Meet Derek MacKenzie of the Florida Panthers, the NHL’s most anonymous captain

TORONTO — Most of the 28 captains in the NHL this season are former all-stars, scoring champs, MVPs, Conn Smythe, Rocket Richard and Norris Trophy winners, some of the best and brightest in the game. And then there’s Derek MacKenzie from the Florida Panthers, the NHL’s most anonymous captain.

MacKenzie, 35, has never been an NHL all-star, never won a major award, never even scored 10 goals in a season. His career-high for points is 23. Even Google has no idea that the Sudbury, Ont., native is now officially leading the Panthers; it still thinks it’s Willie Mitchell, who retired after last season.

But to those inside the Panthers dressing room MacKenzie is the obvious captain.  

“His personality is the personality of a leader,” said 20-year-old Aaron Ekblad.

“Everyone expected him to be the captain,” added defenceman Steven Kampfer. “You look outside the room and people aren’t going to think that, but everyone in this room knew it was probably going to be him.”

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Florida has only ever named one captain under the age of 30: Olli Jokinen. The club has consistently picked aging veterans for the role, from Bryan McCabe in his mid-30’s (2009-11) to Ed Jovanovski (2012-14) and Mitchell (2014-16) in their late 30’s and now MacKenzie. This Panthers leadership group in particular places high value on the presence of veteran leaders, even employing 39-year-old Shawn Thornton — who has yet to play a game this season — for just that purpose.

The club also signed MacKenzie, who plays about 12 minutes per game on the team’s fourth line, to a two-year contract extension this past summer, which will carry him to age 38.

MacKenzie has been around awhile, the sixth-ever pick of the Atlanta Thrashers franchise, his career never found solid NHL footing until 2010. It was then that, as a 29-year-old, he locked into a role with the Columbus Blue Jackets. MacKenzie bounced between the minors and NHL for years before that, suiting up for more than 500 American Hockey League games.

He carved out a space as a fourth line grinder, the rugged centreman who could kill penalties, take key faceoffs and of course, provide leadership.

Panthers coach Gerard Gallant first started talking to MacKenzie about the captaincy over the summer. He wanted someone who would make sure that things were done right for Florida, which was coming off its best season in franchise history.

“I know some teams are going with the younger guys, but over the long haul the players decide who your best captain is going to be and Derek’s the right pick for our team right now,” Gallant said.

Teammates seem to revere MacKenzie, describing him as a natural leader, example-setter and the perfect conduit between those playing the game and those coaching and managing it.

“You can go to Mac with anything,” Ekblad says of MacKenzie, who also served as captain in Syracuse and Chicago (AHL) as well as Sudbury (Ontario Hockey League). “He’s not afraid to stand up to coaching or management or anything like that; he goes to bat for his players. And he goes to bat on the ice. He’s willing to block the big shot, he’s willing to play hard, win the important faceoff in the D-zone. He’s that kind of player that just kind of does everything and it may go unrecognized at times, but not by the players in this room.

“We recognize how important he is as a player on this team and as a leader on this team.”

Kampfer describes him as the “voice of reason” inside the dressing room, the one who steps up, either through his voice or actions, when something goes wrong.

MacKenzie won’t be holding the role for long and he knows that. While Edmonton opted to make 19-year-old Connor McDavid the youngest captain in NHL history, Florida has decided to give those like Ekblad and 21-year-old Aleksander Barkov more time before assuming the role; though both are wearing alternate letters this season.

“The minute that one of those guys is ready, as early as next year, I’d love to see them wear it,” MacKenzie said.

Jonas Siegel, The Canadian Press