Blackhawks: The five longest tenured captains in team history

The Chicago Blackhawks have had a number of captains over the course of their 90 plus seasons in the NHL, but only a few stand out from the rest when it comes to how long they have been with the team.

The Chicago Blackhawks captain position has seen a lot of different players wear the C over the course of their time in the NHL. Who are the five longest-tenured captains?

A lot of different Blackhawks legends wore the C on their uniform, from Stan Mikita to Jonathan Toews the C has been worn by some of the best players around. Starting up the list of the top five players is an older name:

5. Johnny Gottselig -222 NHL games

From 1935 – 1940

Johnny Gottselig was captain of the Hawks from 1935 through 1940. It is interesting that the list of top five captains begins with a Johnny and ends with a Johnny. Gottselig was with the Blackhawks from 1928-1945 and during that time he won two Stanley Cups and was an all-star one time. Gottselig also coached for four seasons his teams in Chicago put up a 62-105-20 record.

4. Darryl Sutter – 282 NHL Games

From 1982 -1987

Darryl Sutter was one of my Dad’s favorite Blackhawks he watched. Sutter was captain of the Blackhawks for 282 games and during that time he put up a few really good point totals including a 61 point season in 1982. Sutter was a relatively young captain being given the C in 1982 when he was just 24 years old at the time.

3. Chris Chelios – 299 NHL Games

From 1995 -1999

Chris Chelios captained the Blackhawks for 299 games from 1995-1999. While the Hawks were not that great during that run, Chelios was. He put up point totals of 72, 38, 39, and 26 during his final four seasons in Chicago before heading to Detroit.

2. Dirk Graham – 504 NHL Games

From 1988 -1995

Dirk Graham was with the Hawks during one of their last really good sets of seasons before the dark times of the early 2000s. Graham was a great reliable captain for Chicago and if it was not for Jonathan Toews being drafted third overall by the Blackhawks, Graham probably would be at the top of this list.

Through eight seasons with the Blackhawks, Graham put up 152 goals and 343 assists. He also coached the team for a season in 1998-99.

1. Jonathan Toews – 879 NHL games (and counting)

From 2008 – present

Jonathan Toews has won three Stanley Cups and is on the way to being one of the best players in the entire franchise history – he already is. Toews will get his number retired with the team and is already way ahead of the competition when it comes to being the longest-tenured and best captain in team history.

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