Simon Gagne recalls walking into the dressing room in 2006 and witnessing then equipment manager Turk Evers sewing a "C" onto his sweater. "I got caught by surprise and I was not ready for it," Gagne recalled. "I was still trying to find my game. I wasn't sure what kind of player I would be. A checker? A scorer or a playmaker? I didn't know." Twice during the 2005-06 season, Gagne disappointed coach Ken Hitchcock by refusing to accept the captaincy in the wake of Keith Primeau's absence with post-concussion syndrome. Derian Hatcher took the captaincy on Jan. 29, 2006. He eventually lost the "C" to Peter Forsberg. Some would argue that Gagne wasn't ready for the job, either emotionally or from a leadership standpoint. Now, two years later, following back-to-back 40-plus goal seasons, there is growing speculation that the longest-tenured Flyer will be given the "C" before the team boards its plane for Calgary on Oct. 2.