The Dallas Stars promoted Jamie Benn to the captaincy on Sept. 19, 2013, replacing Brenden Morrow. For the past 14 seasons, the 18-year veteran has led the franchise, which played in the 2020 Stanley Cup Final and three consecutive Western Conference Finals in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Today, at 37, Benn is still one of a handful of players still skating without a visor and is signed to a one-year deal that concludes at the end of the 2026-27 season. Since he’s been wearing the “C” for almost 15 seasons, he’s quietly become one of the longest-serving captains in NHL history. Which legendary players have shared the honor with the current Stars captain?
NHL’s longest-tenured captains of all time
Zdeno Chara (Boston Bruins)
14 seasons (October 3, 2006 - August 31, 2020)
Although Zdeno Chara never got to finish his career with the Boston Bruins, where he achieved his greatest success, he did become the tallest captain in NHL history at 6-foot-9 when the Original Six team put the “C” on his sweater in 2006. With the Bruins, he helped the franchise break a 39-year championship drought by winning the Stanley Cup in 2011, two years after he won his only Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman. Since his retirement, the Bruins have retired his number, and he entered the Hall of Fame in 2025.
Jamie Benn (Dallas Stars)
14 seasons (Sept. 19, 2013 - Present)
As of this writing, Benn is sitting at 999 points and is about to collect his 1,000th, becoming the sixth player on this list to reach the milestone. Like so many NHL captains today, he’s spent his entire career with Dallas, leading the team to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final. Moreover, Benn won the Art Ross Trophy in 2014-15 as the league’s leading scorer, becoming the first Stars player to win the award. At 37, he would need a couple more seasons to chase down all of Mike Modano’s franchise records for games played, goals, and points, but either way, he’ll be regarded as one of the best players in franchise history.
Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks)
15 seasons (July 18, 2008 - April 13, 2023)
Given the rich history of the Chicago Blackhawks, Jonathan Toews is the only captain to hoist the Stanley Cup on three occasions, in 2010, 2013, and 2015. Although he never scored at the same rate as his longtime running mate Patrick Kane, Toews became known as “Captain Serious,” bringing a defensive presence to the lineup, which helped him win the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 2013. The one-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner is one of the greatest Blackhawks of all time and will always be remembered in the Windy City for his leadership on and off the ice.
Ray Bourque (Boston Bruins)
15 seasons (1985-1988 co-captain, 1988-2000 solo)
Defenseman Ray Bourque scored 1,579 points in his career, making him the 13th-highest-scoring player of all time. The five-time Norris Trophy winner was the longest-serving captain in NHL history by 2000, wearing the “C” in Boston for 15 seasons. Although he departed New England to win his lone Stanley Cup in Colorado, the 19-time All-Star remains the Bruins' all-time leading scorer and is now a big part of their alumni program.
Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche)
15 seasons (Sept. 4, 2012 - Present)
Gabriel Landeskog became the second Swedish-born captain to hoist the Stanley Cup in 2022, following in the footsteps of the legendary Niklas Lidström. As the second overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, he has spent his entire career with the Colorado Avalanche, winning the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 2012. Although injuries forced him to miss almost three years of hockey, Landeskog won the Mark Messier Leadership Award and the Bill Masterton Trophy for his ability to come back.
Joe Sakic (Quebec Nordiques & Colorado Avalanche)
16 seasons (1990-91 co-captain, 1992-2009 solo)
Historically, there is no official date for the day when Joe Sakic became co-captain of the Quebec Nordiques for the 1990-91 season, a role he earned for home games, while Steven Finn wore the “C” for away games. After becoming an alternate for the 1991-92 season, he regained the captaincy for the 1992-93 season and didn't relinquish it until his retirement in 2009. During his Hall of Fame career, he won the Stanley Cup twice, capturing the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1996. He ranks 11th all-time in scoring with 1,691 points and won several individual awards, including the Hart Trophy in 2001.
Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)
18 seasons (Jan. 5, 2010 - Present)
Alex Ovechkin may have had to wait to make his NHL debut after becoming the top pick in the 2004 Draft due to the lockout, so one can only imagine how many more goals he’d have with an extra year on his resume. As the only player in history to score 900 goals, there’s no denying that The Great 8 is the greatest goal scorer of all time. Just like so many legends before him, Ovechkin is one of the most decorated skaters in NHL history and could have his own wing at the Hockey Hall of Fame. As of 2026, he remains the only Russian-born captain to raise the Stanley Cup.
Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings)
19 seasons (October 7, 1986 - May 1, 2006)
Steve Yzerman was one of the Detroit Red Wings' best players of all time, joining a list featuring Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio, who all wore the iconic winged wheel sweater for two decades. During Yzerman's 22 seasons in Detroit, he spent 19 as captain, establishing an NHL record upon his retirement in 2006. He was a three-time Stanley Cup winner, helping the Original Six club break a 55-year championship drought in 1997. Although Howe set many untouchable franchise records, Yzerman ranks second in almost every statistical category and is one of six players ever to produce a 150-point season in the NHL.
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
20 seasons (May 31, 2007 - Present)
The Pittsburgh Penguins have had some of the game's greatest players, including Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux. For almost two decades, Lemieux did incredible things, setting records many thought would never be broken, until Sidney Crosby came along. The three-time Stanley Cup winner is now the Penguins’ all-time leading scorer and is on the verge of becoming the fifth player ever to score 1,800 points. Moreover, Crosby has been wearing the “C” for 20 seasons, breaking the NHL record for longest-tenured captain, a milestone once held by Yzerman.
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