The Islanders have settled their leadership question, and they’ve put the letter on Bo Horvat.
New York announced Horvat as the 16th captain in franchise history, giving him the role after two seasons as an alternate captain. It’s a familiar honor for Horvat, who was also the 14th captain in Canucks history from 2019 to 2023 before Vancouver traded him to the Islanders on January 30, 2023.
Since arriving on Long Island, Horvat has been one of the team’s most productive players. He leads the Islanders in goals over that span with 99 and tops the club in points with 198. In 2025-26, he finished with a team-best 31 goals and 57 points in 68 games.
The decision also ends the uncertainty that had hovered over the franchise’s captaincy. This would have been the Islanders’ first season without a captain since 1996-97, when Patrick Flatley left the team.
There was also a half-season stretch in 2008-09 after the club traded Bill Guerin away. Heading into this upcoming season, the opening at the top was created again when Anders Lee departed in free agency and signed with the Utah Mammoth.
According to Dave McCarthy on NHL.com, Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said the team was prepared to have its next leader in place before opening the season on Sept. 30.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we do, (but) there’s no rush on that front. We have a lot of leaders on our team. We have former captains, so I’m not worried about the leadership on our team, that’s for sure,” Darche said via the article.
Horvat was not the only name in the mix. Brayden Schenn, another recent captain who previously wore the “C” in St.
Louis, was also part of the conversation. The Islanders brought both Schenn and Horvat in through major deals that included first-round picks and players.
Horvat’s edge came in his place within the organization: he signed an eight-year, $68MM contract with an $8.5MM AAV shortly after the trade, and that deal is now entering its fourth season with New York. Schenn, by comparison, has two years left at a $6.5MM AAV.
Matthew Schaefer also drew consideration. The young defenseman made a strong impression on the Islanders’ blue line, and while he already looks like a long-term piece, he remains on an entry-level contract. His maturity, personality and play have all fueled the idea that he could become a leader on Long Island down the road.
For now, though, the captaincy belongs to Horvat, and the Islanders have made the choice that fit the most obvious path.
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Bo Horvats promotion to captain has given the Islanders a more defined hierarchy, but it has also left one opening to sort through as the season approaches. With Horvat becoming the 16th captain in franchise history, the club now has a chance to choose an alternate who can help carry some of the day-to-day leadership load around a roster that is still shaping its identity.
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