Brian Gionta

Brian Joseph Gionta (born January 18, 1979) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Gionta began his NHL career in 2001 with the New Jersey Devils and served as captain for both the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres. He also was the captain for the United States in the 2018 Winter Olympics, for which he stepped away from the NHL for most of its 2017–18 season (NHL refused to release its players to the Olympics for the first time since 1994). After the Olympics, he briefly played for the Boston Bruins, and retired following their elimination from the playoffs.