As Denver looks to defend their national title for the 2024-2025 season, players, coaches and fans are eager to get back to the ice.
With eight players and two of the three members of the leadership group departing from last season’s championship-winning team, new possibilities have opened up, including new captain positions.
Those vacant spots were filled by senior forward Carter King, who was named the 95th captain in program history, as well as junior forward Aidan Thompson and senior forward Connor Caponi, who were named assistant captains.
“It’s an honor, it’s not something you take lightly and the captain here has set such a good example of being a role model and leading in the room,” King said when mentioning the importance of his new role.
This will be King’s second season as a part of the leadership group, as he was an assistant to McKade Webster on last season’s team. It was also a career year for King with 15 goals, 19 assists and 34 points in 37 games.
“It’s just sticking to what we established in our culture here and every year you’re looking to improve individually, but it’s all about contributing and making an impact anywhere you can,” King said.
Head Coach David Carle was adamant about King as a captain and said, “Carter’s shown a lot of growth and expanded his leadership abilities throughout his years with us. It was a pretty easy decision to put the C on his jersey.”
Another part of the leadership group, Thompson, who is a Colorado native and entering his third season with Denver mentioned the honor of wearing a letter.
“It means the world to me, I grew up watching DU. Guys like Will Butcher and Cole Guttman were great leaders and to be a part of it is really special,” Thompson said.
Thompson is not new to being an assistant captain, as he was in the same position during his second year with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL.
The other assistant captain, Caponi, is entering his fifth season and was also an assistant captain with King last season.
“It’s an honor and not something I take lightly and being a part of it last year, it’s a comfortable role for me and something I’m excited about again,” Caponi said.
Along with King, Caponi also had a career year for himself with five goals and nine assists for 14 total points — an eight-point jump from last year’s season.
“I don’t think that much about points. I just try to play my role each night and if the points come it’s a bonus,” Caponi said.
Both Thompson and Caponi are very adamant heading into this season about how important it is to respect the culture of the program and to honor the captains who have been there before them and too.
After beating Boston College in the national championship game last season, the Crimson and Gold are looking to build on that momentum and repeat a championship like they did 20 years ago in 2004 and 2005.
