Now that most of the kinks have been worked out for the college hockey season, set to start Dec. 1, members of DU’s 2020-2021 squad have finally started to see the light at the end of the tunnel after several months of uncertainty.
With just over one month to go until games start, Denver’s preparation has significantly accelerated. Senior forward Ryan Barrow (Banff, Alberta) and senior defenseman Griffin Mendel (Kelowna, B.C.), who are both serving as alternate captains for the team this season, spoke with the Clarion about their experiences as student-athletes during the pandemic and how the team’s approach to the season differs from years past.
Last season’s sudden cancelation due to COVID-19 was “not a shock” according to Barrow, as “there were more important things going on,” but this summer’s postponement of the season added a new element of discouragement.
“It was frustrating not knowing what was going on,” Barrow said. “But now that we have a start date and [the NCHC] has a plan in place, we’re all cautiously optimistic.”
Barrow explained that when the team began preparations this summer, a lot of drills and routines were heavily modified to accommodate fewer people out on the ice.
“We started out practicing in small groups of three out on the ice, and now the team is split into two,” Barrow said. “It was weird getting used to practicing and working out in masks constantly.”
Mendel added that practicing in smaller cohorts has given the team the opportunity to focus on individual skills and provided the first-year members with the chance to “get to know how to play Denver hockey.”
Both players noted how this season has been particularly challenging so far for the freshman, but as veteran upperclassmen, Barrow and Mendel are there to help support and guide the new talent coming in.
“It’s been hard for the newer guys, and we haven’t really gotten the chance to be with all of the freshmen at once,” Barrow said. “It’s a weird time, but the seniors are here for them. There’s a relationship outside of hockey.”
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), in which DU competes, is one of six NCAA Division 1 men’s ice hockey conferences and arguably the most competitive. Barrow and Mendel agree that this season will be no different.
“The NCHC is always the hardest conference,” Mendel said. “You’re always going to have your work cut out for you.”
Though both players are theoretically in their final year at DU, the NCAA has granted many senior student-athletes who had their seasons disrupted due to the coronavirus an extra year of eligibility. Both Barrow and Mendel are finishing up their business degrees at DU and expressed interest in continuing to play hockey at a high level after graduation.
“My teammates are my best friends, so I’d definitely love to stay for a fifth year,” Mendel said. “A master’s degree doesn’t look bad on a resume either.”
Ultimately, DU hockey players are simply thankful to still get the chance to play the season and work towards another national championship because “there’s always a sense that it might not happen,” as Mendel put it.
“Everything feels ramped up now that something’s happening,” Mendel said. “We’re all leaning on each other [for support.]”
Denver ranks fifth in the nation in the United States College Hockey Online (USCHO) preseason poll. All games this season can be viewed with a subscription service to NCHC.tv.
