craig Conroy moving out the likes of Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar, Nazem Kadri, and Blake Coleman.
Moving out those veterans won’t just impact the Flames’ overall play, but has also resulted in a change in their leadership group.
Andersson, Weegar, Kadri, and Coleman all served as assistant captains before being traded. That meant that head coach Ryan Huska had to decide on some new players to wear letters, and that decision was announced on Wednesday.
As expected, Mikael Backlund will wear the ‘C’ for his fourth season. His alternate captains, however, will be much different.
The Flames announced that both Jonathan Huberdeau and Zach Whitecloud will wear ‘A’s on their jersey for the 2026-27 season.
As fans are well aware, however, Huberdeau is unable to start the season as he continues to recover from hip resurfacing surgery. During his absence, the Flames will rotate an ‘A’ between Joel Farabee, Jake Middleton, and Ryan Strome.
Following Wednesday’s practice, Huska explained why Huberdeau and Whitecloud were selected.
“When you look at Huberdeau, when we’re trying to think of players that are team-first guys, I think Jonathan over the years has really proven that that’s very much what he’s all about. He’s also a guy that’s had lots of ups and downs in his career. When you think about someone that you can go to as an older player or younger player to ask about situations, Huby’s done it all.
“Whitecloud is a guy that nothing was ever given to him along the way. I think he kind of embodies what our team is about. He was never drafted, had to work his way up. He is the only member of our player group that’s won a Stanley Cup, and it never came easy for him. The way he handles the room is a little bit different; he’s a bit of a kinder and gentler soul.”
With several longtime leaders now gone, the Flames will need their new leadership group to help establish the culture of a team that is beginning to look considerably different from the one Calgary fans have become accustomed to seeing.
Whether Huberdeau, Whitecloud, and the rotating group of alternates can fill the void left by the departed veterans remains to be seen, but there’s no question that the Flames’ leadership group will look much different when the puck drops on Thursday night.
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