In the end, the Flyers decided not to delay the inevitable.
Claude Giroux was named Flyers captain Tuesday evening, according to GM Paul Holmgren. He becomes the 19th captain in franchise history. Kimmo Timonen will serve as associate captain, while Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere will be alternate captains.
“Claude is the undisputed leader of this team,” Holmgren said. “He always exhibits a tremendous work ethic in games and practices. He is a great professional both on and off the ice.”
“Basically, we have some veterans who are really solid guys and have been captains and could be captains, but I think they realize along with us that this is Claude’s time,” said chairman Ed Snider. “He is our leader and without a doubt our best player, and is one of the premier players in the NHL right now.”
Earlier in the day, there were reports that the Flyers would make the announcement Thursday night in front of fans at an open practice inside the Wells Fargo Center. Now, Giroux will skate out with the C proudly displayed on his chest.
“Obviously, this is a huge honor,” Giroux said. “There have been a lot of great captains here in the past. Along with this comes a lot of responsibility, which I am prepared for. Being named captain is not really going to change the way I play on the ice and act off the ice. But I am very excited about this opportunity.”
Giroux, 25, has been with the Flyers for five seasons. His 93 points (28 goals, 65 assists) was the most posted by a Flyer since Eric Lindros had 93 in 1998-99. He finished third in the NHL in scoring and led the league in power-play scoring (six goals, 32 assists).
