Thomas Chabot named Ottawa Senators captain

The Ottawa Senators have named Thomas Chabot as captain for the 2026-27 season, which begins later this week.

Chabot, who turns 30 in January, has played parts of 10 seasons with Ottawa.

His 569 games played is most on the team and 11th all-time, and his 335 points place him 13th in franchise history — third among defencemen.

The native of Sainte-Marie, Que., south of Quebec City had been an alternate captain for the team that took him in the first round of the NHL draft in 2015.

"It's a huge honour.… I care about this city and this team and take a lot of pride in wearing this jersey every single night," Chabot said during a Tuesday afternoon news conference at Canadian Tire Centre.

"He's been here for a decade and he's seen a lot.… I think part of leadership is experience, [going] through tough times, dealing with adversity and learning," said general manager and president of hockey operations Steve Staios, who noted that Chabot is the team's first francophone captain.

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The announcement comes just a few days after Chabot's wife gave birth to a baby girl.

"It's been awesome," said the new dad.

Previous captain Brady Tkachuk, who held the role for five seasons, was traded to Florida in the off-season after requesting a move.

Under the letter of the law, team captains are the only player who can "have the privilege of discussing with the Referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game." They also have a symbolic role as a team leader in the area and community.

"You want a captain that can communicate with your