ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Blues have announced its 24th captain in franchise history.
Brayden Schenn has been named the captain of the Blues for the 2023-24 NHL season. The team made the announcement on Tuesday ahead of training camp beginning on Sept. 21.
"It's a pretty special day, standing up here being the captain of the St. Louis Blues," Schenn said during a press conference Tuesday. "...It's pretty special and it's a tremendous honor and I'm excited for the opportunity and challenge."
Schenn, 32, began his career with the Los Angeles Kings and played his first NHL game in 2009. He was later traded to the Philadelphia Flyers where he spent six seasons with the team.
He was traded to the Blues in 2017 from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Jori Lehtera and two first-round picks.
In the 2017-18 season, he recorded career highs in goals (28), assists (42) and points (70). He was part of the 2019 Stanley Cup-winning Blues team, scoring five goals and 12 points in 26 postseason games.
The Blues signed him to an eight-year, $52 million contract extension in 2019.
Last season, he played in all 82 regular-season games for the Blues and recorded 65 points (21 goals and 44 assists).
"Brayden, experience for sure, great character, toughness. He's been a Blue here for five, six years now. He's learned from different captains that he's talked about. He's won." Head coach Craig Berube said about Schenn as captain. "He leads by example. His teammates are here supporting him."
President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong also announced that Robert Thomas, Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk will serve as assistant captains during the 2023-24 season.
Ryan O Reilly was previously named captain of the Blues in 2020 following the departure of Alex Pietrangelo. He spent three seasons wearing the "C" before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the trade deadline in 2023. O'Reilly has since signed with the Nashville Predators.
The Blues will open training camp on Thursday, Sept. 21. Sixty-one players will join the team, fighting for a spot on the opening night roster.
The team's first preseason camp will begin on Saturday, Sept. 23, against the Arizona Coyotes with a split squad. One game will take place at 2 p.m. and the second at 7 p.m.
The 2023-24 season will begin on the road at 7 p.m. on Oct. 12 against the Dallas Stars. The team's first home game will be on Saturday, Oct. 14 against the Seattle Kraken.
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