DENVER – The University of Denver hockey team announced today that senior forward McKade Webster has been named the 94th captain in program history for the upcoming 2023-24 campaign. Joining Webster on the Pioneers' formal leadership group are this year's alternate captains in senior Connor Caponi and juniors Carter King and Massimo Rizzo.
 
"We are very excited for McKade and the whole leadership group to have earned this honor and responsibility to lead our team this season," said Richard and Kitzia Goodman hockey head coach David Carle. "Through their words and actions, they will do an outstanding job of leading and setting a high standard of what it means to be a Pioneer. All four own a team-first mindset and will help get our group to achieve its goals this season."
 
Webster served as an alternate captain on last year's team, led by 2022-23 captain Justin Lee. The St. Louis, Missouri, native was also a captain in junior as he wore the 'C' for the United States Hockey League's Green Bay Gamblers in 2019-20.
 
"I'm truly honored, and it's a privilege to be a captain at this program. Denver is such a storied program with a lot of history, and I'm excited for the responsibility," Webster said. "We have a lot of different leaders in the locker room and everyone leads in a different way, but everyone pulls on the rope to get to our end goal. I'm excited to lead with everyone else on the team."
 
Webster is coming off a 2022-23 campaign where he appeared in 30 games and tied career highs with six goals, eight assists and 14 points. The forward has suited up in 91 career contests for the Pioneers, totaling 37 points (15g/22a) and helped the squad win the 2022 NCAA National Championship.
 
The senior has been named to the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team in each of his previous three seasons and was recognized as a National AHCA All-America Scholar in 2020-21.
 
Caponi is one outing shy of reaching the 100-game milestone and has totaled eight goals and seven assists and 88 penalty minutes over the last three years. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native tied career highs with four assists and six points (2g/4a) in 2022-23 and also added 19 blocked shots, 26 penalty minutes and won 262 faceoffs.
 
King is entering his third full season with the Pioneers after playing three contests in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign. From Calgary, Alberta, King led Denver in faceoff victories (337) and winning percentage (.526) in 38 games last year while recording personal bests with 11 goals, 12 assists and 23 points. The forward owns 35 career points (14g/21a) in 77 outings.
 
Rizzo led the entire NCHC in total scoring (46 points) and points in conference play (31) as a sophomore in 2022-23. Registering career highs, the Burnaby, British Columbia, native also led Denver with 29 assists and ranked second on the squad with 17 goals. A 2023 second-team All-American and All-NCHC first-team member, Rizzo is averaging more than a point per game in his collegiate career with 29 goals and 53 assists (82 points) in 77 contests as a Pioneer.
 
UP NEXT: The Pioneers open the season this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 7-8 at Alaska Fairbanks. Both games begin at 7 p.m. MT and will be broadcasted online on FloHockey.tv.
 
TICKETS: Single-game tickets, as well as 5-Game Packs and full and half-season ticket plans are all available to purchase here.