Thomas Chabot named captain of the Ottawa Senators

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators have named defenceman Thomas Chabot as the 11th captain in franchise history.

The announcement was made Tuesday, with Chabot taking over the role from Brady Tkachuk, who wore the 'C' for five seasons before being traded to the Florida Panthers this off-season.

"Thomas exemplifies everything we want in an Ottawa Senator," Senators president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios said in a statement. "He's committed to the city and to the organization. He puts the team first."

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Chabot, 29, becomes the first francophone captain in team history. He was informed of the decision after practice with his wife, Marion, and newborn daughter, Romy, on hand.

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

The native of Sainte-Marie, Que., has spent his entire 10-year NHL career with the Senators since the club drafted him 18th overall in 2015. His 569 games played is the most on the current team and 11th all-time in franchise history.

In those 569 games, he has recorded 78 goals and 257 assists for 335 points, ranking 13th in franchise history and third among defencemen.

"Ottawa feels like home. It really does," Chabot said. "We bought our first house here. We started our family here. Becoming captain here is a huge honour."

Staios noted that Chabot's experience through tough times and adversity was a key factor in the decision.

"He's been here for a decade and he's seen a lot," Staios said. "I think part of leadership is experience, [going] through tough times, dealing with adversity and learning."

The Senators' leadership group will be rounded out by alternate captains Claude Giroux, Jake Sanderson and Tim Stützle.

Head coach Travis Green said Chabot's communication skills were important.

"You want a captain that can communicate with your players and coaching staff and help guide players along any way he can," Green said. "I think he'll be able to check all the boxes."

Chabot has been an alternate captain for the team and was considered a strong voice during Tkachuk's tenure. He missed the playoffs in his first seven seasons with Ottawa but helped lead the team to the post-season in each of the past two springs, recording one goal and three assists in 10 playoff games.

With the appointment, only the Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings do not currently have a captain.

Chabot succeeds a list of captains that includes Daniel Alfredsson, Erik Karlsson and, most recently, Brady Tkachuk.

The Senators open their season on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

With files from CityNews, CBC News and Ottawa Citizen