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Is it a good idea to have a Junior as a Captain?

Or, should a hockey coach use Captaincy to reward seniors who have earned their stripes and demonstrated success, leadership and team respect?

Do some high school coaches give the "C" to younger players in order to keep them around? Parent leverage?

Will some players leave their senior years because they were a Captain during their junior year???.............that has happened.

Your thoughts?

Not sure the answer to the following questions, but to answer the first, the captions should be the best leaders on the team. You could be 15th in pts on the team, but if you are the one that the team follows, regardless of not being a senior, you should be the captain.

It's sad if people leave after being the captain; that shouldn't be what they are after. Plus, it should be an honor to be a two year captain. Although, I have seen people be junior captains in other sports and not become captain their senior year. They didn't quit though; they were happy for the one who got it.

Captains should be the team leaders on and off the ice....if that means it is a role player senior who works his tail off, so be it.
If it means a junior when the senior class is limited, so be it.

Even if it isn't limited, so be it.

Also, I feel that coaches should definitely make calls on vetoing people that were voted captains that don't fit the bill.

HShockeywatcher wrote:Even if it isn't limited, so be it.

Also, I feel that coaches should definitely make calls on vetoing people that were voted captains that don't fit the bill.

I like how the Wild used to do it. They would transfer the C every month or so. It depends on the dynamics of the team but if a junior is a proven leader then he should be able to wear the C. I prefer one Captain and two Assistants.

HShockeywatcher wrote:Even if it isn't limited, so be it.

Also, I feel that coaches should definitely make calls on vetoing people that were voted captains that don't fit the bill.

I have to believe coaches will veto if neccesary. Popular vote doesn't always mean a great Captain.

Thank you Breakout, That is a very, very true statement!

breakout the majority of teams have the team vote on captains, and from experience i've learned that nobody knows a teammate better than another teammate. See the problem with coaches and parents out there is simple things like this. If a kid was voted captain by the team, there was a reason for it no matter what age. Not to keep him around or because he's scared he might lose his job. It's because he wants whats best for the team

Nodak20 wrote:breakout the majority of teams have the team vote on captains, and from experience i've learned that nobody knows a teammate better than another teammate. See the problem with coaches and parents out there is simple things like this. If a kid was voted captain by the team, there was a reason for it no matter what age. Not to keep him around or because he's scared he might lose his job. It's because he wants whats best for the team

These votes are usually secret. Write a name(s) and put in a hat???

I have been around hockey a long time. Popular vote usually wins 95% of the time........no questions asked and the team gets a solid Captain(s). If coach believes popular vote isn't the right choice I have to believe he will veto. That veto is usually unbeknownst to the kids.

Who can ever prove that. It was a secret ballot.

breakout wrote:

Nodak20 wrote:breakout the majority of teams have the team vote on captains, and from experience i've learned that nobody knows a teammate better than another teammate. See the problem with coaches and parents out there is simple things like this. If a kid was voted captain by the team, there was a reason for it no matter what age. Not to keep him around or because he's scared he might lose his job. It's because he wants whats best for the team

These votes are usually secret. Write a name(s) and put in a hat???

I have been around hockey a long time. Popular vote usually wins 95% of the time........no questions asked and the team gets a solid Captain(s). If coach believes popular vote isn't the right choice I have to believe he will veto. That veto is usually unbeknownst to the kids.

Who can ever prove that. It was a secret ballot.

Breakout is right on here if the popular vote(s) is not the right choice there is a coach veto...I know that it happens, and frankly it should, as some kids although popular are not qualified as leaders of a team.
I always think there should be a coaches choice capt. just not announced.
I think it provides balance...unless the coach is a knuckle head and has pets.

IMO



And the players sense when the veto card is played, and mostly they are correct.

Not sure what angle to take on this. There are many things to consider in a captain. In some cases the most popular kid, regardless of ability, will be the one to rally the team and get things going. In other times it'll be the best guy on the team leading by example. In many cases certain kids get mixed up in things off the field (ice in this case) the coach doesn't want to encourage by letting them be captains. Not sure what's really best.

Your captain should be respected on and off the ice by your players. You can tell who that is 90% of the time just by being in the lockerroom. A jr. I don't see why not, if he is respected.

HShockeywatcher wrote: 1.In some cases the most popular kid, regardless of ability, will be the one to rally the team and get things going. 2.Not sure what's really best.

Part 1 ......where from the bench? it's kind of tough to get players who are dog tired motivated, when "you"... although very popular, are fresh as a daisy, giving them the "c'mon let's go" speech from the bench, because your not playing because of ability???
You as Capt. need to be feeling the same pain, so that they can gain confidence from your demonstration of leadership and desire when your as exhausted as they are, but are willing to keep going.

Part 2... I believe you on that

I agree with what you're saying in the first part. I didn't mean like the guy with 2 pts on the 4th line should be a capt. But maybe there's a guy on the 1st or 2nd line who rarely scores but is a goon or has 10-20 assists but is a hard worker and such. That's all.

For Virginia= all of the kids said that they did NOT pick Nico as a captain, his junior year, so the coaches made him one. maybe 2 kids picked him. He was not liked by the kids at all, I guess. Not jealousy, he is not a team player at all and really stuck up. Seniors should be picked, but the Virginia coach is just looking out for himself.

puckstop wrote:For Virginia= all of the kids said that they did NOT pick Nico as a captain, his junior year, so the coaches made him one. maybe 2 kids picked him. He was not liked by the kids at all, I guess. Not jealousy, he is not a team player at all and really stuck up. Seniors should be picked, but the Virginia coach is just looking out for himself.

I am sure that type of thing has happend at schools. Maybe coach senses his most talented player is sniffing at JRs. Coach makes him feel a bit more obligated to stay by making the kid a Captain as a junior.

I hope that Nico is not like that. I would rather see a humble talented player vs. an arrogant talented player.

Why would a coach do something like that? Talent is not all it takes to be a good captain. That was my earlier point about the captain not for sure being the best player. If your best player is a jerk and not liked he won't go far.

HShockeywatcher wrote:Why would a coach do something like that? Talent is not all it takes to be a good captain. That was my earlier point about the captain not for sure being the best player. If your best player is a jerk and not liked he won't go far.

Coaches have lost their jobs because perception indicated that they were losing their top players to JRs and or private schools.

I believe Minnetonka is a good example of that. Before Pauly arrived, they seemingly lost several top players to private schools. Losing key players does not look good on a coaches resume. Therefore, some may stoop to different tactics to keep talented players.

I am not suggesting Pauly made any JR a Captain. I am suggesting the previous coach may have lost his job because the flood gate had a hole in it. At least that was the perception of the parents and AD.

As a qualifier, I still believe that 95% of the Captains, whether JRs or SRs earn their Captaincy because they have shown leadership qualities and are respected by their teammates.

Hmmm, interesting, so we get to whether a coaches sole responsibility is to put numbers in the win column, or if there's more to it...