During his press conference Maple Leaf boss Brian Burke pretty much said that Dion Phaneuf would be the next captain of he Buds. The final okee dokee will have to come from the coach, Ron Wilson but it's a given.
Now I keep hearing commentators says that it doesn't matter who the captain is. It's no big deal. It's a ridiculous statement. It may not matter in Nashville or Atlanta or Dallas. It may not be a big deal in Los Angeles or St. Louis or Carolina. In Toronto it's a huge deal.
The captain of the Maple Leafs, for the most part, is the face of the franchise. Think about it. Daryll Sitter, face of the franchise. Doug Gilmour, face of the franchies. Wendal, face of the franchise. Ditto for Mats Sundin.
The captain is the go to guy. The one the media crowds around after every win or in the case of the latest incarnation of the Buds every loss. Sundin always seemed uncomfortable with that part of it and he took a long time to say a little. But after every game he was the guy the media tracked down. The coach speaks for the organization. The captain speaks for the players.
You want a Maple Leaf at your golf tournament you'd be happy with Tie Domi, happier with Sundin. You'd take Borje Salming but you really wanted Sittler. And..with the "C" comes endorsements. Not many athletes say no to endorsements which gets their faces out there even more.
I was once offrered the "C" with my soccer team when I was a kid. I turned it down. I pointed to another kid who was a better player, had a better understanding of the game and had what I thought were obvious leadership qualities. 'Course if there had been an endorsement deal involved I might have rethought it. What really hurt is that he ended up dating and years later marrying a girl I had a crush on. I always wondered if it was the "C" or me.
The book on Phaneuf is that he's too immature to take over the roll. But as Burke said in his state of the Buds address, when Phaneuf showed up in Toronto things changed. He challenged his teammates on the ice and in the dressing room. He challenged the coach. He even walked on fire when he challenged Burke. Gutsey move. It Shocked the shingles off the boss but he got away with it. He's vocal, he's good with the media, he pushes everyone to be better. He's arguabley the Leafs best player. Is he ready? Not sure. Does he have the qualities? Yes he does. In sport, in Toronto, there's no bigger gig and no higher profile than the captain of the Maple leafs. It is a big deal.
A few years ago, I was in a corporate golf tournament in Orillia with a bunch of ex and current hockey players. Our group had Rick Vaive. First of all, a great guy, great stories but he said the best days of his life was when he had the C for the Maple Leafs.
Funniest guy during dinner at our table was Jack Valiquette.