With the recent trade of former Team Captain Mathias Seger(@Segi), The Minnesota Monarchs franchise has polled it's players and management throughout the preseason to elect a new slate of Team Captains.
I first want to take a second as the Head GM to thank Segi for the 11 seasons he spent as a Monarch. He and I have spent our entire SHL career's together and it will be strange not seeing him on the same side of the ice. He has been an integral part of our franchise since S46 and we wish him luck in LAP as he looks to help them make a deep playoff push.
As a GM, my philosophy has always been that Team Captains should be a position elected by the team. Captains are nothing without the support of their team and their leadership is invaluable to a team's LR and I am glad to say we have amazing people leading the charge.
Normally we would elect 1 Team Captain and 2 Alternates. But we had a tie in the voting process for the 2nd Alternate Captain. Therefore I have elected to have the 2nd Alternate Captain spot be split between the two as the Home Alternate Captain and Away Alternate Captain. With that being said, I would like to start by announcing the alternates for the S59 Minnesota Monarchs.
Our Home Alternate Captain is a young rising star who is sure to be a major focus of the Monarch defense for many seasons. They were taken 2nd overall in the S57 SHL Entry Draft and made their SHL debut last season. They have come to our franchise with a passion and will soon be dominating the SHL as they continue to grow.
Our Away Alternate Captain was selected 32nd in the S56 SHL Entry Draft. They have a history with the franchise and are a fantastic part of our locker room. They are debuting this season as a rookie forward and we have high hopes for all that they can accomplish as a Monarch.
Our final Alternate Captain has been with the franchise since being drafted 2nd overall in the S52 SHL Entry draft. They retain their spot as Alternate Captain as a vital part of our offense on the ice and their leadership in the locker room. They made their SHL debut in S55 and have been a top point scorer for the franchise ever since.
Finally I would like to announce the new Team Captain of the Minnesota Monarchs. This player has a unique history with the team. They were drafted to Manhatten before being traded to Minnesota. They left in free agency after a few seasons for New Orleans where they won a Challenge Cup. They were once again traded back to Minnesota and have been a constant ray of light in our locker room. They are an elite forward and an invaluable mentor to the rising stars of today. They previously served as Alternate Captain during both stints with the team.
I want to congratulate all of our Team Captains as we enter Season 59. I am extremely proud to have you as locker room leaders and more importantly as friends. I know we will accomplish great things going forward with your help.