ST. LOUIS – Days before NHL training camps are set to take place, the St. Louis Blues announced a Tuesday morning press conference to announce the next Blues captain. General Manager Doug Armstrong and head coach Craig Berube took the head table with longtime Blue Brayden Schenn to announce him as the 24th and newest captain of the franchise. Justin Faulk, Robert Thomas, and Colton Parayko were also named as alternate captains for the 2023-24 season.
Schenn, 32, has been with the Blues for six seasons after the Blues traded for the established centerman in Philadelphia for Jori Lehtera and two first round picks. Schenn was drafted 5th overall by Los Angeles in 2009 and has been a consistent 40-point scorer ever since. Schenn, of course, also hoisted the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019 and was instrumental in their playoff run.
“Brayden Schenn has experience, courage, toughness, and knowledge that is needed for this group now and moving forward,” Doug Armstrong said of Schenn. “When I got to the criteria that was most important for this team moving forward, Schenn was the natural option.”
“The St. Louis Blues have a pretty historic franchise with many great leaders,” Brayden said in the press conference. “[From] The Plager brothers and Bernie Federko [to] Gretzky, Hull, Pronger, and MacInnis; so, to be in history with the St. Louis Blues, it’s a pretty special and tremendous honor, and I’m excited for the opportunity and challenge. We have a vision for this team; we have goals that we are going to achieve. Everyone’s hungry and ready to go this year.”
“Brayden’s [got] experience for sure. Great character, toughness,” coach Craig Berube said of Schenn. “Off the ice, you don’t see all the little things he does. The work he puts in every day, how he treats and supports his teammates. And then on the ice, you guys see what he does. You know, he brings toughness, he brings scoring, he brings all the intangibles that go into a captain.”
Schenn will enter his 15th year in the NHL as a first-time captain and his seventh season with the Blues. Schenn has 341 points in 425 games with St. Louis.