Sabres Name Jack Eichel as Team’s New Captain

Jack Eichel with the Buffalo Sabres in February 2017
Jack Eichel with the Buffalo Sabres in February 2017. Photo by Daniel Lea/CSM/REX/Shutterstock (8377325q)

Buffalo Sabres will enter the new NHL season under new captaincy with the team announcing on Wednesday that center Jack Eichel has been selected for this role. Eichel, who is entering his fourth NHL season, will be the Sabres’ first full-time captain since 2016-17 when Brian Gionta wore “C” on his jersey. Defenseman Zach Bogosian and forward Kyle Okposo were named team’s alternate captains.

It’s an incredible honor,” – said Eichel after being named the captain. “And I don’t think I would have been given this opportunity if it wasn’t for the other leaders in this room that have pushed me to be better and taught me a lot about myself. It’s an unbelievable feeling and I’m just excited about the season. More than anything, it’s more or less me trying to be myself and continuing the things that make me the person that I am.

After Brian Gionta left the team, Buffalo Sabres opted not to select a full-time captain and instead chose to have four players, among them Jack Eichel, rotating in the role. But after Eichel signed an eight-year, $80 million contract extension in late 2017; it was evident that he was the most likely candidate to get this honor.

It’s exciting not only for me and our players and our coaching staff but our city,” – said Sabres’ coach Phil Housley said. “I think he represents everything we want as far as our organization goes and it was just a great intimate moment for him to accept the captaincy in front of the general manager and the owner and myself.”

After being selected second overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Jack Eichel went on to play 209 career games in the league, scoring 73 goals and providing 104 assists. He made his first NHL All-Star appearance in 2018.

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