Stanley Cup handoff offers many options for captains

Every hockey player dreams of winning the Stanley Cup. After NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman hands it to the captain of the winning team, the question becomes who will receive it next.

In 2001, Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic didn't lift the Cup; instead, he handed it to defenseman Ray Bourque, who had just completed his 22nd NHL season by winning his first championship. In 2018, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin gave it to longtime linemate Nicklas Backstrom. In 2019, St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo handed it to defenseman Jay Bouwmeester after he won it for the first time in 16 NHL seasons.

Who could get the first handoff this season? A rookie, a veteran or someone who's lifted it before?

Here's a look at who could get the first handoff for each of the 16 teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs:

Arizona Coyotes: Captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson to forward Derek Stepan

Ekman-Larsson likely would hand the Cup to Stepan, an alternate captain who has become a leader since he was acquired in a trade from the New York Rangers on June 23, 2017.

Second choice: Niklas Hjalmarsson

Boston Bruins: Captain Zdeno Chara to goalie Tuukka Rask

Chara is the longest-tenured captain in the NHL, having had that role since the 2006-07 season. He lifted the Cup when the Bruins won the championship in 2011 and handed it to 43-year-old forward Mark Recchi, who had just played his final NHL game. This time, it would be the 43-year-old defenseman handing it off to Rask, who was part of that Cup-winning team nine years ago but didn't play in the postseason because Tim Thomas, voted Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP, was in net every minute for Boston.

Second choice: Patrice Bergeron

Calgary Flames: Captain Mark Giordano to forward Johnny Gaudreau

If the Flames win the Cup for the first time since 1989, there's a good chance that Gaudreau will have played a big part. Although he had a down season offensively, he's a big-game player, and Giordano would reward him with the first handoff.

Second choice: Sean Monahan

Carolina Hurricanes: Captain Jordan Staal to forward Justin Williams

Staal likely would hand the Cup to Williams, possibly following a Storm Surge celebration prior to Commissioner Bettman presenting the Cup. The 38-year-old returned for his 19th NHL season in January for one last shot at his fourth Cup title. Williams then hands it to emergency backup goalie David Ayres to celebrate.

Second choice: Dougie Hamilton

Chicago Blackhawks: Captain Jonathan Toews to forward Patrick Kane

Each of the first three times Toews won the Cup with the Blackhawks, he handed it off to a veteran who hadn't won before (Marian Hossa, 2010; Michal Handzus, 2013; Kimmo Timonen, 2015). This time, he would change things up a bit and hand the Cup to Kane, his longtime teammate on each of Chicago's championship teams who's also been voted winner of the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year (2007-08), the Conn Smythe Trophy (2013) and the Hart Trophy as League MVP (2015-16).

Second choice: Duncan Keith

Colorado Avalanche: Captain Gabriel Landeskog to defenseman Erik Johnson

It won't be as touching as 2001, when Sakic didn't even lift the Cup but handed it to Bourque, but Landeskog would give it to Johnson, who's been with the Avalanche since 2010-11 and is Colorado's longest-tenured player. Another top candidate is center Nathan MacKinnon, a finalist for the Hart Trophy.

Second choice: Nathan MacKinnon

Columbus Blue Jackets: Captain Nick Foligno to forward Cam Atkinson

Atkinson ranks second in games (571), goals (198) and points (368) in Blue Jackets history, trailing only Rick Nash in each category. If Columbus wins the Cup, he'll likely have played a big part. Atkinson should get the first handoff.

Second choice: Seth Jones

Dallas Stars: Captain Jamie Benn to forward Joe Pavelski

Pavelski left the San Jose Sharks after 13 seasons to chase the Cup with the Stars, and the 36-year-old is the obvious choice to take the handoff from Benn. It was a down season offensively for Pavelski, who finished with 14 goals and 31 points in 67 games, but he is a well-respected leader on and off the ice.

Second choice: Ben Bishop

Montreal Canadiens: Captain Shea Weber to goalie Carey Price

This would appear to be one of the more obvious choices; Price is one of the best goalies in the NHL over the past 10 seasons and Montreal's all-time leader in victories (348). No one means more to the Canadiens than Price, so the real question isn't who would get the first handoff, but who would get the second one.

Second choice: Brendan Gallagher

New York Islanders: Captain Anders Lee to forward Josh Bailey

The Islanders' series win against the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers was their third in the postseason since 1993, and this would be their first Stanley Cup championship since winning their fourth consecutive title in 1983. No one on the Islanders has endured more than Bailey, an alternate captain who's been with New York since 2008-09 and has seen more losing than winning in his time.

Second choice: Matt Martin

Philadelphia Flyers: Captain Claude Giroux to forward Oskar Lindblom

One of the favorites would be Giroux's longtime teammate Jakub Voracek, but it would be Lindblom who gets the Cup first in an emotional scene. The 23-year-old was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, in December. He hasn't played since but has been an inspiration to his teammates.

Second choice: Jakub Voracek

St. Louis Blues: Captain Alex Pietrangelo to defenseman Justin Faulk

Pietrangelo handed the Cup to Bouwmeester last year after the Blues won their first championship since entering the NHL in 1967. However, Bouwmeester had a cardiac episode Feb. 11 during a game at the Anaheim Ducks, didn't play for the rest of the season, and isn't with St. Louis in Edmonton. Faulk, one of the few Blues players not with them for the Cup run last season (he was acquired in a trade from the Hurricanes on Sept. 24), would get the first pass.

Second choice: Alexander Steen

Tampa Bay Lightning: Captain Steven Stamkos to forward Nikita Kucherov

The Lightning have been on a mission after they flopped in the playoffs last year following a historic regular season. If they win the championship and Stamkos is presented with the Cup, he likely would hand it first to Kucherov, who's been a big part of their offense during the past six seasons.

Second choice: Victor Hedman

Vancouver Canucks: Captain Bo Horvat to defenseman Alexander Edler

Horvat, in his first season as captain, likely would hand the Cup to Edler, the longest-tenured player on the Canucks (14 seasons). It should either be Edler or defenseman Chris Tanev, who has spent 10 seasons in Vancouver.

Second choice: Christopher Tanev

Vegas Golden Knights: Alternate captain Deryk Engelland to goalie Marc-Andre Fleury

The Golden Knights don't have a captain; Engelland, Max Pacioretty, Reilly Smith and Mark Stone are alternates. But whichever one (Engelland is the oldest at 38) would receive the Cup from Commissioner Bettman likely would hand it to Fleury, who's arguably the face of the franchise. It would be the fourth championship of Fleury's NHL career (the first three came with the Pittsburgh Penguins, in 2009, 2016 and 2017) and probably the most special for him after helping the Golden Knights to a title in their third season in the League.

Second choice: Jonathan Marchessault

Washington Capitals: Captain Alex Ovechkin to forward Ilya Kovalchuk

Most of the Capitals were part of the team that won the Cup in 2018; Kovalchuk is among the few who weren't. One of the most prolific scorers of his generation, Kovalchuk returned to the NHL in 2018-19 after five seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League and was acquired by the Capitals in a trade from the Canadiens on Feb. 24. Seeing him receive the Cup from Ovechkin, a fellow Russian, would be a special sight.

Second choice: Braden Holtby