VANCOUVER B次元官网网址� Bo Horvat has been named the newest captain of the Vancouver Canucks.

The team made the announcement Wednesday night in a special ceremony ahead of the Canucks home opener against the L.A. Kings.

Vancouver went without a captain last year following the retirement of long-time leader Henrik Sedin and his twin brother, Daniel, at the end of the 2017-18 season.

Instead, the team used a rotating crew of assistants last season, including Horvat.

A lot of thought went into picking a new leader, said Canucks coach Travis Green.

B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 take it lightly,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e think itB次元官网网址檚 the right time for our organization and the right time for the person weB次元官网网址檙e going to name.B次元官网网址�

Kurtenbach. Sedin. Horvat. What an amazing moment.

B次元官网网址� Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)

ThereB次元官网网址檚 long been talk that Horvat would take on the role, but the 24-year-old centre said heB次元官网网址檚 put the teamB次元官网网址檚 leadership to the back of his mind and is focused instead on playing his best hockey.

B次元官网网址淓ven to be in consideration is very humbling for me. At the same time, no matter if IB次元官网网址檓 wearing a B次元官网网址楥B次元官网网址� an B次元官网网址楢B次元官网网址� or no letter at all, for me, IB次元官网网址檓 just going to be the same person and just try to help my team win every single night,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淚f it does happen, IB次元官网网址檓 going to embrace it and run with it and try to be the best leader I can.B次元官网网址�

The London, Ont., native said he learned a lot about leadership while playing with the Sedin twins, including the importance of leading by example and making sure guys are comfortable approaching him about anything.

B次元官网网址淭hey were just complete pros on and off the ice. Definitely learned a lot from them,B次元官网网址� he said.

HorvatB次元官网网址檚 game reached a new level last year when he set career highs in goals (27), assists (34) and points (61).

Horvat was drafted 9th overall by the Canucks in 2013 and became a regular fixture in the lineup in the 2014-15 season.

He becomes the 14th captain in the franchiseB次元官网网址檚 history.

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Horvat has long shown something a little special, Henrik Sedin said before WednesdayB次元官网网址檚 game.

B次元官网网址淢ost of the young guys who come in, theyB次元官网网址檙e good hockey players, they want to score or they want to play well,B次元官网网址� the former captain said. B次元官网网址淏ut then thereB次元官网网址檚 some guys who have that extra dimension to them. They see more of a big picture and you can see that they think differently than most guys. And heB次元官网网址檚 been one of them, for sure.B次元官网网址�

The young centre will have to have the guts to be honest with media about how the teamB次元官网网址檚 really playing, Sedin said.

But his advice for Horvat was simple.

B次元官网网址淏e yourself. He got picked because he is who he is,B次元官网网址� Sedin said. B次元官网网址淭hey know him and he doesnB次元官网网址檛 have to change.B次元官网网址�

THE CANADIAN PRESS

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