It is no secret that I love Jason Smith and everything he brings to the ice. I was bummed to hear of his retirement knowing that I'd never <a href="http://www.mms2016.com/prohtml/Los-Angeles-Dodgers-22-Clayton-Kershaw-White-Baseball-Jersey-p-4615.html <a href="http://www.mms2016.com/prohtml/San-Francisco-Giants-28-Buster-Posey-Cream-Baseball-Jersey-p-4903.html"><strong>Autographed Buster Posey jersey</strong></a> "><strong>2014 Clayton Kershaw cool base jersey</strong></a> get to see him block shots, battle in the corners or come to the <a href="http://www.mms2016.com/"><strong>Oversize peyton manning jersey</strong></a> defense of a teammate ever again. When it comes to hockey, he is an absolute warrior who played through more injuries than he could probably count and I will definitely miss him. When he was in Philly, he was a man of few words choosing to speak with his actions instead and what he did both on and off the ice for his teammates was heard loud and clear. Yes, his age was showing and his various injuries were catching up with him but don't let that cloud the fact that he was a tremendous captain and positively influenced so many of his teammates with his work ethic and desire to do anything and everything to help his team win. Thinking about Smith and how many players admired him puts this whole captaincy issue in perspective for me as I read various commentary on the options for teams like San Jose, Montreal and Colorado who find themselves captain-less heading into training camp, not to mention the plethora of possibilities to captain both Team USA and Team Canada in Vancouver. The bottom line for me is that the captain doesn't have to be your teams best player, but he does have to be the right player. Because of that, I also think it's fair to re-evaluate your leadership as the seasons go on and the composition of a roster changes over time. What might have worked five years ago, might not be the same case now and in that scenario you have to do what's best for the team.In my eyes, any good leader would be able to understand that and sacrifice personal feelings for the benefit <a href="http://www.mms2016.com/prohtml/-19-Jonathan-Toews-Red-Hockey-Jersey-Chicago-Blackhawks--p-9142.html"><strong>authentic Jonathan Toews jersey</strong></a> of the team, much like Mike Modano and Vincent Lecavalier did when they were relieved of their duties as captain of their respective clubs and much like the <a href="http://www.mms2016.com/prohtml/Los-Angeles-Angels-27-Mike-Trout-Red-Baseball-Jersey-p-4562.html "><strong>Mike Trout Authentic Cool Base Jersey</strong></a> leadership Patrick Marleau is demonstrating right now. Just because you don't have a letter on your chest doesn't mean you can't demonstrate leadership. I've also come to the conclusion that the C (or the A for that matter) should be earned and given as a reward for excellent team leadership and not an incentive to play better or become more focused. There seems to be a growing desire to have young players be a part of the leadership core and while there are certain instances where players are natural leaders and able to handle the additional responsibilities at a young age, like Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews, there are also instances where they might need another year or two to really do the job well. Last I checked, the C was awarded for your leadership skills...not for your potential in attaining them. In Colorado, there is talk of Paul Stastny being offered the C after the retirement of legendary captain Joe Sakic. Those are gigantic skates to fill and as much as I think Stastny has all the tools necessary to be a great leader, I still think there should be a buffer captain. Someone more prepared to fill those shoes right away, if only for a short time, while Stastny matures into that leadership position. In any case, choosing a captain isn't something to be taken lightly and the coaching staff of these clubs will have many factors to weigh and I'm quite glad I don't have to make these decisions, but I hope the powers that be look to guys who can walk into a room and demand respect not because they have a wicked wrister (that's a bonus!), but because they've earned it off the ice just as much as on the ice with their commitment to success, ability to motivate and most importantly desire to do whatever necessary night in and night out to win.Of the teams looking for a captain(including the Olympics), what kind of leader do you think they need and who would you pick to fill the vacancies? PC9527426mms2016.com