Bo Horvat has another letter, and this time it comes with the full job.
The New York Islanders announced Monday morning that the former Vancouver Canucks captain has been named the 16th captain in franchise history. Horvat had already been wearing an “A” as an alternate captain for the Islanders over the past two seasons, and with Anders Lee gone after signing a three-year contract with the Utah Mammoth in free agency this past offseason, the “C” was there for the taking.
That move had plenty of Islanders fans pointing in the same direction. Horvat was widely seen as the obvious choice to take over after Lee’s departure.
Horvat’s path to Long Island goes back to the 2023 trade deadline, when the Canucks, dealing with a cap crunch and a choice between veteran pending UFA forwards Horvat and JT Miller, opted to extend Miller ahead of the 2022-23 season. That left Horvat in a tricky spot, but he handled it by keeping his focus on the ice and producing 31 goals in 49 games before Vancouver sent him to the Islanders.
The Canucks later used the first-round pick from that deal to select Filip Hronek from the Detroit Red Wings, while Beauvillier was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks early in the next season.
Since arriving in New York, Horvat has built a strong body of work. In 260 regular-season games with the Islanders, he has 99 goals and 99 assists for 198 points. He has also played 11 playoff games for New York and collected five points.
Vancouver drafted Horvat ninth overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft after then-GM Mike Gillis made the move that sent goaltender Cory Schneider to the Devils in exchange for the pick. Horvat then spent nine seasons with the Canucks, appearing in 621 regular-season games from 2014 to 2023.
And nobody will ever forget Bubble Bo.
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For a camp that is supposed to sort out futures rather than settle anything too quickly, that kind of chemistry is the sort of thing coaches notice. Ilya Safonov was also in the mix on a different line, though his role leaned more toward defending and staying reliable away from the puck, leaving Vancouver with a familiar training-camp question: which young players have earned a longer look when the competition gets more serious? [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Prospects Just Put Early Pressure On The Future Depth Chart
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Novotn scored in both games, Rogowski earned work on both the power play and penalty kill, and Cootes wore an alternate captains letter while contributing at both ends of the ice. Coach Ryan Papaioannou also singled out Rogowskis playmaking, a useful sign for a prospect group trying to push its way up a depth chart that has plenty of decisions waiting down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Filip Hronek Just Sent A Strong Message About Vancouvers Rebuild
Filip Hronek is still talking like a player who wants to see this through in Vancouver, even with the Canucks deep into a reset and new leadership now steering the organization. The 28-year-old defenseman, whose contract runs through the 2031-32 season, said he wants to be part of building something special, a notable stance from a veteran who has already lived through enough frustration to understand how long this kind of project can take.
For the Canucks, Hroneks posture matters because rebuilding is rarely just about draft picks and front-office structure. Henrik and Daniel Sedin have been brought in as co-presidents, Ryan Johnson is running the hockey side as GM, and the message around the club is clear: this is a full rebuild, not a quick fix. Having a core defenseman already leaning into that reality gives Vancouver at least one important piece of stability as the next phase begins. [Read more 🡒]