DENVER - The Denver Pioneers hockey team presented by Centura Health will welcome nine newcomers for the 2020-21 season, including seven freshmen and two graduate transfers.

Antti Tuomisto, Carter Savoie, Mike Benning, McKade Webster, Connor Caponi, Reid Irwin and Jack Caruso will join the Pioneers as freshmen, while Bo Hanson and Steven Jandric are graduate transfers. The group consists of four forwards, four defensemen and one goalie, helping comprise Denver's 26-man roster.  

"This group of incoming freshmen is full of team-first individuals who are as talented off the ice as they are on and the experience of our transfers will add immediate value to our lineup," the Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Hockey Coach David Carle said. "Collectively, they will help us continue the level of excellence our community expects from Denver Hockey."
 
#8 Carter Savoie | Forward | Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL)
St. Albert, Alberta | 5'10", 181 lbs | 1/23/2002
 
Ranked 50^th among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings for the 2020 NHL Draft…Notched 84 goals, 88 assists and 129 penalty minutes in 112 games with the Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL) from 2018-20…Two-time AJHL All-Star…In 2019-20, he led the AJHL with 53 goals, finished second in league scoring with 99 points (53-46-99) and tallied 62 penalty minutes in 54 games to be named among five finalists for CJHL Forward of the Year…Served as alternate captain for the Crusaders in 2019-20…Named to the AJHL All-Rookie Team in 2018-19… Represented Canada at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge… Chose Denver for its academics and athletics…
 

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#11 Steven Jandric | Forward | University of Alaska Fairbanks (NCAA)
Prince George, B.C. | 5'11", 181 lbs | 8/18/1997
 
Played three seasons at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (NCAA), recording 26 goals, 54 assists and 157 penalty minutes in 150 games…Led the Nanooks in scoring in 2018-19 and 2019-20…Named to the WCHA First All-Star Team in 2019-20…Named to the WCHA Third All-Star Team in 2018-19…Named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team in 2017-18 …Had 35 goals, 39 assists and 88 penalty minutes in 121 BCHL games, playing two full seasons with the Vernon Vipers from 2016-18… Has a younger brother, Chris, who plays hockey at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (NCAA)…
 

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#6 McKade Webster | Forward | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
St. Louis, Mo. | 5'10", 185 lbs | 7/28/2000 | NHL: Tampa Bay Lightning '19, 7^th Round (213^th Overall)
 
Tallied 18 goals, 37 assists and 102 penalty minutes in 88 games for the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) from 2017-20…Served as captain of the Gamblers during the 2019-20 season…Product of Shattuck St. Mary's and the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies…Chose Denver because of its track record of success as well as its combination of athletics and academics…
 

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#22 Connor Caponi | Forward | Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
Nashville, Tennessee | 5'9", 181 lbs | 3/20/2000
 
Played two seasons with the Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) from 2018-20, serving as captain. Recorded 22 goals, 15 assists and 153 penalty minutes in 74 career games… Won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge…Voted "Hardest Worker" by Black Hawks teammates in 2019 & 2020…Played midget hockey at Culver Military Academy and bantam hockey with the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals organization… Father Chris played hockey and mother Heather ran track at Colby College (NCAA DIII)…
 
#3 Antti Tuomisto | Defenseman | Ässät (U20 SM-sarja)
Pori, Finland | 6'4", 194 lbs | 1/20/2001 | NHL: Detroit Red Wings '19, 2^nd Rd (35^th overall)
 
Recorded 25 goals, 62 assists and 99 penalty minutes in 111 games for Ässät U20 (SM-sarja) from 2018-20…Named 2019-20 U20 SM-sarja Best Player & Defenseman and selected for the First All-Star Team…Served as alternate captain for Ässät U20 in 2019-20… Has played more than 70 games for Finland, representing his country at the 2017 World U-17 Hockey Challenge and the 2019 IIHF World U-18 Championship as well as other tournaments…Named to the 2018-19 U20 SM-sarja Second All-Star Team…Named to the 2018-19 U20 SM-sarja Second All-Star Team…Father Petri played hockey for Alaska Anchorage (NCAA) from 1992-95 and completed four professional seasons in Europe…
 

