Chris Clark of the Washington Capitals

Chris Clark of the Washington Capitals has had a rocky journey as captain of the team. Although not the most high scoring player, his leadership abilities have landed him a spot as team captain, and helped him form the team into a cohesive unit. Often the solid core of the game, Chris Clark's dependability and skill at playing well with a team have translated to victory in many cases.

However, recently Chris has been somewhat hampered by injuries. An injury to the groin took him out of commission after his star season, which completely resigned him to the bench for the rest of the year. The groin pull took several months to heal, during which Chris was unable to play at all. After it healed, Chris re-injured it in his first game back from recovery. The new injury ended his season.

After recovering from the injury to the groin, Chris tore a tendon in his right wrist. This became complicated and eventually had to receive surgery. During the recovery time, Chris tried playing on and off, but his power and speed were severely diminished. He scored only six points over the course of 32 games. Bruce Boudreau, coach of the Capitals, placed Chris Clark on the injured reserve list until his recovery.

However this placement to reserve does not mean Boudreau or any of the players think any less of Clark's abilities. His status as captain will be reinstated upon his full recovery. Washington Capitals hockey has suffered a little with Chris on the bench, but this has given other players such as rookie Karl Alzner the opportunity to shine.