The Letter "A" in NHL History: Leadership, Legends, and Hardware
In the long history of the NHL, some letters seem to show up everywhere you look. The letter “A” is one of them. It’s been part of the league since the early days of the Toronto Arenas, and it still shows up every night on modern jerseys, score sheets, and trophy cases. It’s not flashy, but it’s woven into the fabric of the game in a way that’s easy to overlook until you start paying attention.
Hockey fans see the “A” most often on hockey sweaters.
The most visible version today is the “A” on the jersey, standing for Alternate Captain. It’s often casually called an “assistant,” but that doesn’t really do it justice. These are the players who help set the tone in the room, keep things steady on the bench, and act as a direct link between coaches and the dressing room. On many teams, they’re just as influential as the captain himself. Think of players like Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton, Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh, or Cale Makar in Colorado — guys who lead in their own way, even without the “C.”
Sid Abel is the first name alphabetically in hockey’s 100 greatest players.
That leadership angle is only one piece of it, though. The letter “A” also shows up in the history books in a very literal sense. Sid Abel is a perfect example. Alphabetically, he’s the first name you see among the NHL’s all-time greats in the league’s centennial “100 Greatest Players” list. He was a key part of the Detroit Red Wings’ famous “Production Line” alongside Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay, and he helped shape what elite center play looked like in the early NHL. Abel’s career included three Stanley Cups and a Hart Trophy in 1949, making him one of the defining early stars of the game.
The Art Ross Trophy also starts with the letter “A.”
Then there’s the Art Ross Trophy, another “A” that carries real weight in hockey history. It goes to the NHL’s leading point scorer each season, and over time, it’s become a marker of pure offensive dominance. Winning it doesn’t just mean you had a good year — it means you were the engine of the league’s offence. Wayne Gretzky essentially turned it into his personal property in the 1980s, winning it ten times, including seven straight seasons from 1981 to 1987. His 215-point season still stands as the standard no one has come close to touching.
The “A” Carries a Lot of Hockey History.
So while it might seem like just another letter, the “A” in hockey carries a surprising amount of history behind it. It shows up in leadership roles, in the names of legends, and in one of the most respected trophies in the sport. In its own quiet way, it’s been part of shaping the NHL from the very beginning.
[Note: I’d like to thank Brent Bradford (PhD) for his help co-authoring this post. His profile can be found at www.linkedin.com/in/brent-bradford-phd-3a10022a9]