Capitals prospects Karl Alzner and Josh Godfrey were named to the Canadian junior team on Friday. The Canadian Press profiled Alzner, and Alzner showed that he’s already thinking ahead to his duties as captain:
Alzner was preparing a few one-liners to break pre-game tension. “Maybe a couple movie quotes,” he said. “That always cracks guys up a bit. You want to save some of those for just before game time so guys can relax a little bit. I’ve heard some stories of some pretty good leaders in the NHL doing it.”
What about the legacy left behind by former junior team captains such as Michael Richards, Jarret Stoll, Eric Lindros, and Theo Fleury?
“I’m in great company now and I want to make sure I don’t disappoint,” Alzner said. “I want to be known as not only as a guy who helped out in this tournament, but one of the better leaders and I think I have a great opportunity with the young team to help do that.”
Coach Craig Hartsburg feels comfortable with Alzner and his capabilities, calling him a “a good level-headed kid who will really give us good leadership.”
Four alternate captains were designated, and Hartsburg had this to say about the team leadership:
“(On) every team the captains are important but the leadership on this team will be very important if they can, in the dressing room, sift through some of the things that are going to happen to us,” Hartsburg said. “In this tournament, with referees and the emotion in the building, or maybe some nights no emotion in the building, it’s very important we have a group to help us fight through that stuff. They’ve been through it with the Russian series and Karl was there last year, so we feel comfortable they’ll keep us on the right path in the dressing room.”
With four alternate captains, it’s an honor for Alzner to be chosen as the leader. There’s no doubt that he’ll excel in the role. I’m looking forward to seeing how he performs with the Caps, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later. Alzner is precisely the kind of player any hockey team would love to have.
One Comment
I love Alzner. Every time you see his name in print it’s good news.
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