St. Louis Blues name 24th captain in franchise history

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Mike Armenti
September 19, 2023 (1:01 PM)

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The St. Louis Blues have been without a captain since February, after trading Ryan O'Reilly to the Toronto Maple Leafs before the deadline. There was some speculation over whether or not the Blues would name a captain ahead of this season or simply wait for a new captain to emerge at some point during the season. That speculation has now been laid to rest after the Blues named the 24th captain in franchise history on Tuesday.

The Blues announced via Twitter on Tuesday that Brayden Schenn will serve as the team's captain, beginning this season. For Blues head coach Craig Berube, the decision was a no-brainer.

"Schenn is a leader. He's an experienced player, he's done a lot of really good things in St. Louis and he's been part of a winning team. He shows leadership on and off the ice on a daily basis and he's worked hard since Day 1 when he got here." - Berube on naming Schenn the new captain in St. Louis

Schenn revealed in his first official statement as captain of the team that the news hasn't quite sunk in yet.

"I don't think it has set in yet, to be honest. The history of this franchise, the great captains they've had, and now getting your own name added to that extraordinary list, it's a huge honor that I'm thankful for. I'm excited for the opportunity and the challenge this will bring.

Honestly, your first initial reaction is how big of an honor it is. I've always said, St. Louis has been the best thing for me. Getting the opportunity to come here and play, winning the Stanley Cup and now [being named captain], it's an opportunity for us to work together and get back to where we feel we should be as an organization. I'm looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity to lead this team." - Schenn on being named Blues captain

Schenn, 32, helped lead the Blues to a Stanley Cup victory in 2019. He is set to enter his 7th season with the Blues this year, but had previously spent 6 seasons in Philadelphia and parts of two seasons in Los Angeles. The younger brother of Nashville's Luke Schenn, Brayden has racked up 589 points across 858 regular season games, adding another 40 points in 75 career playoff games.

Congrats to Brayden and his family on the incredible honour.