At the start of his fourth full season playing for the Nashville Predators, Filip Forsberg‘s jersey will have a new addition. On Tuesday, Forsberg was named one of the Predators’ alternate captains as the team revamped their leadership group.
The Predators also promoted defenseman Roman Josi to captain. A year after earning a full-time “A” on his jersey, Josi will serve as the eighth captain in the team’s 19-year history. Josi replaces Mike Fisher who retired in August.
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Peter Laviolette explains how the second "A" patch will rotate between Forsberg, Johansen & Ekholm #Preds pic.twitter.com/2xCQLeb9nL
— AtoZSports Nashville (@AtoZSports) September 19, 2017
Defenseman Ryan Ellis was also named associate captain, although he will miss the beginning of the season recovering from offseason knee surgery. Other alternate captains are forward Ryan Johansen and defenseman Mattias Ekholm.
Predators distinguished their naming between associate and alternate, although official NHL rules only recognize captain and alternates. According to Hockey Reddit, an associate captain will wear the “A” at all games, while alternates rotate wearing the A on their jersey.
"When I asked Roman who the captain should be, he said Ryan Ellis. When I asked Ryan, he said Roman Josi."
– #Preds HC Laviolette— Jeremy K. Gover (@govertime) September 19, 2017
More from the Predators:
NASHVILLE — Defenseman Roman Josi was named the eighth captain in Nashville Predators history Tuesday.
Josi, 27, has played all six of his NHL seasons for the Predators and has finished in the top 15 in Norris Trophy voting as best defenseman in the League each of the past three seasons.
He replaces Mike Fisher, who retired Aug. 3 after 17 NHL seasons with the Predators and Ottawa Senators. Fisher had been named captain after Shea Weber was traded to the Montreal Canadiens on June 29, 2016.
Defenseman Ryan Ellis was named associate captain. Forwards Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg and defenseman Mattias Ekholm were announced as alternate captains.
Ellis, 26, had NHL career highs in goals (16) and points (38) in 2016-17, and had 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 22 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He is expected to be out of the lineup until approximately January while recovering from offseason knee surgery.
Johansen, 25, signed an eight-year, $64 million contract with the Predators on July 28. His 61 points (14 goals, 47 assists) were tied with Viktor Arvidsson for the Predators lead last season, his first full season in Nashville after being acquired in a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 6, 2016. He had 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 14 playoff games before requiring season-ending thigh surgery.
Forsberg, 23, is the first player in Predators history to score 30 goals in consecutive seasons. He led the Predators with 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) during its run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Ekholm’s 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) were fourth among Predators defensemen last season. The 27-year-old also set NHL career-highs in shots (120), blocked shots (108) and average time on ice (23:28), and his 11 playoff points (one goal, 10 assists) were fifth in the League among defensemen.
Headline Photo: @1025TheGame
