Early Monday morning, WSU Club Hockey selected four captains for the approaching season: all returning and seasoned Cougs. Junior Cole Carlson will take over as team captain, with seniors Van Rayner, Sam Hembree and Samuli Sihvonen serving as alternates.

 For head coach John Lupinacci, selecting the four was the obvious pick.

 “All those guys are leaders on and off the ice,” Lupinacci said. “All four of those guys are upperclassmen. They have great grades. I mean they’re exemplary human beings and they all are great hockey players [that] bring something unique.”

The quartet of captains takes over for the duo of Miles Seguin and Ian Gould, who both graduated last season. With 54 combined points and 30 combined goals, the two former captains leave a void that is apparent to the new leadership.

 “They’re definitely big shoes to fill,” Rayner said. “[Gould] always was the hardest worker on the ice…then Miles, obviously, just finesse…I think everyone on offense and defense just needs to step up and start getting on the stat sheet to try and fill in for his numbers that we’ll lose this year.”

 Performance was not the only thing that set the two captains apart.

 “Off the ice and in the locker room, everyone looked up to those guys,” Hembree said. “Everyone’s picking each other up on the bench. It’s great camaraderie.”

 With these four Cougs taking over, those shoes may be more than filled. Carlson led the team last season in points (40), goals (18), power play goals (3) and assists (22). Rayner and Sihvonen were both nipping at the heels of their former captains, placing fifth and sixth on the team for points respectively.

Although Hembree only posted seven points to end the season, his physical presence as a defenseman was an invaluable factor. Alongside defensemen Micah Clark, Lucas Robinson and Reed Mullin, Hembree serves as the backbone that leads a physical penalty kill and lock-down defense.

 Last season, the Cougs made their way to the PAC-8 playoffs, with their first-round matchup squaring them off against the University of Washington, the eventual champions of the tournament. Despite falling to the Huskies 7-4, the Cougs viewed the loss as a moment of growth. 

“The recruits we got are excited to be here because they got to watch that game,” Lupinacci said. “They’re excited to play UW this year…it also gave these guys a lot of inspiration.”

The new captains recognized the loss’ significance, and though it stung, it provided them with vital growth.

“Being able to hang with the team that will go on to win the PAC last year was huge for us,” Rayner said. “It gave us a lot of bright spots we can look back on for film…it hurt a little more being that close with them and then seeing them go on the run.”

“I’d say that was a huge game for our club as a whole,” Carlson said. “It was some of the best hockey we’ve ever played. I was personally happy to end the season on that high note where we kind of showed that we can compete with the best teams in the league.”

With four games against UW already on the schedule, the Cougs have quite a few chances to run back their playoff bout. For the new captains, the game plan is simple.

“They’re big, they’re physical and they’re fast,” Rayner said. “We just got to be bigger, faster and more physical than them.”

Although the Huskies have historically been a dominant program in the PAC-8, the captains still have faith in their group.

“I think we have the squad this year,” Hembree said. “We have a lot of talent, and I think we’re a little bit more of a complete team. We’re more bonded together, so I think we definitely have a great chance of beating them this year.”

For seniors Rayner, Hembree and Sihvonen, this potentially being their last season is a strong motivator for the year.

“It makes me want to win that much more,” Rayner said. “I want to make it my best year here…and make a deeper playoff run.”

Playoff success is a common theme in the captains’ mindsets.

“I want to make an impact on that PAC-8 tournament,” Hembree said. “It’s the most fun three years of hockey I’ve ever played…everyone here is just like your best friends…and I think that’s the big key we have on this team.”

As the team prepares to welcome new members and new leadership, the philosophy for the Cougs remains unshaken.

“One word: family,” Lupinacci said. “I use it as a verb. You family on this team…it’s a process where you give and you get.”

The captains embrace that philosophy and understand how it impacts their play on the ice.

“That speaks to kind of who we are…one big family,” Rayner said. “We have each other’s backs…we go to war together every night.”

After holding their prospect camp back in April, Lupinacci expressed his excitement for upcoming tryouts on Aug. 22 and 23.

“All the prospects showed up really big,” he said. “There are some exciting hopefuls that showed a lot of promise…it’s a young team, so we’re really excited to build a lot of returners at the end of this year.”

With the Palouse Ice Rink in Moscow not having ice during the summer season, tryouts and practices in the early season will be held at the Eastern Washington University Recreation Center in Cheney, Wa.

Opening night for the Cougs will pit them against their cross state rivals, the University of Idaho, on Sep. 12 in Cheney, Wa.