Ottawa Senators announce that veteran defenceman is club's new captain, taking over role abandoned by Brady Tkachuk.

It’s Thomas Chabot with a ‘C’.

The wait is over and the torch has been passed.

The Ottawa Senators named Chabot as the 11th captain in franchise history on Tuesday to replace Brady Tkachuk, who held the post for five seasons.

Preparing to open the season on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, the Senators were one of only four teams that didn’t have a captain. Chabot was informed after practice with his wife, Marion, and newborn daughter, Romy, on hand.

“It means a lot,” Chabot said. “It hasn’t clicked in. That’s for sure, but it’s a huge honour. You all know how much I care about this city and this team and I take a lot of pride in wearing this jersey every single night.

“It’s always been a huge honour to wear a letter, but it’s always been about the group. It’s about getting everybody and everybody being together. It’s a tight group together. I take pride in bringing the group together.”

Chabot, top defenceman Jake Sanderson and top centre Tim Stutzle were considered the top three candidates for the post, which was left vacant after Tkachuk demanded a trade and was dealt to the Florida Panthers on June 21 in exchange for four draft picks.

Sanderson, Stutzle and veteran Claude Giroux will serve as alternate captains. Chabot is the Sens’ first Canadian captain since Jason Spezza in 2013-14. Chabot will also help the club make inroads on the Gatineau side because he speaks both French and English.

For nearly a decade, the 29-year-old defenceman has been the constant through Ottawa’s darkest days and its climb back to respectability. He has endured the rebuild, weathered the criticism, carried heavy minutes night after night and remained committed to an organization that is poised to take the next step.

The Ottawa Citizen reported last month that Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, and head coach Travis Green have had several internal discussions regarding a replacement.

“Thomas exemplifies everything it means to be an Ottawa Senator,” Staios said. “Travis and I had some deep conversations, and in a lot of ways we’re lucky because there are many leaders in this room. Thomas steps up above and beyond for our group, but certainly, we feel very fortunate to have the group that we have.”

This was a decision the club had to make. If you don’t name a captain, what kind of message are you sending to Chabot, Sanderson and Stutzle? The captain isn’t just the face of the franchise for the media, he’s the player in the dressing room who is counted on to lead the team into battle every night.

While many believed Sanderson was the frontrunner because he’s one of the league’s best defencemen and has taken on a bigger role the past two seasons, Chabot has paid his dues and was viewed by many as a strong voice during Tkachuk’s five years in the role.

Passed over by the organization in 2021 after the Senators went three seasons without anybody wearing the ‘C’ after Erik Karlsson was shipped to the San Jose Sharks in 2018, Chabot emerged as a leader and started wearing the alternate ‘A’ in 2020-21.

Though Tkachuk led this team into battle many nights during his tenure in that role, several people will tell you that Chabot played a huge role in steadying the ship and ensuring the focus on improvement was in the right place.

Last year, when the Senators opted to move their training camp to Quebec City last September, it was Chabot — who makes his off-season home in Saint-Marie — who organized a golf outing for his teammates and a spectacular dinner at his home during an off day.

There is no player more committed to this franchise than Chabot. He has 78 goals and 335 points in 569 career games with the Senators. He missed the playoffs in his first seven seasons with Ottawa and never once did he waver or ask for a trade.

“I take a lot of pride in coming to the rink every day and bringing some energy,” Chabot said. “The seasons are long: There are going to be some good times and some tougher times. I like bringing that energy to the guys. I think a lot of guys appreciate that about me and it’s not going to change.”

Chabot is from the outskirts of Quebec City, but his heart is in this city now.

“Ottawa’s home for us. We bought our first house here. We’ve had our first child of the year. Ottawa will always be close to our heart, no matter what,” Chabot said. “Organizations go through different times, and we’re looking ahead in what we have here. We’re excited with the team we have. We have tons of guys that are happy to be here and want to play and want to wear this jersey every night, and that’s all that matters to us.

“We have a tight group, a group that loves to be together, and we couldn’t be more excited to get going on Saturday.”