Blues name new captain

The St. Louis Blues named center Brayden Schenn the 24th captain in franchise history.

He succeeds center Ryan O’Reilly in the position, months after the Blues traded O’Reilly to the Toronto Maple Leafs. As one of the Blues’ more senior players, Schenn is a natural choice for the role.

Schenn has served as an alternate captain in St. Louis for the last three seasons, and in that span, he has been a consistent, productive second-line center for the club.

He helped the Blues lift their first Stanley Cup in 2019 and is coming off two of the best seasons in his career. He scored at a 77-point, 82-game pace in 2021-22 and scored 65 points in 2022-23.

Alongside Schenn, Robert Thomas, Justin Faulk and Colton Parayko have been named assistant captains as part of the leadership core. Thomas and Parayko wore the “A” last season as well, while Faulk earns a letter in St. Louis for the first time. He previously served in a leadership role, both as an alternate captain and the captain of the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Blues can expect to have Schenn, 32, as their captain for quite a while despite his age. That’s because Schenn is under contract through the 2027-28 season at a $6.5M cap hit.

As the Blues transition to a roster more focused on young talent after missing the playoffs last season, the club confirmed that Schenn will be the team’s official leader for its next competitive phase.