Jets name Adam Lowry captain ahead of 2023-24 NHL season

The Winnipeg Jets are no longer without a captain, as forward Adam Lowry was given the honour on Tuesday.

Winnipeg played the entire 2022-23 campaign without a captain after stripping Blake Wheeler of the position last September. Lowry is the franchise's third captain since the Jets relocated from Atlanta, following Wheeler and Andrew Ladd.

Lowry has been in the organization since being drafted in the third round in 2011. The St. Louis native made his NHL debut during the 2014-15 season.

“When I found out, I was pretty excited, almost a little speechless," Lowry told NHL.com. "It’s something growing up you kind of can dream about and something that seems almost unattainable.

“Getting to be a captain of a Canadian NHL team is pretty special and something I’m really looking forward too.”

The 30-year-old was an assistant captain for the first time in 2022-23 alongside Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele, who will both serve as assistants again this year.

“It went well last year. Mark, Adam and Josh did a great job in the room, which is what we wanted," Jets head coach Rick Bowness said. "We all know Adam is the first guy on the ice to stick up for his teammates.

“He’s a true professional, he has total respect from every player on the team, every player around the league and certainly from the coaching staff as well. We just feel at this point it’s the right time to name Adam as our captain.”

Lowry suited up in all 82 games last season, scoring 13 goals and adding 23 assists. He has appeared in 621 games over his career, registering 93 goals and 111 assists.

Winnipeg finished as the second wild card in the Western Conference last season, sneaking into the playoffs by two points. The Jets fell to the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Vegas Golden Knights in the first round.