Claude Giroux’s Rank Among Philadelphia Flyers Captains

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Flyers forward Claude Giroux is set to become the all-time franchise leader in games played as team captain when the team takes on the New Jersey Devils tonight. His 611th game with the “C” on his chest will eclipse the record previously held by icon Bobby Clarke.

The 33 year old Giroux, in his 14th season with the team and 9th as captain, will eventually retire as one of the top five Flyers in history. The captaincy record should be a great honor for Giroux, who is also on pace to pass Bill Barber this season as the franchise’s second all-time leading point scorer.

Amongst the best of all time, the anointed savior, the aging veterans, and a young star who left with unfinished business, where does Claude Giroux fit in the ranks of Flyers captains all-time?

Bobby Clarke

Bobby Clarke is unquestionably the best captain and most successful player in the storied history of the franchise. Clarke is the all-time leader in points, assists, games played, and plus/minus (just to name a few). Clarke’s status as the quintessential Flyers captain and the face of the Broad Street Bullies is defined by back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1973-74 and 1974-75.

Eric Lindros

Eric Lindros held the Flyers captaincy for parts of 6 seasons, some of which were marred by injuries. Lindros is potentially the most dominant Flyer in history, but his legacy in the lineage of team captains will forever be defined by disappointing playoff exits and off-ice drama surrounding his recurring injuries.

The respective Flyers captaincies of Claude Giroux and Eric Lindros share some common themes. Both G and Big E have endured intense criticism from the fanbase at times, largely due to the fact that they’ve fallen short of the ultimate goal of a Stanley Cup.

However, Lindros still ranks ahead of Giroux having captained the team to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 1996-97 coupled with his status as an elite NHL player during this time frame.

Eric Lindros, Philadelphia Flyers (Graig Abel/Getty Images) /

Mike Richards

Mike Richards served as Flyers captain for three seasons. The legacy of Richards is not agreed upon within the team’s fanbase. Some remember the hard-nosed two way forward who played a gritty style representative to the franchise’s identity.

However, others point to legitimate off-ice concerns that ultimately factored heavily in the end of Richards’ tenure after a stunning trade following the 2010-11 season. The highest mark of Richards’ captaincy is the Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2009-10, but I rank Giroux narrowly ahead of Richards in the pecking order due to the longevity factor and maturity as a team leader.

Mike Richards and Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Respected Flyers Veterans- Keith Primeau, Eric Desjardins, Kevin Dineen, Rick Tocchet, Ron Sutter, Dave Poulin, Bill Barber, Mel Bridgman, Ed Van Impe, Lou Angotti

The Flyers captaincy has frequently been entrusted to veterans with long tenures. Barber briefly captained the team in the early 80’s in between Clarke’s two stints. Rick Tocchet, Kevin Dineen, and Eric Desjardins all wore the “C” in the 90’s surrounding the tenure of Lindros. Keith Primeau captained the team amidst a short run with the same core left over from the Lindros era, most notably reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2003-04.

Perhaps the most overlooked Flyers captain is Dave Poulin. Despite lacking a reputation as a star player, Poulin wore the “C” for 6 seasons and led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 1984-85 and 1986-87 seasons. He won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward for the 1986-87 season. The argument can be made for Poulin to sit atop Giroux or Richards as the third best captain in Flyers history.

Dave Poulin, Philadelphia Flyers (Graig Abel/Getty Images) /

Veterans with past acumen with other NHL franchises- Chris Pronger, Jason Smith, Peter Forsberg, Derian Hatcher

The Flyers franchise has a reputation, albeit sometimes to their detriment, of utilizing veteran players who have experienced past success with other NHL franchises. The two most notable captains who fit this profile are Peter Forsberg and Chris Pronger.

Forsberg was a heralded free agent signing following the NHL lockout that cancelled the 2004-05 season but failed to recreate his success with the Colorado Avalanche in Philadelphia. Pronger was beloved among the Flyers fanbase but played minimally as captain due to a career ending injury suffered early in his only season with the title. He was seen as an integral team leader prior to receiving the captaincy.

Chris Pronger, Philadelphia Flyers (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

For my money, Giroux is third best captain in franchise history behind Clarke and Lindros. However, the book is not closed on his legacy among the fanbase. The Flyers emerging young core is the deepest pool of talent that Giroux has played with during his captaincy.

As an already trusted long-term captain, Giroux still has a chance to cement his place in Flyers history alongside Clarke with playoff success in the coming seasons and a Stanley Cup to his name.

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