Seems as though the people have spoken, with 80 percent of you, so far, choosing Dustin Brown as captain over Anze Kopitar in a head-to-head choice. To be honest, that’s how I would vote as well, and I’ve heard strong informal indications that when captains are announced this week, it will be Brown with the “C” and Kopitar and Jarret Stoll wearing the “A.” Of course, that’s not official until Terry Murray declares it so, but that’s the informal word.

I think it’s the right choice. That’s certainly not a knock on Kopitar, who is an exceedingly hard worker, a good communicator and a strong teammates. Brown just fills all those roles slightly better. The one knock on Brown, in his early years, was the fact that he could be very timid in the locker room. It’s something that Brown acknowledges and something he has worked hard to improve. He has made tremendous strides in that area. In his rookie year, I’d try to talk to him, and while he was always polite and pleasant, he rarely had anything to say. Conversations were rare. Now, he’s a clear team leader and a magnet for the media. He’s more mature and not afraid to speak his mind, and having the “C” on his jersey would only reinforce for him the importance of being a leader. It’s a role he could hold for a very, very long time.

Regardless, Kopitar will have an important leadership role on the team, and I think it’s also important for a more-veteran player to have a formal leadership role. I thought, going in, it might be Derek Armstrong, but Stoll has earned rave reviews for his attitude and locker-room presence.

It seems that Murray is only going with two regular alternate captains, which is a shame because I think Jack Johnson deserves a look. Of all the Kings, he has the most natural leadership ability, at least in terms of a forceful personality, but he’s younger and it’s only nature that he’s in line behind guys such as Brown and Kopitar.

Anyway, it’s an interesting decision…

The final preseason game is getting underway soon, so I’ll try to keep tabs here…