A very knowledgeable Calgary Flames fan suggested to me that Blake Coleman deserves to be considered the team’s new captain. Thinking about it, his idea germinated in me. And yes, I can already hear the howls of outrage at this heresy, with many fans pointing to Matthew Tkachuk as the team’s apparent messiah. However, listen to me.
Related: The Flames Have A Future Captain In Matthew Tkachuk
I’m not saying Tkachuk won’t or can’t be captain. His time may come, but it’s not now, and the Flames need a captain sooner rather than later. Here’s why I think my friend was right to suggest Coleman might be an intriguing choice to wear the C in Cowtown.
The case of Blake Coleman as Flames captain
Coleman knows what it takes to win the Stanley Cup. He skated with the Tampa Bay Lightning – the defending NHL champions in back-to-back Cup victories. Along with Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow, he combined to form a powerful line that was arguably key to the Lightning’s success.
If playing on a Stanley Cup winner was the only yardstick for picking a captain, then Erik Gudbranson and Trevor Lewis would be candidates. While they certainly know what it takes to win a Cup, they are journeymen and unlikely to be with the Flames this year. It’s also true that Milan Lucic is wearing a Stanley Cup ring after drinking from hockey’s holy grail as the Boston Bruin in the 2010-11 season. Yet this only happened once, more than ten years ago.
The point of it all is that Coleman knows what it takes to win in today’s NHL and has been a big part of a team that has done it twice. Moreover, he is now a key ingredient in the team’s recipe for future success.
Coleman studied for the role of captain under Steven Stamkos, captain of the Lightning for the past nine seasons and arguably one of the best point guards in the NHL. While he’s not Stamkos’ equal on the ice and certainly not the best player the Flames have on their roster, being the best has never been the only qualification possessed by NHL captains.
John Tavares is neither the Toronto Maple Leafs’ best player (check his point production!) nor the highest paid (Auston Matthews earns more), but he is their captain. While he was the undisputed leader of the Boston Bruins, Bobby Orr never wore the C on his jersey.
What about Matthew Tkachuk for Flames captain?
Among other things, an NHL captain is the face of a franchise. For that, he has to make a long-term commitment to his team, and therein lies the rub with Tkachuk. He became a restricted free agent (RFA) in July.
Will the 24-year-old hell re-sign with Calgary? I will take risks and predict that he will, but it may not be in the long term. Tkachuks is notoriously hard-nosed at the bargaining table, and I predict he’ll push for a shorter-term contract believing the NHL’s salary cap will rise in the coming years.
Coleman, 30, meanwhile is at the peak of his career and under contract at Cowtown until the end of the 2026-27 season. This is the longest contract the team has on its books.
Captains are leaders both on and off the ice. While he may be a spark plug on the ice, I have no way of knowing if Tkachuk is a leader in the locker room. Nor do I have any knowledge of Coleman’s status on the team as a leader.
Even so, Tkachuk doesn’t seem to have the reputation of Lucic, or fellow assistant captains Mikael Backlund and Chris Tanev in the eyes of his teammates and many fans. The tone his teammates adopt when talking about him seems to lack respect for former captain Mark Giordano.
Tkachuk took a step back last year. While he remained among the team’s top points, he seemed to fade away for long stretches. He wasn’t the only player who struggled last year, and some believe he was badly affected by the concussion he suffered in the 2019-20 playoffs. Additionally, the Flames’ uninspired performance last year made it difficult for the team’s leading scorers. Yet it’s in times of adversity that players with the makings of a captain emerge, and Tkachuk just didn’t do that.
There was a noticeable change in Tkachuk’s demeanor last season that many trace back to the now infamous ‘Jake Muzzin’ puck-turning incident’, when his teammates failed to back him up in the post scrum. -game with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Many believe this caused tension in the dressing room.
According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, it was a turning point in the team’s relationship with Tkachuk. His teammates told him they didn’t like what he did every night. They were put off by his antics and let him know about it. He went on to say, “I think Tkachuk was really frustrated with what happened. All that puck-turning stuff led to a meeting that I think just sent them aside. I think Tkachuk feels like some players didn’t want him to create something every game and I think he’s troubled by that. I think he only understands how to play the game in a certain way and I think he’s questioning it now. “
Perhaps Tkachuk’s behavior last year can be attributed to his age. At 24, he needs more experience and time to hone his leadership skills. After all, the average age of an NHL captain this season is 32. If Coleman was named and remained captain until the end of his contract, Tkachuck would still be only 29 years old and would have had time to grow in this role.
It’s not that young players can’t take the reins of leadership. Two examples are Sidney Crosby (named captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins at age 19) and Johnathan Toews (named captain of the Chicago Blackhawks at age 20). Still, Tkachuk isn’t Crosby or Toews.
Perhaps one of the strongest endorsements for Coleman as captain came from Tkachuk himself last summer when he said that, “having a guy (like Coleman) who won last year , knows what it takes, played in those big games, scored big goals, played in a great team, knows how a great team should be – perfect guy to add to our dressing room I think right now.
The next Calgary Flames captain
Captains are the conscience of their team. They are models. While some project calm, quiet confidence and others are fiery and vocal, all captains talk most often on the ice. There was a time when Johnny Gaudreau or Monahan might have been the captain’s choice, but their time is over. Monahan is fading and likely leaving town in a trade, and Gaudreau’s future remains uncertain as he enters free agency next summer.
Related: Flames have plenty of options for captain next season
Lucic is the heart and soul of the Flames and the recognized leader of the team. After this season, however, he only has one year left on his contract and he will be 35 when it ends. His time has also passed.
There are few pressures in professional sport like being a captain in a Canadian city. The scrutiny and pressure are unmatched, and the captain of a Canadian team must be prepared to deal with a never-ending stream of tough questions, indictments and complaints. This is where Backlund may not be up to the role of captain.
Tanev could be a choice to sport the letter C given the high regard he is held in by the Flames organization. After all, when Monahan was injured last year, management immediately turned to him with the alternate captain designation. Still, like Backlund, he may not have the communication skills to be the face of the franchise.
Compared to the other picks the Flames have in front of them for the captaincy now, it’s clear that Coleman deserves a serious look.
A Flames captain will emerge over time
The Flames are in no rush to choose a captain. Before training camp, head coach Darryl Sutter said, “I didn’t even really think about it (the role of captain). I think what is most important is the group itself, the leadership group. I’ve been on championship teams that have changed captains and it’s never been about the “C”. This was the leadership group. It is a deserved position. This is not a given position.
Not much seems to have changed since September. Even so, only the New York Rangers decided to rely on a backup management team rather than a long-term captain. Ryan McDonagh was their last before being traded to the Lightning in 2018. Aside from the Rangers and Flames, only the Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabers are currently without a captain — presumably temporarily.
No matter what approach the Rangers take, most teams need a captain and the Flames are no exception. Captains set the tone for a team and define its character. In Calgary, one will pop up in time and Coleman should be in contention for the honor.
Paul covers the Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators and Ottawa 67s of the OHL for The Hockey Writers (THW). He also hosts the show Flames Faceoff for THW’s podcast network.
Paul has been sought out for media interviews for the thoughtful articles he has written on hockey’s response to major social and political issues of the day, including the place of gay players in the game. Paul is also known for his insightful insights into the key issues and challenges facing the teams he follows.
Of his work with THW, Paul says, “I love telling stories about hockey and the personalities, past and present, that have made it the greatest game on the planet! »
Follow him on Twitter at @pquinney
