BLOG: Veterans Set Leadership Exceptions in First Day of Camp

After the announcement made by Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson that the team will start the 2023-24 season without a captain, head coach Luke Richardson now looks towards some of the veterans on the team to become a collective group of leaders.

Throughout last season, the head coach noticed some players took on a leadership role when leaders like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane missed some time due to illness and injuries. With returners like Seth Jones, Connor Murphy and Tyler Johnson entering training camp this season, Richardson feels confident that they can continue to build off what they created with the strong core of voices.

“I think that's when you saw other guys step up and they have more of a leadership role and feel more comfortable to maybe take that leadership role,” Richardson said. “I think you're going to see that through the committee this year.”

Instead of a captain, the team will select a group of alternates to lead the collective group that will be selected at the end of training camp.

In his seventh season in a Blackhawks sweater, Murphy agreed with the team’s decision to lead as a group instead of the added pressure following Toews, the longest-serving captain from 2008-23. Now, the veterans can come together and start a new culture with the younger players.

“I think it's really important as a collective group to lead each other and come together and build something,” Murphy said. “I think with the absence of some of the guys that have created a culture of character on this team, it gives opportunity for us to create something here and build almost from the ground up.”

For Jones, he views this as a time for not just veteran leaders to step up but even allow some younger players to have a voice as well. 

“When it comes to that team, we're tight, we're close together, and we keep the noise on the outside and we deal with things as a team in that locker room,” Jones said. “We're going to do that whether we’re having good days or bad days.”

With the addition of veterans Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno and Corey Perry in the offseason, some have already tried to help out some players throughout the first day of camp but over the summer as well. 

Connor Bedard spoke on how Foligno sent text messages to check in on the first overall pick and also spent time with each other before the start of training camp. 

“They've all been really good to me and all the young guys and made everyone feel really comfortable,” Bedard said. “So, we're pretty lucky to have them to learn from, or talk to, or ask questions to so it's really good.”

With a heavy veteran presence to start the beginning of camp, the team can start to come together and build a strong leadership unit. 

“All the new veterans came in and asked [to see some videos], and we showed them what we're going to show the first three days so they understand it and they can help,” Richardson said. “They're already doing that, so that's part of the leadership roles that we're going to need as a as a combined unit.”