Thomas Chabot Named 11th Captain in Senators History

Ottawa Senators defenceman Thomas Chabot was named the 11th captain in franchise history on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, stepping into the role four days before the team's season opener against Toronto.

From Sainte-Marie to the C

Chabot, 29, was selected 18th overall in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft. He's from Sainte-Marie, Quebec, but Ottawa is where he's built his adult life.

"We've always said it. Ottawa feels like home. It really does," Chabot said. "We bought our first house here. We started our family here. Becoming captain here is a huge honor."

Why the job was open

The captaincy became vacant after Brady Tkachuk, who wore the C for parts of five seasons starting in November 2021, was traded to the Florida Panthers in June 2026 following his own trade request.

General manager Steve Staios didn't hesitate on who should replace him. "Thomas exemplifies everything that it means to be an Ottawa Senator," Staios said in announcing the decision.

The leadership group around him

Chabot won't be doing it alone. Claude Giroux and Tim Stutzle were named assistant captains as forwards, alongside defenceman Jake Sanderson.

On the ice, Chabot remains one of the Senators' most heavily used defencemen. Last season he put up 31 points, seven goals and 24 assists, in 57 games while averaging 22 minutes and 35 seconds of ice time a night, workhorse minutes for a team leaning on him in every situation.

What led here

The captaincy news caps a busy few weeks of roster-building for Ottawa. The team added goaltender Jonas Johansson on a trade after waiving Leevi Merilainen, and both Jake Sanderson and Chabot himself made their preseason debuts over the weekend as the club split its roster across two exhibition games. You can read more in ottown's earlier report and ottown's earlier report.

What's next

Sources: Canadian Press, NHL.com, Daily Faceoff