When Bo Horvat took a call from Head Coach Peter DeBoer last week, he had no idea what the subject matter was going to be.
As it turns out, the phone call was to inform Horvat that he was going to be the 16th captain in the Islanders’ 54-year history.
“I didn’t expect it,” said Horvat. “It definitely caught me by surprise but I couldn’t be more honored to be wearing that letter and representing Long Island. (DeBoer) is the guy who told me first and then (General Manager Mathieu) Darche followed it up after that. It was pretty cool to get that call and to talk to them about it.”
Horvat takes over the captain reigns on Long Island following the departure of longtime captain Anders Lee who signed as a free agent with the Utah Mammoth after Lee and the Islanders could not come to terms on a new contract.
After Horvat was told he would be the captain, the Islanders reached out to Lee to inform him of the news and…well…if you know Anders Lee, you know what happened next…
…he called Horvat to congratulate him.
“Talk about a first-class human being,” said Horvat. “It’s going to be huge shoes to fill. He did so many great things for this organization, not only on the ice but off the ice in the community and in the organization. We’re going to miss him. He was a true leader and a true captain. I’m going to have to follow in his footsteps.”
Not only will Horvat have to follow in the footsteps of Lee, but he also joins a fraternity of former captains that features Denis Potvin, who captained the Islanders to four consecutive Stanley Cups. Other captains in Islanders history include Eddie Westfall, Clark Gilles, Brent Sutter, Kenny Jonsson, Michael Peca, and John Tavares.
And now, Horvat wants to join an even more exclusive list…
…to join Potvin as the second captain in Islanders history to the lead the team to a Stanley Cup.
Bo HorvatPeter Schwartz
“There’s a huge history in this organization and a successful history and we want to repeat that,” said Horvat. “Our ultimate goal is to win the Stanley Cup here and bring the Stanley Cup back to Long Island. I want to be a reason that happens and I think we’re building towards that.”
Horvat, who wore the A as an alternate captain last season, is no stranger to being the captain as he wore the C for the Vancouver Canucks from 2019 until January of 2023 when he was traded to the Islanders.
And now, he’s once again the captain of an NHL team.
“It’s so special…I mean it’s amazing,” said Horvat. “It’s always such an honor and such a privilege. It’s something obviously that I don’t take lightly. I’m very proud to be a part of this organization.”
The decision to name Horvat the captain was a fairly easy decision for DeBoer and the Islanders. He is universally beloved by the entire organization, especially the players, so appointing him as the new captain is about a no-brainer as can be.
DeBoer referenced Horvat’s captaincy in Vancouver and the time that he spent with Horvat this past February with Team Canada that gave him a first-hand look at what kind of leader Horvat is.
“He’s been a captain before and my experience with him at the Olympics,” said DeBoer who said that forward Kyle Palmieri and defenseman Ryan Puock will continue to be alternate captains for the Islanders.
“I spent three weeks with him there and saw how he operates and what he’s about. I had a real comfort level with what he was going to bring in that spot.”
And, to nobody’s surprise, the players are thrilled with the decision to have Horvat as the new captain.
“So many guys can learn so much from him,” said defenseman Matthew Schaefer. “Everybody respects him and listens to what he has to say. Even if he wasn’t wearing a letter, everybody looks up to him.”
I think it’s well-deserved,” said Palmieri. “He’s a great leader, great friend, and awesome teammate. Couldn’t ask for a better captain. We’re excited to have Bo as our leader.”
“He’s a guy who is loved in the room and he’s a great player on the ice,” said defenseman Tony DeAngelo. “He’s a good leader. He leads by example with the way he plays. It’s a great choice by the team.”
Bo HorvatPeter Schwartz
Already a leader during his time with the Islanders, Horvat now embraces the added responsibilities of being the captain and being the players’ direct link to DeBoer and the coaching staff.
But with that new “C” on his jersey, Horvat is not going to stray from who he has been, but he also acknowledges that he’s grown as a player and a person since being the captain in Vancouver.
“There are things that I have to do on a daily basis and lead by example,” said Horvat. “I’m not going to be the loudest guy in the room. That’s just not who I am. You always learn different things. You always want to better yourself, not only leadership wise but on the ice. There are definitely things that I would change and things I wanted to work on and I’ll have to bring those things to the island.”
Oh, and one more thing on Horvat’s to-do list as he gets ready to lead the Islanders into the start of training camp later this week at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow.
He’ll have to bring any jerseys that his wife Holly and children Gunnar, Tulsa, and Lainey Lynne have into the Islanders team store and get the A’s replaced with C’s.
This is going to be particularly special for his children.
“It’s really cool,” said Horvat. “It’s awesome having kids young. They’re going to remember me playing and remember a lot of it, especially as they get older. Having a letter on your jersey and being a captain of an NHL team is very special but to share it with my family is going to make it even that more special.”
Peter DeBoer said on Monday that there was a discussion about who the new Islanders captain would be and that discussion even included 19-year-old Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer. At the end of the day, all roads led back to Bo Horvat who hopes to lead the Islanders to the playoffs and ultimately to a Stanley Cup.
