Sutter says Flames won't name a captain to start season

The Calgary Flames will once again open this season without a captain on the ice, head coach Darryl Sutter confirmed Tuesday.

“There’s no need to name one," Sutter said. "There’s no clear-cut one.”

The reigning Jack Adams winner then called alternates Mikael Backlund and Chris Tanev "co-captains" and emphasized the demand it puts on a player to wear the "C" in a Canadian market.

"It's really, really difficult to be a captain of a hockey team in Canada," Sutter said. "It's totally different than if you're in the sun or somewhere where it's not a hockey market…there's a lot of pressure on that player.

"It's gotta come out of that 23- to 29- [year old] age group."

Darryl Sutter on if the Calgary Flames will name a captain this season: “There’s no need to name one. There’s no clear-cut one.” Calls Mikael Backlund & Chris Tanev co-captains & emphasizes how demanding it is to be captain in a Canadian market.

The Flames have been without a captain since losing Mark Giordano to the Seattle Kraken in last year's expansion draft. Giordano was then named captain of the Kraken before being traded at the deadline to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Giordano served as Calgary's captain from 2013-2021, having taken over the role from Jarome Iginla.

The Flames, who finished with a franchise-record 111 points last season, will open their regular season on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche.