University of Denver head hockey coach Jim Montgomery announced today that senior forward Gabe Levin (Marina del Ray, Calif.), senior defenseman Nolan Zajac (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and junior blueliner Will Butcher (Sun Prairie, Wis.) will serve as the team's alternate captains for the duration of the 2015-16 campaign. Senior forward Grant Arnold (Centennial, Colo.) is serving as the team's captain for the second straight season, marking just the third time in program history that DU has had the same captain in back-to-back years (Doug McKinnon, 1949-51 & Don Burgess, 1951-53).

"We're very pleased to be naming Gabe, Nolan and Will our alternate captains for the season," Montgomery says. "All three student-athletes have contributed a great deal to our program both on and off the ice in recent years and we're looking forward to having them play a more prominent leadership role this season."

Levin, 23, has served as Denver's lone alternate captain to this point this season. The 5'8", 162-lb. center has appeared in 125 career games for the Pios, registering 50 points on 11 goals and 39 assists. He led Denver in faceoff winning pct. last season, recording a mark of .573 (304-for-531), and won the Dr. Ken Bredesen Award as the Pioneers' Most Sportsmanlike Player for the second straight year.

"It was a dream come true for me just to play at Denver," says Levin. "Getting to wear a letter here is an even bigger thrill and I'm honored to be a part of the leadership group of a program with such a rich tradition."

Zajac, 23, has also skated in 125 games as a Pioneer, tallying 17G-63A-80P in addition to a cumulative plus/minus rating of +21. The 5'10", 180-lb. rearguard finished second on DU and third in the NCHC in scoring by a defenseman in 2014-15, registering 5G-21A-26P in 40 appearances. He is currently within eight points of Denver's all-time Top 10 scoring list for defensemen.

"This is a huge honor," says Zajac. "There are a lot of guys on this team that could be wearing a letter this season and that speaks volumes as to the type of student-athletes that DU attracts. Everyone here has strong leadership qualities and I'm definitely honored to be wearing an `A' for my senior season."

Butcher, 20, is the reigning NCHC Defenseman of the Week and currently leads the Pios in scoring with 2G-4A-6P (6GP) on the season. The Colorado Avalanche prospect has appeared in 82 career NCAA contests, tallying 14G-26A-40P for the Crimson & Gold. He served as an alternate captain with Team USA at the 2015 IIHF World U20 Championships in Canada and has represented his country at numerous international tournaments.

"It's a tremendous honor and a big responsibility to wear a letter here at Denver," says Butcher. "I hope to be able to live up to the expectations set by the great leaders this program has had over the years and set a good example for the underclassmen to follow."

The [9/12] Pioneers (3-3-0) will face the [NR/NR] CC Tigers (0-8-0) in a home-and-home series this coming weekend, with Game 1 of the 2015-16 edition of the Battle for the Gold Pan set to be staged at Magness Arena on Friday night (puck drop -- 7:36pm). Tickets to this intrastate showdown are currently available for purchase at http://www.denverpioneers.com/tickets/.