As the coaching staff wrapped up player meetings following what was described as a "rebuilding" season for the purps, the day saw one take a turn in the right direction as defenseman David Hazelet along with center Christopher Gasiewicz were named team captains for the 2018-2019 season. 

The coaching staff had this to say about the decision to move forward with their new leadership core:

"It's funny, when it comes to selecting captains, it seems as if it's the most difficult decision we as a coaching staff make, year in and year out. This season in particular was even more of a challenge because we knew that we had to fill a void left by the legacy of Dalton Bew. That being said, the decision to appoint both Gazzy and Haz as tandem captains was definitive. It was pretty apparent that we were all on the same page with this one and we're happy that we can finally get it out in the open."

On why they felt that these 2 were unanimously selected during program discussions:

"There's a lot that goes into selecting a captain. It's a choice you really, REALLY don't want to miss on. With these 2 specifically, they're both exceptional hockey players that carry themselves in a professional manner both on and off ice. Also, they're 2 guys that never give up ... in every drill ... during every game ... in any type of situation. For us, it was important to send the message to our team that 1 bad year is enough bad years. Accountability is an area that we need to improve in. 14 and 15 give us that."

On every coach's positive perception of both players on and off the ice:

"It says everything about their character, really. We've seen these guys nursing injuries and sicker than dogs ... yet they never complain. They show up to practice just as hard as if they were healthy. There's not a player in that locker room that doesn't look to either of them as leaders. When you can universally win over an entire dressing room ... there's nothing more you can really say other than - That's respect."

On what they bring to the team as players:

On Gasiewicz :

"With Gaz, he's someone who's really coming into his own. [Head Coach Brzeczkowski] Larry references the combination of his leadership and athleticism hitting full stride during our last playoff loss to Cornell. He scores back-to-back goals and fires the entire team up with his play and then proceeds to be our most vocal player behind the bench. We want him to start trusting his play more. In a way, naming him captain is an opportunity to provide him with more creative freedom on the ice. He should shoot more, he shouldn't think twice about making a decision ... we say that because he's a really good player. For someone who has a favorable amount of eligibility left, witnessing the development ... it's exciting. We'd be hard-pressed to say he isn't our best faceoff guy as well. We threw him on the ice in 2-3 big defensive zone situations where he pulled the draw clean back to the strong-side D every time. 

On Hazelet: 

"Dave ... what's astounding about him is the ratio of minutes played vs plus/minus. We got scored on a lot more this season than we have in years past, yet Haz carries one of the best plus/minus stats on the team. Collaboratively, we as a coaching staff are not hyper-analytical by any means. But, you're talking about a guy who plays HALF the game and very seldom gets scored on. When you watch him skate, it's pretty apparent that he's a skill guy. That being said, We don't feel he gets enough credit for his situational play. He logs so many minutes because he excels in every facet of the game. Shooting ... passing ... precise decisions while carrying the puck at full-speed ... you could go on forever. In short, he's just a very special player and we're proud that we can now officially call him our leader."

On what they expect out of them as leaders:

"Short and sweet - We touched on accountability earlier. 15 is one of the most disciplined players our roster has ever carried. 14, lets just say he's not exactly the type of guy you want to aggravate. We'll leave it at that."

And there you have it. Niagara decides to do away with last season by simply placing their focus on 2018-2019. They're confident that today's announcement will ignite their roster and motivate their youthful core into making an immediate impact once training camp strolls around. 

Congratulations to Christopher Gasiewicz and David Hazelet on the shared captaincy. You're both well-deserving of the honor.