Per NHL.com:
The Montreal Canadiens have named Brian Gionta as the 28th team captain in franchise history.
Gionta, signed as a free agent last summer, emerged as a leader for the Canadiens last season both on and off the ice. He had a team-high 28 goals, and in the playoffs he had a team-best 3 game-winning goals and was second in scoring with 15 points in 19 games as the Canadiens made a memorable run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Gionta, a native of Rochester, N.Y., is the first U.S.-born player to be captain of the Canadiens since Chris Chelios in 1989-90.
Defensemen Hal Gill and Andrei Markov were named assistant captains.
Gionta succeeds Saku Koivu, who had been captain from 1999-2009, but left as a free agent following the 2008-09 season. Last season was the first time in club history the team played a full season without a captain.
In 534 NHL games with the Devils and Canadiens, Gionta has 180 goals and 358 points. He won a Stanley Cup in 2003 with New Jersey, and in 86 Stanley Cup Playoff games, he has 28 goals and 55 points.