Hungry to earn an eighth national championship after falling short during the Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla. last season, the No. 3 ranked Denver Pioneers, led by head coach Jim Montgomery, are eager for the 2016-17 season to begin. Entering his fourth year as head coach, Montgomery has redefined the culture of Pioneer hockey and has succeeded in creating a national discussion regarding the program.
After graduating four seniors, Grant Arnold (Centennial, Colo.), Gabe Levin (Marina del Rey, Calif.), Quentin Shore (Denver) and Nolan Zajac (Winnipeg, Manitoba), while losing Danton Heinen (Langley, British Columbia) and Trevor Moore (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) from last season’s top scoring Pacific Rim Line, the returning players are determined to battle and work their way to the top this season.
“What our team identity is known for, and how quickly I see it in practice, is that relentless style,” said Montgomery. “It’s something our team takes and adds to the swagger of our group. I think the returners are really cultivating our freshmen into what the culture of excellence is here.”
The team welcomes an incoming class consisting of seven players, including Florida Panthers prospect forward Henrik Borgstrom (Helsinki, Finland). Understanding and implementing Denver’s gritty, passionate and resilient style of play will be an area of importance for the new additions. Heinen and Moore’s early departures represent a significant loss, as the linemates combined for a whopping 92 points last season. Replacing that level of production, while difficult, is not impossible, as the Pioneers return plenty of talented players who are ready to explode with one season under their belt.
“I think Troy Terry (Denver) is really ready to take off. We have some freshmen like [Henrik] Borgstrom that we are expecting to produce. We need [Liam] Finlay (Kelowna, British Columbia) to contribute offensively,” Montgomery said. “After that, it’s going to be who is going to take advantage of the opportunities they get to play with the Gambrells, the Terrys and Borgstroms.”
Luckily for the Pioneers, five out of six defensemen are returning, after last season’s blueline amassed 89 points. The addition of freshman Erich Fear (Winnetonka, Illinois) will provide much-needed size to the team’s defensive unit.
The ultimate end goal of clinching the program’s eighth national title begins with the hard work, dedication and confidence on and off the ice on a game by game basis.
After a breakout freshman season and performing as an integral component of the Pacific Rim Line, Dylan Gambrell (Bonney Lake, Wash.) describes the importance of avoiding complacency, learning from last season’s successes and failures to move forward with the future.
“We have to do what we always do. We always say we have to stick [to] the process—that’s kind of our motto here,” Gambrell said. “We have to play our relentless game. That’s what is going to get us there and we have to get there as soon as possible and carry that out throughout the season.”
Gambrell looks to lead the Pioneer’s offense along with the returners and incoming freshmen now that college hockey is officially underway.
The Pioneers host the Ice Breaker Tournament on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m., welcoming Ohio State University, Boston College and the United States Air Force Academy at Magness Arena.
