OLD WESTBURY, NY — There was always this feeling that Bo Horvat was on a collision course with the New York Islanders’ captaincy as soon as he was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks during the All-Star break three years ago.
He always gave off a strong, quiet leadership that teammates and coaches alike gushed over, and he certainly has the experience considering he wore the “C” in Vancouver for four years. On Monday, it came to a head when the Islanders named Horvat their 16th-ever captain.
“It’s amazing,” Horvat said prior to the Islanders’ annual charity golf outing at Glenn Oaks Country Club on Monday. “Getting to experience it before and knowing what it felt like made it a little bit easier that way, but it’s still always such an honor, such a privilege. Something I don’t take lightly, and I’m very proud to be part of this organization. Very proud to be wearing this letter and representing not only the team, but Long Island itself. I just can’t wait to get things going now.”
The new captain of the #Isles pic.twitter.com/fZdrN5AUca
— Joe Pantorno (@JoePantorno) September 14, 2026
Head coach Pete DeBoer and general manager Mathieu Darche made the call to give Horvat the “C,” but also canvassed his teammates and members of the front office.
“I’m not going to say it was an easy decision, but it was a fairly easy decision,” DeBoer said. “We have a lot of great leadership options. The great thing for me is our leadership group, which is a lot larger than Bo Horvat, obviously. There’s a lot of really good leaders in that group. So we shot it around, got to know the group as best I could, but I kept coming back to: He’s been a captain before; my experience with him at the Olympics… I saw him firsthand every day, how he operates, what he’s about. I had a real comfort level about what he’s going to bring in that spot. He’s going to be fantastic.”
The veteran center takes the reins from Anders Lee, who spent eight seasons as Islanders captain and was the leadership fixture of the team’s most successful post-dynasty era. After failing to agree on the length of a potential new contract, he signed a three-year, $16.2 million pact to join the Utah Mammoth.
Despite being on the other side of the country, Lee was still among the first to call Horvat and congratulate him on his new role.
“Talk about a first-class human being,” Horvat began. “Obviously saying congratulations, but it’s going to be big shoes to fill. He did so many great things for this organization, not only on the ice, but off the ice… We’re going to miss him. He’s definitely a true leader, a true captain, and I’m gonna have to follow in his footsteps.”
Horvat now takes the helm of a team in the throes of transition. With some considerable money set to come off the books next season, it feels like a waiting game of sorts. However, the Islanders are still hoping to make a push for the playoffs this season, which was broadcast by Darche last week.
“There’sa huge history in this organization and a successful history, and we want to repeat that,” Horvat said. “Our ultimate goal is to win a Stanley Cup here and bring a Stanley Cup back to Long Island, and I want to be a reason that happens. I think we’re building toward that. I truly believe in this organization.”
For more on Bo Horvat and the Islanders, visit AMNY.com
