Max Pacioretty named Canadiens captain: 'It is the biggest honor'

Max Pacioretty has been named the 29th captain in the history of the Montreal Canadiens following a vote by the players, the club announced Friday.

Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec, P.K. Subban, and Brendan Gallagher will serve as assistants.

"It's a huge honor to be named the captain of the Canadiens. It's even more special because I was selected by my teammates," Pacioretty said Friday. "I'm going to be myself. We have so many good leaders on this team that it will make my job easy."

Pacioretty, 26, was drafted 22nd overall by the Canadiens in 2007 and has emerged as one of the game's top goal-scorers. He becomes the third American-born captain in team history, and the second straight following Brian Gionta.

"In my mind it is the biggest honor," Pacioretty said. "I just can't believe that I'll be put in the same category as the people before me. I really am honored, and that's what is the most shocking part about this for me; that I don't believe I belong in the same sentence as any of those 28 other captains."

General manager Marc Bergevin said it was a definitive vote.

"The majority voted for Max," Bergevin said. "I won't go into details, but we didn't need to count twice."

In 399 games with the team, Pacioretty recorded 144 goals and 280 points, with three 30-goal seasons to his credit, including a career-high 39 in 2013-14. He recorded 10 goals and 18 points in 32 playoff games.

He was also the 2012 recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy - awarded by the NHL to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the game - after returning to the ice following a serious injury he suffered during the previous season.

Pacioretty remains under contract with the club through to the end of the 2018-19 season at a reasonable salary cap hit of $4.5 million.