Senators captaincy would be 'huge honour' for Thomas Chabot

Thomas Chabot is seen while attending the Senators Foundation Charity Open in Ottawa Monday. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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It’s no wonder why Ottawans are stopping Thomas Chabot in the street to discuss the vacant captaincy of their beloved hockey team.

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“The way people, obviously, around town talk to me about it, it’s a huge honour,” Chabot said Tuesday ahead of the Senators Foundation’s charity golf tournament at Rideau View Golf Club. “It feels good to see that people recognize it quite a lot. Actually, a lot more than I thought, honestly.”

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Perhaps more than anyone in the entire organization, Chabot endured each dispiriting day of the Ottawa Senators‘ long winter, a seven-year playoff drought that began during his first full National Hockey League season in 2017-18.

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Now, there is a fair chance that his perseverance and dedication will earn him the ultimate distinction in the sport, and the opportunity to lead one of Canada’s seven NHL franchises.

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“I felt fortunate enough to be an assistant captain to Brady (Tkachuk) for so many years, and obviously this is going to be my 10th season here in Ottawa,” Chabot said. “It feels like home. I spent a lot of time here this summer. I’ve been here for a while now, and no, it’d be a very cool thing, for sure.”

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With so many young players about to enter their prime, and the team on the precipice of a breakthrough, naming the next captain should be seen as ushering in a new era. Whoever it is must be committed to providing long-term stability.

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Tim Stutzle is seen while attending the Senators Foundation Charity Open in Ottawa Monday. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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There’s zero reason to believe that Chabot, a native of Sainte-Marie, Que., would rip the “C” off of his own chest like Tkachuk did over the summer. The veteran defenceman was asked Tuesday whether he felt slighted by his former teammate’s abandonment.

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“I mean, we always do,” he said. “You want guys to be here. You want guys to want to be part of this team and part of this city. So, when you see something like that, obviously, I’d be lying if I said I was happy when he decided to leave. No, that’s not true. He’s a heck of a hockey player, and you want guys to stick around, and we felt like we’re on the verge of kind of starting to make playoffs and building something, and you know what, that was his decision, and I bet you he stands by it, and we’ll stand behind it, as well.”

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While Chabot at age 29 has only two years remaining on his current deal, Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson, the other candidates for the “C”, have five and six, respectively.

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Multiple times this off-season, general manager Steve Staios drew from his own experience as a 27-year-old captain for the Atlanta Thrashers in 2000-01 when discussing the looming decision.

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Ottawa Senator Jake Sanderson is seen working out at the Sensplex in Ottawa Friday. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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“One thing to keep in mind, and I’ve told some of our younger players who are coming up of this story,” Staios said at the club’s Season Seat Member Summit in August. “I’ve reminded them that you got chosen to be a leader because of what you did. And I think the lesson I learned was I needed to be myself. Because for the first four to six weeks of being captain, I wasn’t very good at it because I was trying to force the issue. But I think that’s something to keep in mind when we’re going through the process of looking at our next captain.”