May 23, 2005
DENVER - Junior defenseman Brett Skinner (Brandon, Manitoba) has been named team captain of the 2005-06 University of Denver hockey team, while junior forwards Gabe Gauthier (Buena Park, Calif.) and Ted O'Leary (Arvada, Colo.) and sophomore defenseman Matt Carle (Anchorage, Alaska) will serve as alternate captains, it was announced today by National Coach of the Year George Gwozdecky.
Gwozdecky announced all four captains after a team vote. Skinner, who will enter his senior year at Denver next season, becomes the sixth consecutive defenseman to captain the Pioneers. He enjoyed a tremendous junior season with a career-high 40 points. Skinner earned CCM West All-American Second-Team honors after dazzling opponents with a team-leading and career-high 36 assists. The Brandon, Manitoba, native and All-WCHA First-Team honoree tied an NCAA Frozen Four record with four assists in Denver's 6-2 win over Colorado College on April 7. Skinner registered 13 points during a career-best, 11-game point streak from Jan. 22-March 3.
"Brett has learned a great deal from former captains Ryan Caldwell and Matt Laatsch," Gwozdecky said. "He understands the important characteristics and necessary culture for next year's team to be successful. Brett has been a mentor to our younger players since his sophomore season and his love and passion for the sport and his teammates is second to none."
Gauthier will wear the "A" for the first time in his brilliant career at Denver. He racked up a career-high 57 points on a team-leading 26 goals and 31 assists. Gauthier posted an NCAA Tournament best 11 points in four games, including his first career hat trick in Denver's 4-2 win over New Hampshire in the Northeast Regional final. Gauthier led the team with 20 multi-point games and recorded six games with three or more points.
"Gabe is ready to assume more of a leadership role for us next season," Gwozdecky said. "He has gained great respect in our locker room for the leadership he has demonstrated on the ice throughout our last two postseason runs."
Carle, the top returning defenseman in collegiate hockey, dominated play on both sides of the ice this season. The sophomore from Anchorage, Alaska, earned CCM West All-American First-Team honors and earned all-tournament accolades at the NCAA Northeast Regional and NCAA Frozen Four. The All-WCHA First-Team honoree tallied a career-high 44 points on 13 goals and 31 assists for the back-to-back NCAA National Champion Pioneers in 2004-05.
O'Leary earned his third consecutive Dr. Art Mason Award as Denver's Top Student-Athlete. He posted a 3.94 grade-point-average and appeared in seven games this season, including the NCAA championship game against North Dakota.
"Matt has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities on the ice since early in his freshman season," Gwozdecky said. "Ted has done a great job on-and-off the ice for this team the past three years. The diversity of each of our captains will be one of our strengths next season."
The Pioneers will open the 2005-06 campaign with a two-game nonconference series at the University of Maine on Oct. 14-15.
