Jon Francisco is no longer the Reign captain.

This isn’t breaking news. It’s been that way since the end of last season and it’s a tradition in each year Karl Taylor has coached in the ECHL.

What is news is that, even with a returning captain and three alternates (Shawn Germain, David Walker and Chad Starling), the Reign are waiting to select their next “C.”

“The turnover is so high, we wait and see what happens. We see how it shakes out,” Taylor said. “Obviously we’ve got some guys back from last year who we trusted, but we’ve brought in some new guys that have experience and maybe they’ll be part of the leadership group.”

To choose the captain, the Reign players collectively get one vote, while Taylor gets another.

“It’s a big decision, and we definitely don’t want to rush it,” Taylor said. “I’m never in a rush to pick the captaincy.”

Neither is Francisco.

“Last year, I was very much honored to be a part of that close group of guys,” he said. “But that’s over. This is a new year.”