Boone Jenner's gone and Zach Werenski's future with the Blue Jackets remains foggy, so nobody will wear the captain's C this season.
Instead, coach Rick Bowness announced Sept. 30 that Werenski will wear an alternate captain's A each game while two other alternates will rotate wearing As on a home/road basis among a group of eight who'll be chosen for the honor monthly. It will be the first time the Blue Jackets have gone without a designated captain since a three-year span that followed Rick Nash's departure in 2012, which led to Nick Foligno getting the captaincy in May 2015 from former coach John Tortorella.
Jenner held the role from Oct. 13, 2021, to his departure this offseason.
"The object here is to open up that [locker] room, and get as many people involved as we can," Bowness said. "Voices? Want as many voices as we can hear in that locker room. It's their locker room, and we want them to take ownership of that locker room and ownership of what's [happening] on the ice, and things like this will help."
Mathieu Olivier and Charlie Coyle will join Werenski as alternate captains for October's home games, including the season opener Oct. 1 against the Buffalo Sabres. Cole Sillinger and Sean Monahan wear alternate As on the road.
Prior to widespread speculation about his long-term plans, Werenski was viewed as a natural successor to Jenner. Instead, June's trade rumors sparked interest from GMs across the league. Werenski eventually used a full no-trade clause in his contract to veto a deal July 1 that would've sent him to the Dallas Stars.
Werenski and Blue Jackets president/general manager Don Waddell released statements the same day saying that Werenski wanted to stay in Columbus, but neither put a timeline on his preference. Werenski also held a press conference Aug. 18 at Nationwide Arena to further clear the air a month before training camp, and the biggest takeaway was continued uncertainty.
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While he'd like to remain with the Blue Jackets beyond the final two years of his contract, Werenski also wants to get a legitimate chance to win the Stanley Cup – something that's been almost non-existent in Columbus for a quarter century.
Had questions about Werenski's future not arisen, he'd almost certainly have the captaincy by now. Bowness, however, wasn't willing to travel down that hypothetical path.
"That's, uh, you know ... this is the way we're going," he said. "So, this is the best situation for everyone."
Werenski agreed.
"I think it's great," he said. "We're going to have a lot of guys who are leaders who are going to have voices in that room, so I think it's good."
It shouldn't feel strange for the Jackets, either.
Thanks to a litany of injuries that sidelines Jenner the past three seasons, they've spent plenty of time playing without a captain in the locker room. Two years ago, while the Jackets started the season with Jenner shelved following shoulder surgery and mourning the tragic loss of Johnny Gaudreau, Werenski stepped to the forefront as their biggest voice and presence in the locker room.
He'll continue in that capacity now, while leaving room for other voices to pipe up.
"I feel like we have a lot of young guys that have been through a lot here," Werenski said. "Obviously, the older guys and vets have been through a lot in their careers. So, we have a great blend, a great mix of guys that can offer a different perspective on things, and I think it's going to be good for our room to have all those different perspectives and guys leading in different ways and with different viewpoints. I'm excited for our team this year."
Becoming a captain, however, is something he'd relish in the future.
"It's a huge honor to be captain of an NHL team," Werenski said. "There's only 32 of them, so I think at some point down the road, if that presents itself, that would be a huge honor. But I'm definitely not thinking of that right now. I'm just getting ready for a good year ahead and get ready for [the season opener]."
Dispatch Blue Jackets/Crew reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets opt for no captain this season
