O Captain! My Captain!

As Norm from the Coen Brothers movie “Fargo” so eloquently put it…

“They Announced It.”

Ryan Getzlaf has been named Captain with Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu as the Alternates. 

Am I happy about this?  Not really.  Surprised?  Again, not really, just a bit disheartened.

It had been rumoured for the last year that Teemu was never interested in the Captaincy and that Saku hadn’t been with the Ducks long enough to warrant the position, but I was hoping cooler heads would prevail and realize that Koivu’s calm and quiet style would make the most logical transition after Scotty’s retirement.

I still firmly believe that Getzlaf is a bit too much of a hothead to make a great Captain, but I’ve been wrong before.  Hopefully the new responsibilities and the influence of Selanne and Koivu will produce the desired effects.

As far as the beginning of the season goes, all I can say is gird your loins, loyal fans.  This Friday we face the hated Redwings on their home ice.  I wonder if in addition to hurling innocent coleoidea onto the ice if they will add chordate to the mix…

One can only hope not, but I know that’s asking waaaaaay too much.  We are, after all, talking about Redwings fans after all.

O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip’s in sight;

The team will weather every rack and wrest victory from The Blight;

The game is near, the horn I hear, our fans are all exulting,

While follow eyes the flying puck, Getzlaf grim and daring:

But O heart! heart! heart!

O the bleeding drops of red,

Where on the ice my Captain lies,

High-sticked to the head.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the cheers;

Rise up—for you Perry’s gloves are flung—for you fists are slung;

For you the pounding upon the glass—for you, your teammates crash;

For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;

Here Captain! Fearless leader!

This puck upon your blade will heed;

While Parros makes certain Bertuzzi bleeds,

And cross the ice Cam Fowler speeds.

My Captain answers with a shot from the point, deadly accurate and true;

While Bobby races up to screen the net from the line of blue.

The puck screams in at lightning speed, finding the hole of five;

As down sit the cephalapodic fans as their worst fears have all come true.

Exult, O Ducks, and sound, O horn!

Exult in Motor City’s dread!

Skate a victory lap where the Red Wings lie,

Fallen cold and dead.