Overview
- The Ducks announced the appointment on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, naming Mikael Granlund captain and four alternate captains to lead the team into the 2026–27 season.
- Granlund is a 34-year-old 14-year NHL veteran who signed a three-year, $21 million deal with Anaheim on July 1, 2025 and scored 19 goals and 41 points in 58 games last season.
- He captained Finland to an Olympic bronze at the 2026 Milan‑Cortina Games and has prior NHL leadership roles, credentials the Ducks cited in explaining their choice.
- Anaheim named Leo Carlsson, Jackson LaCombe, Troy Terry and Alex Killorn as alternate captains to form a leadership group that blends youth and veteran experience.
- Front‑office moves this summer, including Radko Gudas leaving in free agency and the disruptive offer‑sheet and cap fallout around Leo Carlsson, helped push management toward a short‑term, veteran 'bridge' captaincy and leave the door open for a future handoff to a younger star.