Defence21 wrote:Respect, I think. Crosby is the Penguins unquestioned leader whether he's in uniform or not. Putting the "C" on another jersey could be viewed as a sign of disrespect, though I doubt Crosby would be the type to care about something like that.
Another reason is that there is no reason to name a temporary captain when one is hurt. Alternate captains can argue with the referees and participate in discussions, as well, so rather than replacing the captain, why not add another alternate captain?
It has zero to do with sewing expenses, as there generally is a third alternate, as I mentioned above.
I know it doesn't really have anything to do with sewing expenses. I was just being silly with that.
But the way I see it is that there is indeed no debate that Crosby is the unquestioned leader of the Pens. I can't understand any possible interpretation that suggests putting the C on another player would disrespect Crosby. Rather, I see it as giving respect to a player in addition to Crosby. When Trottier wore the C, no one thought it was disrespectful to Lemieux, but rather it was giving additional respect to Trottier (not that he needed any more). In my mind, giving the C to Orpik or Malkin when Crosby is out would be a similar thing.
Anyway, it's no big thing. I just see it as a way to share the love.