Blackhawks round out leadership group, naming Patrick Kane & Tyler Bertuzzi as alternate captains

The Chicago Blackhawks had a big day on Sept. 15, the day before the players report for training camp. The organization announced Connor Bedard as the 37th captain of the franchise, and additionally named Patrick Kane and Tyler Bertuzzi as the official alternate captains.  

This comes as no surprise, as many thought Kane might even be named captain over Bedard. Bertuzzi was also the alternate captain (alongside Bedard) at the tail end of the 2025-26 season. With Bedard, Kane and Bertuzzi in place as the leadership group, the Blackhawks are in good hands. Let’s look at what both Kane and Bertuzzi bring to the table as the alternate captains.

Kane's success & experience will benefit the young Blackhawks

After Kane returned to Chicago and signed a two-year contract with the Blackhawks, there was a faction of the fanbase who thought he should be named the captain for this season and next. While that didn’t come to fruition, the 37-year-old was given an alternate captain title instead.

Kane brings a lot of awesome things to the table. He’s a veteran superstar who’s won three Stanley Cups with Chicago. He most certainly can show these young Blackhawks what it takes to win, and he undoubtedly has the most experience on the roster.

But making Kane the captain would be counterintuitive to the leadership progress the Blackhawks have been developing since his departure. It’s the kid’s team now, with Bedard leading the way. However, Kane can most certainly make an impact alongside Bedard as an alternate. His experience will go a long way in the locker room, and his elite play should be super beneficial to help propel this group to the next level.

Bertuzzi will remain an alternate captain

We all know Bertuzzi was given an “A” alongside Bedard last season after the former leadership group left at the trade deadline. The 31-year-old has been in Chicago since the 2024-25 season, so he knows the group and is familiar with the organization. Plus, he crossed paths with head coach Jeff Blashill when they were both with the Detroit Red Wings.

It’s obvious Blashill loves the grizzled vet and his lead-by-example leadership style. It might be a bit unconventional with the media, and on the outside looking in. But there’s no doubt his style fits inside the Blackhawk’s locker room and on the ice.

I provided a fitting quote from Blashill about Bertuzzi in a piece about potential leadership earlier in the month. But today I’d like to share a different one. This is my favorite quote on Bertuzzi from the 2025-26 campaign. It came after a game on Oct. 28 versus the Ottawa Senators, where Bertuzzi was particularly feisty in defending his teammates. Said Blashill,

“I’ve been around Tyler a long time. Tyler is a foxhole guy, man. I’ll take him all day, every day, on any team I’ve ever coached. He’s a foxhole guy, and you want him in your foxhole. And he’ll stick up for himself, stick up for his teammates. He kind of embodies what we want to be as a group.” 

This is the kind of identity and culture the Blackhawks have been trying to build. One where you compete hard and battle for each other. Bertuzzi exemplifies that, which helps set the tone for the younger players.

Everyone is a leader with the Blackhawks

Two notable players who were left off the “official” leadership group are Alex Vlasic and Frank Nazar.

Vlasic is the longest tenured Blackhawk, headed into his fourth full season with the Blackhawks and his sixth season with the organization. He’s also 25 years old, which is on the “veteran” side of the current youth movement. He’s had plenty of time to establish himself in the locker room and with the team. He also says he wants to emulate former teammate and alternate captain Connor Murphy, which is an incredible role model to build on.

Nazar has plenty of charisma, and brings tons of energy to the team both on and off the ice. He’s also considered a key member of the Blackhawk’s young core. Many think of Bedard and Nazar as the next Toews and Kane. Nazar also obviously has plenty of talent and potential to be a successful NHL player for a very long time.

However, it’s pretty hard not to award Kane with a letter, considering his legendary status in Chicago. Unfortunately, this means both Vlasic and Nazar will have to wait their turn. I’m sure they’ll both be top candidates to don the “A” if one of the others is out due to injury.

As a matter of fact, we’ll likely see that right away, since Bedard is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, and expected to be out for the beginning of the season.

Besides, no one in this group needs a letter on their sweater to consider himself a leader. They see each other as a close-knit family. Everyone is encouraged to be true to themselves and contribute in their own way. Bedard said it best in his press conference, when he was first introduced as captain. “There’s not just one leader in our group, we have 22 of them.”

The Blackhawks are in a good place with their new leadership group. They’ll have Bedard leading the way, Kane and Bertuzzi in strong supporting roles, and plenty of other players willing to speak up when needed.

It’s an exciting time to be a Blackhawk’s fan.

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