New Islanders captain John Tavares poses for a photo with coach Jack Capuano and GM Garth Snow.
nhl.com

The Islanders have a new captain. In a move that had been expected, John Tavares was named captain at a Monday press conference. At 22, he becomes the 14th captain in franchise history.

In 2013, Tavares led the Islanders to their first postseason since ’07. His 28 goals and 47 points paced them along with nine power play goals and five game-winners. Facing the powerful Pens, Tavares and company pushed the East’s top seed before falling in six games. He tallied three goals and two assists totaling five points in the first round. Following the season, he finished third for the Hart Trophy, which was awarded to Alex Ovechkin. Sidney Crosby finished second.

After Mark Streit departed inking a deal with the Flyers, Tavares was in line for team captaincy. Being the headliner as the Islanders prepare for 2013-14, he’ll be asked to assume the mantle. A move he welcomes with open arms.

“It’s obviously one heck of an honor to be named captain of the New York Islanders, to have the respect of your teammates, the organization, our great fans and everyone involved with the club,” an excited Tavares told a group of reporters. “There have been so many great past captains and obviously the last two have meant a lot to me. Hopefully I can carry the team in a way they did and learn from the great friendships that I have with them.”

“He’s a top player in the league, but he has a grinder’s mentality when it comes to work ethic and practicing the right way,” Islanders general manager Garth Snow said. “He’s a great leader and deserves to be the 14th captain in Islanders history.”

As the Islanders enter the next chapter, they have a solid core in place. Tavares will be asked to lead a group that includes Matt Moulson, Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, Frans Nielsen, Michael Grabner, Matt Martin, Travis Hamonic, Andrew MacDonald and Evgeni Nabokov. Can they do it over 82 in a competitive Metro Division?

“I don’t think being named captain is going to change a whole lot, but it’s a great honor,” Tavares added. “We certainly have the opportunity to build on last season’s strong performance. It’s up to us to prove ourselves and it’s not going to get any easier for us this year. What we’ve accomplished so far doesn’t mean anything unless we can take advantage of what’s ahead of us.”