Boston Bruins Alternate Captain: ‘A’ Is For Experience

With Mark Recchi’s departure from the Boston Bruins via retirement, there are many holes left to be filled.

Who is going to help Patrice Bergeron develop into the leader that this team needs? Who will Tyler Seguin look for on the bench when he needs to be reminded to grind out the gritty game? Who will wear the letter ‘A’ on their shoulder?

Wait. Do we really care about this? This is Boston. Of course we do!

The role of the alternate captain is to act as an on-ice team leader in the absence of the captain, and approach referees to discuss interpretation of rules. (insert eyeroll here) That’s according to the NHL guidelines.

Here in Boston the alternate captain leads your team in diversity like Adam Oates and shows the youth on the squad to fight through and make the play unselfishly. In Boston the alternate captains like Cam Neely fight injuries and players alike and shows veterans on the team that if you don’t put yourself out there to play, then you aren’t out there to play. And here as an alternate captain, you need to be a silent leader like Don Sweeney speaking to your teammates through devotion and perseverance on the ice or behind the closed door of the locker room.

The top candidates speculated around the web are

Shawn Thornton, Andrew Ference, and Nathan Horton. Those choices are exactly why David Krejci should be the one honored.

Shawn Thornton | Pos:LW | Ht: 6-2 | Wt:217 | Age:34

Thornton has been with the Bruins since 2007 and is also the only Bruin with multiple Stanley Cups (Anaheim.) He has 290 games played for Boston in the last 4 years and is a leader both on and off the ice. But that information is not enough to overlook that Thornton is in the last year of his contract before he hits unrestricted free agent status, not to mention that his style of play as an enforcer makes him expendable. Although he would be one of the favorite choices of the fans, with me included, it just doesn’t make sense for the team.

Andrew Ference | Pos:D | Ht:5-11 | Wt:189 | Age:32

Despite being acquired from Calgary in 2007, Ference is not the staple in the lineup which management and fans both like to see. His numbers of 6 goals and 51 assists with the bruins over 4 years do not speak loudly. He does have going for him his gritty on ice personality that other players appreciate. Although Ference is locked up for the next two seasons, his lack of productivity might place him on another team in the summer of 2013. The Bruins would probably not gamble on a short term alternate captain like they did in the pre-Chiarelli days.

Nathan Horton | Pos:RW | Ht:6-2 | Wt:229 | Age:26

Horton has been with the Bruins for the least amount of time, but is probably the one loved by fans the most. His youth coupled with his surge in performance has caught the eye of hundreds of thousands of fans. Unfortunately, Horton’s youth and emotional ties to his style of play will eliminate him from consideration. He has been known to lose his cool in tough situations and pin the rest of the team to the glass while he sits in the box. His limited tenure with the Bruins will hold him back the most, unless the Bruins fire up an extension before camp ends.

David Krejci | Pos:C | Ht:6-0 |Wt:177 | Age:25

Krejci was drafted by the Boston Bruins, and he played himself up to near elite status. Krejci has led the team in scoring during the regular season and playoffs over the last three years and rarely puts the team in situations where they have to compensate for his poor decision. The fact that he is only 25 and is third on the Bruins for overall tenure proves he can speak more about what has happened on the ice and behind the scenes. It was made public that an extension for Krejci with the Bruins was in the works, and if the Bruins are able to lock him up for 3+ years, he would likely be the best candidate.

There has been talk of pretty much each player’s why and why not’s for the ‘A’ consideration, and you can voice your thoughts in the poll below. Feel free to comment why you feel a certain player should skate away as the newest alternate captain.

Follow me on Twitter: @FanSidedDerekC