- Claude Giroux weighed in on the Senators captaincy question at a Tuesday media availability
- Ottawa needs a new leader after trading Brady Tkachuk to Florida on June 21
- Read below for what Giroux said about the C and why he chose to re-sign
The Senators have a captaincy to fill, and Claude Giroux already has a read on it.
Ottawa traded Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers on June 21 and moved on from the guy who wore the C and carried the room. Giroux, who re-signed on a one-year deal July 7, was asked Tuesday about who steps into that role.
“We have a good amount of guys that could fill that role and be a leader on and off the ice,” Giroux told reporters. “Sometimes you put a C on somebody and they’re trying to do too much on the ice or off the ice and they’re just not themselves anymore. So it can be tricky.”
Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson, both 24, are the names most often floated as candidates. Giroux knows the weight of that letter at a young age. Philadelphia named him captain in January 2013, a few days after he turned 25, when he took over from Chris Pronger.
He admits he leaned too hard into the title back then.
Giroux said he spent so much time trying to be a leader that he “forgot to play hockey.” Then-GM Paul Holmgren pulled him aside and told him he got the C because of how he played, not what he said. He called it a turning point.
Watch Giroux check in with the Sens after his decision:
His message to whoever gets the job is simple. Worry about your own game first and let the leadership follow.
“Leadership is not about one person. It’s about a lot of guys doing their job,” Giroux said. “We’re all in this together. It just doesn’t work like that where one guy gets the C and then he’s a leader.”
Giroux also explained why he came back at all. He and his family took their time this offseason before landing on Ottawa.
“When it was time to get it done and pick a team, I wanted to be here,” Giroux said.
The one-year deal is worth $2 million and keeps Giroux in Ottawa for a fifth season. At 38, he becomes the loudest veteran voice in a young room, letter or no letter.
