Minnesota Wild names Kirill Kaprizov alternate captain for 2023-24 season
Kirill Kaprizov #97 of the Minnesota Wild warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Kings at the Xcel Energy Center on February 26, 2021 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. (Bruce Kluckhohn/NHL / Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - One of the best players on the Minnesota Wild roster is also now officially one of the leaders in the locker room.
Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin announced on Tuesday that forward Kirill Kaprizov has been named an alternate captain for the 2023-24 season. The honor previously went to defenseman Matt Dumba, who left the team after last season.
Kaprizov led the Wild in points (75), goals (40), power-play goals (17), power-play points (32) and shots (261). He also tied for first with six game-winning goals and became the first player in franchise history to record multiple 40-goal seasons. He had 47 goals two seasons ago.
His 17 power-play goals were a single-season record, and also set franchise records for 14 straight games with a point, nine straight games with an assist and seven straight games with a goal. In 203 career NHL games, Kaprizov has 234 points, including 114 goals.
Kaprizov joins Jared Spurgeon as a captain with the Wild. Minnesota opens the season Thursday night against the Florida Panthers at Xcel Energy Center.