The Vancouver Canucks have been navigating the waters without a captain since Quinn Hughes departed in December. Now, it seems there's a strong contender emerging to don the "C" for the Canucks.
According to reports from Rick Dhaliwal of Donnie and Dhali, defenseman Filip Hronek is the leading candidate to become the next captain. Dhaliwal noted, “I’ve been hearing he’s going to be the new captain. He’s a strong, strong candidate.”
Hronek’s journey to this point is quite the tale. Originally drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 2016, he made his way to Vancouver on March 1, 2023.
The trade saw him and a fourth-round pick come to the Canucks in exchange for a first-round pick from the Bo Horvat trade and a second-round pick. Now in his third full season with the team, the 28-year-old Czech defenseman has racked up 15 goals and 114 points over 203 games.
Impressively, he’s been a workhorse on the ice, finishing second in time on ice per game behind Hughes for the past two seasons. With Hughes gone, Hronek has stepped up, leading the team with an average of 24:26 per game.
This season, Hronek has been a key offensive contributor, tallying five goals and 32 points, just two points shy of team leader Elias Pettersson. His prowess isn't limited to the NHL; he’s also been a standout for Czechia at the Winter Olympic hockey tournament in Milan. Making his Olympic debut, Hronek notched five assists in five games while logging over 25 minutes per game on the top defensive pairing.
Currently, the Canucks rotate Hronek, Brock Boeser, Tyler Myers, and Elias Pettersson as assistant captains. Should Hronek be named captain, he would become the 16th in franchise history. Quinn Hughes was the 15th, taking on the role ahead of the 2023-24 season, though his tenure was brief, lasting only two and a half years-similar to Roberto Luongo’s two-year captaincy from 2008-2010.
Hronek’s leadership on and off the ice certainly makes him a compelling choice to lead the Canucks into their next chapter.