The Ottawa Senators didn’t rush the biggest leadership call of their offseason. They let it sit, and in the end they landed on the player who had already been carrying himself like a captain for years.
Thomas Chabot is now the 11th captain in franchise history, a move that became official Tuesday after Brady Tkachuk asked for and was granted a trade to the Florida Panthers, leaving the role open all summer. Chabot, Ottawa’s first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, had already been wearing an alternate captain’s “A,” and he’ll step into the spotlight for real Saturday when the Senators open the 2026-27 season against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Head coach Travis Green said the organization spent time working through the decision before settling on Chabot, and the more they watched, the clearer it became.
“First of all, I think it’s a really good decision. We took our time making it a little bit.
I think as time went on, we were pretty set in Chabby being the guy. Obviously, he was one of the guys we were thinking about all summer, And they were awaiting a new baby.
So that kind of delayed things a little bit.
“I’m really happy for Chabby. He’s been a leader here for a while and grown into probably a better leader now that he’s been here for - it’s not just the length, but what he’s gone through here, growing as a player himself and watching the team grow and struggle and then hopefully turn in the corner.
“The last two years we’ve had pretty good seasons, made the playoffs, haven’t gone the way we’ve wanted. But he’s going to be a great captain for us. He loves his teammates.
“One thing I didn’t know about Chabby was that he’s a warrior. He plays through a lot of injuries that I have never seen guys play through.
And he sacrifices for the team. He loves the city, so it was an easy choice.”
Chabot now joins a line of Ottawa leaders that includes Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson, and the Senators will hand him the “C” as they move into a new era without Tkachuk at the top of the roster.
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