The Calgary Flames have their leadership group to supplement new captain Mikael Backlund for the 2023-24 season, reports Sportsnet’s Eric Francis.
Defenseman Rasmus Andersson, left winger Jonathan Huberdeau, center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Chris Tanev will rotate in and out of the two alternate captain spots per game throughout the campaign.
All these names are notable for a variety of reasons — starting with Andersson, 26, who expressed interest in becoming the team’s captain earlier this offseason before Backlund received it, signing an extension in the process.
The 2015 second-round pick has solidified himself as a top-flight defender in this league, logging significant time on both the power play and penalty kill over the past two seasons while posting 99 points in 161 games since the beginning of 2021-22.
He’s also the only player who didn’t wear a letter on his jersey last season. He essentially replaced Backlund, while Huberdeau, Lindholm and Tanev all wore ’A’s on their sweaters at different points throughout 2022-23.
More from the Western Conference this weekend:
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!