Schenn named Blues' 24th captain

In the St. Louis Blues’ 56-year history, only 23 players have been tasked with the incredible responsibility that comes with wearing the captain’s ‘C’ on the front of their sweater.

On Tuesday, Brayden Schenn became the 24th, joining a legendary list of players that includes names such as Red Berenson, Bob and Barclay Plager, Garry Unger, Brian Sutter, Bernie Federko, Brett Hull, Chris Pronger, Al MacInnis and Wayne Gretzky, to name a few.

“I don’t think it has set in yet, to be honest,” Schenn told stlouisblues.com. “The history of this franchise, the great captains they’ve had, and now getting your own name added to that extraordinary list, it’s a huge honor that I’m thankful for. I’m excited for the opportunity and the challenge this will bring.”

The Blues have been without a captain since Ryan O’Reilly was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs just prior to last season’s trade deadline. Throughout the offseason, Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong had been noncommittal about whether a captain would be chosen this season, but that all changed last Wednesday when Armstrong set up a meeting with Schenn and asked him to be the next captain of the St. Louis Blues.

“Honestly, your first initial reaction is how big of an honor it is,” Schenn said. “I’ve always said, St. Louis has been the best thing for me. Getting the opportunity to come here and play, winning the Stanley Cup and now [being named captain], it’s an opportunity for us to work together and get back to where we feel we should be as an organization. I’m looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity to lead this team.”

Schenn, 32, will be entering his seventh season with the Blues after being acquired by the club in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers at the 2017 NHL Draft. He has served as an assistant captain in each of the last three seasons and has contributed 341 points (131 goals, 210 assists) in 425 regular-season games with the club.

“Schenn is a leader,” Blues Head Coach Craig Berube said. “He’s an experienced player, he’s done a lot of really good things in St. Louis and he’s been part of a winning team. He shows leadership on and off the ice on a daily basis and he’s worked hard since Day 1 when he got here.”

After learning the news, Schenn kept it pretty quiet, telling only his wife, Kelsey, and texting a family group chat that which included his brother, Luke, who signed with the Nashville Predators this summer.

“For me personally, I’ve played with a ton of great captains and even guys that weren’t captains but were still leaders,” Schenn said. “You learn from those people, and over time you learn the most from the teammates that were closest to you. I got to play with two great captains here in Alex Pietrangelo and Ryan O’Reilly. Just how they tried to carry the Blues culture forward and how selfless they were and how much they cared about their teammates, it taught me a lot.”

Schenn will have plenty of support in his new role. Robert Thomas, Justin Faulk and Colton Parayko will serve as assistant captains, rounding out an experienced leadership group for the 2023-24 season.

“They’re all important guys,” said Berube. “They really represent the team and really push that leadership by committee mindset of our hockey team. That’s really important. Those guys will help Schenner out as they all work towards one goal.

“For Schenn, he’ll be the same player. There’s added responsibility for sure when you have a captain and extra things you have to do and take care of, but he’s ready for it.”

“I don’t think being the captain means you have to change much, you just be who you are,” Schenn added. “Just because I’m wearing a ‘C’ doesn’t mean I have to become someone I’m not. You rely on your teammates around you, that’s who is going to make you better. It’s about the guys in the locker room… you lean on your teammates and together we can get this thing moving in the right direction.”