MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. – The St. Louis Blues crown Brayden Schenn as the 24th captain in franchise history.

Schenn becomes the first Blues captain since the team moved their previous one, Ryan O’Reilly, at last year’s trade deadline.

Although the NHL does not require every team to have a captain, they are oftentimes tasked with pivotal leadership roles. That includes building camaraderie as locker room leader, serving as a franchise face, and consulting with coaches and referees as a key voice.

Generally speaking, the captain’s honor is one a team awards to a player with hopes they will lead for the long haul. Schenn was an obvious choice as the longest-tenured Blues forward and one of few pieces remaining from the 2019 Stanley Cup run. He also has five years remaining on his long-term deal.

Serving as an alternate captain for the last three years, Schenn has also evolved as one of the most vocal Blues and has shown a willingness to drop the gloves for his teammates. He embodies a lot of qualities of a leader, even if his standalone stats don’t stand among the league’s best scorers and enforcers.

Based on their experience and current roles with the team, Robert Thomas, Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk were all strong candidates to be considered for captain as well.

Blues training camp begins on Sept. 21. Fans can watch the new captain Schenn lead practices for free at Centene Community Ice Center on Thursday and Friday this week. The Blues’ regular season starts on Oct. 12.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details.