Alex Ovechkin was named captain of the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2010, after the team’s previous captain, Chris Clark, was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 2024-25 campaign will be the 16th season Ovechkin has worn the ‘C’ for the Capitals, which puts him in some impressive company.
Once the puck drops, Ovechkin will tie Joe Sakic for the third-longest tenure as a captain in NHL history. He is one of just three active players on the league’s all-time list in the top 10.
Top 10, longest-tenured NHL captains
| Player | Team | Seasons as captain |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Yzerman | DET | 19 |
| Sidney Crosby* | PIT | 18 |
| Alex Ovechkin* | WSH | 16 |
| Joe Sakic | COL | 16 |
| Jonathan Toews | CHI | 15 |
| Ray Bourque | BOS | 15 |
| Zdeno Chara | BOS | 14 |
| Gabriel Landeskog* | COL | 13 |
| Shane Doan | ARI | 13 |
| Daniel Alfredsson | OTT | 13 |
* Denotes active players
Sidney Crosby is the lone other active captain more tenured than Ovechkin. The Penguins named him to his post on May 31, 2007. The Dallas Stars’ Jamie Benn (12 seasons) is the only other active captain with more than a decade of experience not on the top 10 list.
Outside of Ovechkin, Rod Langway is the only other Capitals player within the top 20 all-time. Langway served as Washington’s captain for 11 seasons from 1982-83 through 1992-93. Former Capitals players Zdeno Chara (14 seasons) and Scott Stevens (12 seasons) also rank high on the list for their time with the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils, respectively.
Ovechkin has just two seasons remaining on his current contract and has previously stated he would likely wrap up his time in the NHL once that deal expires. In that case, Ovechkin will finish his career with 17 seasons as captain of the Capitals and remain third on the all-time list.
Once Ovechkin’s time with Washington is done, Tom Wilson is assumed to be the next leader of the Capitals. Ovechkin himself has proposed Wilson as the next in line.
“I think since day one when he came to the league, he shows his leadership on the ice and off the ice,” Ovechkin said of Wilson in May. “He’s always in team-wise on the ice and off the ice. His support, this organization, he’s a leader and probably a future captain, as well.”
Crosby is lined up to take the top spot on the list after signing a two-year extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. He’ll tie Steve Yzerman for first all-time during the 2025-26 campaign and then surpass him the next year.
