{"id":464259,"date":"2026-02-20T05:40:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T05:40:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/464259\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T05:40:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T05:40:09","slug":"vancouver-canucks-reportedly-ready-to-name-16th-captain-in-franchise-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/464259\/","title":{"rendered":"Vancouver Canucks reportedly ready to name 16th captain in franchise history"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\t\t\t\t\t \"Jan <\/p>\n

Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Filip Hronek is suddenly at the center of the Vancouver Canucks captaincy talk, and it feels like the room is ready for a new voice.<\/p>\n

Rick Dhaliwal said he\u2019s hearing Hronek is going to be the next captain. That is not a \u201cmaybe someday\u201d vibe, that is a \u201cclose to it\u201d vibe.<\/p>\n

Quinn Hughes was traded to the Minnesota Wild earlier this season, and the Canucks have been searching for their next identity on the blue line.<\/p>\n

When your captain leaves midstream, leadership becomes a nightly storyline, not a preseason ceremony.<\/p>\n

Hronek has been a stabilizer all year, even while the standings have been ugly and the nights have gotten heavier.<\/p>\n

Dhaliwal on Hronek:<\/p>\n

I’ve been hearing he’s going to be the new captain. He’s a strong, strong candidate to be the new captain<\/p>\n

The on-ice case is easy to sell. Hronek has 5-27-32 in 57 games, and he still takes hard minutes on a team that bleeds chances.<\/p>\n

The team picture is rough too, with Vancouver sitting at 18-33-6 and chasing consistency more than chasing opponents.<\/p>\n

Captain talk can sound like fluff, but it matters when the bench is tight and the mistakes keep coming in bunches.<\/p>\n

Filip Hronek and the Vancouver Canucks close to major leadership decision since the departure<\/p>\n

Canucks fans have been exhausted for weeks, and you can feel people wanting one clear leader to grab this season by the collar.<\/p>\n

Hronek\u2019s edge fits the moment. He plays like a guy who hates losing shifts, not just losing games.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a roster and cap layer here that can\u2019t be ignored. Hronek\u2019s $7.25 million cap hit is long-term, and that kind of deal usually comes with real responsibility.<\/p>\n

If the Canucks name him captain, it signals they see him as more than a partner piece. It makes him a pillar.<\/p>\n

Tactically, it could also settle the pairings. A captain on the right side can help define matchups, shorten debates, and simplify who starts the tough shifts.<\/p>\n

Nothing fixes the season by itself, but a captain can stop the drift. Vancouver\u2019s next game now feels like a test of tone as much as a test of talent.<\/p>\n

Previously on Vancouver Hockey Daily<\/p>\n

POLL<\/p>\n

42 MINUTES AGO|48 ANSWERS<\/p>\n

Vancouver Canucks reportedly ready to name 16th captain in franchise history<\/p>\n

Should Filip Hronek be the next Vancouver Canucks captain?<\/p>\n

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