Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Noah Chadwick was named captain of the Western Hockey League’s Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday afternoon.

He will become the 32nd captain in franchise history and gets this distinction ahead of his fourth season in the WHL. Chadwick takes over the role after previous captain Joe Arntsen finished up his WHL career and signed an AHL contract with the Abbotsford Canucks in April.

“I’m super honoured and it’s a privilege to be named the captain of the Hurricanes and it’s something that I’m not going to take lightly,” Chadwick said in a statement released by the Hurricanes. “To be able to take over from a great captain in Joe [Arntsen] is an honour. I bring a lot of different aspects to the role than him, but he’s a fantastic leader and he helped shape me and he showed what it means to be the captain.”

Chadwick has seen significant strides in his development since being selected by the Leafs 185th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. He is coming off a productive season in the WHL where he recorded 56 points (12 goals and 44 assists) in 66 games to lead all Hurricanes defenders, finishing fourth on the team in scoring. He also registered one assist in four playoff games before earning a one-game stint with the Marlies to conclude the year.

As a result of his strong campaign, Chadwick secured himself an entry-level contract with the Leafs, won the CHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year award, and got invited to Hockey Canada’s World Junior Summer Showcase alongside Easton Cowan. All that and more is why he was placed seventh in the 2024 TLN Maple Leafs Prospect Rankings.

Heading into his senior season with the Hurricanes, Chadwick is expected to get a larger role with the team especially now that he has been named captain. His invitation to Hockey Canada’s Summer Showcase signals that he is on their radar and could be in contention to participate in the World Juniors should his development take another step forward.

There is still a way to go before Chadwick will be a serious contender to crack the Leafs’ roster, but this latest honour signals that his development is going well so far. He is no doubt going to be an intriguing prospect to keep track of as he continues to work his way up the depth chart.