The Toronto Maple Leafs Have a Captain on Every Line

Captains in the Front Office

The players aren’t the only ones with pedigree. Right at the organization’s top, there sits a man who has worn many jerseys with a ‘C’ sewen onto its chest. Despite some of the Maple Leafs President, Brendan Shanahan’s past antics, he was seen as a leader over the course of his NHL playing career.

When Shanahan was traded to the Hartford Whalers, the organization saw him as the player they needed to elevate their place in the standings. Even though he played just one full season in Hartford, he did it as the team’s captain.

Shanahan also had the responsibility of being captain of a couple more notable teams. When he was named to his eighth All-Star Team in 2007, there was something a little different about that experience. This time, Shanahan was a captain for the yearly exhibition game. He led his Eastern Conference All-Star squad to a loss against the Joe Sakic led Western Conference.

In international play, Shanahan once again had the opportunity to be the team captain. In 2006, he led Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship. That group lost their bronze medal game to Finland, giving them a fourth-place finish.

The Maple Leafs’ bench boss was also a captain once. It was because of this position that Sheldon Keefe’s snubbing of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) commissioner David Branch is still remembered. Keefe was the Captain of the Barrie Colts when he refused to shake hands with Branch after winning the 1999–2000 OHL championship. It goes to show that the actions don’t just matter but get cemented in history.