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#20 Mike Benning | Defenseman | Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL)
St. Albert, Alberta | 5'10", 174 lbs | 1/5/2002
 
Ranked 57^th among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings for the 2020 NHL Draft…Produced 22 goals, 114 assists and 153 penalty minutes in 114 games for the Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL) from 2018-20…2019-20 CJHL Defenseman of the Year and AJHL Defenseman of the Year…Led AJHL defensemen in scoring in 2018-19 and 2019-20…Notched 75 points in 2019-20,  T-10^th most in a single season for all-time AJHL defensemen…Named to the 2019-20 AJHL All-Star Team…Served as alternate captain of the Crusaders for the 2019-20 season…Named to the 2018-19 AJHL All-Rookie Team…Represented Canada at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge…His brother Matt plays for the Edmonton Oilers (NHL)…His father Brian played 568 NHL games from 1984-95 for the St. Louis Blues, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers…His uncle Jim played 610 NHL games from 1981-90 and is the current GM of the Vancouver Canucks…
 

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#14 Bo Hanson |  Defenseman | St. Lawrence University (NCAA)
Boise, Idaho | 6'2" 205 lbs | 11/13/1997
 
Recorded 11 goals, 36 assists and 47 points in 102 games for St. Lawrence University (NCAA) from 2017-20…Honoree on the ECAC All-Academic Team in 2018 & 2019…2019 AHCA All-American Scholar…Tallied seven goals, 43 assists and 115 penalty minutes in 169 games for the Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) from 2014-17…Served as captain of the Lumberjacks in 2016-17…Named to the USHL Third All-Star Team in 2016-17…Product of the Colorado Rampage… Chose the University of Denver because of its excellence in academics and athletics. He had dreamed of playing for the Pioneers as a kid…
 

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#21 Reid Irwin | Defenseman | Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL)
Victoria, B.C | 6'1" 190 lbs | 3/1/1999
 
Tallied 17 goals, 67 assists and 106 penalty minutes in 175 AJHL games for the Lloydminster Bobcats and Sherwood Park Crusaders from 2017-20…Played high school hockey at Shawnigan Lake School Prep… Chose Denver because of the strong, unique culture of the hockey program and the opportunity to attend school in a beautiful city…
 
#31 Jack Caruso | Goalie | Fairbanks Ice Dogs (NAHL)
St. Louis, Mo. | 5'11", 170 lbs | 6/7/1999
 
Played two seasons in the NAHL from 2018-20 for the Brookings Blizzard, Johnstown Tomahawks and the Fairbanks Ice Dogs… Posted a 1-3-0 record with a 2.90 GAA and .891 save percentage in 2019-20 between Johnston and Fairbanks…Played 28 games for the Brookings during the 2018-19 season where he contributed to 36% of the team's wins…Product of Christian Brothers College High School, St. Louis Selects 18U and CarShield AAA…Chose Denver because of the tradition, inclusive campus and opportunity to join a great alumni network…
 

• 26 – Players are on the 2020-21 roster with 14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goalies
• 7 – Pioneers are currently drafted in the NHL
• 4 – Incomers wore a letter in their junior career (Carter Savoie, Mike Benning, Antti Tuomisto & Bo Hanson)
• 1,803 – Days between the date of birth for the Pioneers' youngest player, Carter Savoie (18 years old) and oldest player, Ryan Barrow (23 years old), equating to to four years, 11 months and eight days
• 1 – Position in the 2019 NHL Draft separating Bobby Brink, selected 34^th overall by Philadelphia, and Antti Tuomisto, selected 35^th overall by Detroit

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