The San Jose Sharks haven't had a captain since Joe Thornton wore the "C" in the 2013-14 season, but coach Peter DeBoer said that will change this season.
"I feel very confident by the first game of the season, we'll have a captain," DeBoer told 95.7 The Game in San Jose on Wednesday. "It's not something we are going to drag around as a distraction this year. We're going to move past that. I think the players are ready for that too; they just want to play some hockey and get this thing back on track."
DeBoer was named coach of the Sharks in May. He replaced Todd McLellan, who had coached San Jose for the previous seven seasons. DeBoer was fired by the New Jersey Devils midway through last season.
The Sharks had four alternate captains (Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau and Marc-Edouard Vlasic) in 2014-15. DeBoer said he has many players worthy of being named captain or alternate captain.
"For me, it's always been about the leadership group," he said. "That's the one great thing about San Jose: Whoever we decide to put the 'C' on or the 'A's' on, that leadership group is going to run much deeper than the letters those guys are wearing.
"There's very few Mark Messiers in the world who can come into any locker room and be a captain and lead the way he did. Those guys are almost generational players and leaders. A lot of teams now really lead by committee, and that's what we're looking to do in San Jose."
DeBoer also said he is a fan of the NHL's new overtime format, which will be 3-on-3 for five minutes in order to try to reduce the number of games decided by a shootout.
"The quicker we can get rid of [the shootout], the better," DeBoer said. "I love 3-on-3…. I think it's going to be awesome."
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