It's finally over.

The endless debate regarding the next captain of the Montreal Canadiens has been settled, and it was done in the best manner possible; by allowing the players to vote.

The 29th captain of the Habs will be none other than Max Pacioretty, who served as an alernate captain last year with P.K. Subban, Andrei Markov, and Tomas Plekanec.

The Canadiens will carry four alternate captains this year, presumably alternating the letters for home and away games.

It's a perfect solution, seeing as none of the alternate captains from last year deserved to have their letters stripped.

Now that Pacioretty is captain, Brendan Gallagher will also receive an A on his jersey. Plekanec, Markov, and Subban will continue to serve as alternate captains.

Truthfully, it doesn't matter who is captain, seeing as Carey Price is the undisputed leader of the team, but Pacioretty's relentless work ethic on the ice makes him a fine choice. He's got tenacity, leadership, and talent to spare, and now he's the captain of the most storied NHL franchise. And to think, just a few years ago we were wondering if he'd ever play hockey again. It's worth noting that Pacioretty is taking French lessons, with a tutor provided by the team.

"Last year prepared me a lot for this" said Pacioretty earlier this summer. "I would be honoured if this opportunity came."

With a strong supporting cast, most notably the leadership provided by Subban, I have no doubt that Pacioretty will do a great job fulfilling the captaincy role. Subban will continue to be the lightning rod, Markov and Plekanec will be the calming veterans, and Gallagher will provide energy.

But more importantly, the team can finally move on from the distraction, and concentrate on what's most important: winning hockey games.



