Categories: HockeyLatest News

ASU Hockey: Hollman steps into captain role

(Photo: Gabrielle Mercer/WCSN)

In just their second season as an NCAA team, the Arizona State Sun Devils have plenty of new faces on the ice. One in particular, Dylan Hollman, has made one of the strongest early impressions and was rewarded for his efforts by being named the team’s captain for the 2016-17 season.

It came as a surprise to some that Hollman earned the title captain, as he is not among the 13 returning players who saw game action on last season’s team. However, Hollman is not short on experience. Having transfered over from established hockey power UMass-Lowell after the 2014-2015 season, where he only played one game, he was exposed to NCAA play earlier than most other players on the roster.

Hollman said that what he learned from his short time on the East Coast has prepared him for his duties as captain.

“They have had a really successful program over the last 3-4 years,” he said. “Their culture and practice habits were something that I was really exposed to in the year that I was there and I have really tried to bring that over to the culture here.”

Despite being forced to redshirt last season due to NCAA transfer rules, he was frequently around the team, so he isn’t a complete newcomer to the tradition the Sun Devils are building.

Hollman was able to gain a feel for the coaching style of the staff and gain their trust, which he mentioned as an advantage of his redshirt year.

For head coach Greg Powers, it was easy to name Hollman the captain, mentioning that his natural personality fits the captain persona well.

“It was really impressive last year as a redshirt to see a kid come here every day and be the best player in practice without having game time as a reward,” Powers said. “He is a kid with a ton of character, he is a 4.0 student, and he leads with a ton of character on and off the ice.”

For Hollman, the title is something he is proud to have. He has limited experience serving as a captain, although he did have the role for the Team Canada West U19 team at the World Junior A Classic three years ago.

That was a very different set of circumstances, as it was a tournament style format and the team was only together for a few weeks. Now that he is captain of an NCAA team, Hollman is ready to take on the additional challenges that face him.

“It is a real honor to know the coaches have that kind of faith in me,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity for me to represent the team and I have a great group of alternate captains in place along with a lot of older guys who have really stepped up and made my job easier.”

The primary challenge that he will face is elevating the Sun Devils, who had an expectedly difficult season last year, to the next level.

“Our expectations are obviously way higher,” Hollman said. “Coming into this year, we feel really confident about the group that we put together. We feel we have a real chance to win every single night no matter who we are playing against, so I think that confidence is going to go a long ways towards our attitude on the bench and in the locker room, so hopefully that will translate into success on the ice.”

He is just one of many players that will lace up the skates this year, but Hollman’s impact as a leader will be a boost to a team in need of one. According to Powers, in order to be successful, he doesn’t have to do much different than he is already doing.

“He just needs to continue to be himself,” Powers said. “The guys follow, they listen to him, and they respect him. He’s done a great job.”

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

Jacob Janower

Jacob Janower is a junior sports journalism student at Arizona State. You can follow him on Twitter @JanowerJacob or contact him by email jjanower@gmail.com

Recent Posts

Skinner’s career night propels ASU to narrow victory in season opener

(Photo credit: Aishling Cavanaugh/WCSN) TEMPE — With Desert Financial Arena buzzing, Arizona State found itself…

7 hours ago

Sun Devils prepare for Big 12 debut in Adair’s third year

(Photo credit: Marina Willams/WCSN) Excitement is brewing for Arizona State women’s basketball as the Sun…

20 hours ago

Sun Devils put up complete performance in fall exhibition against GCU

(Photo: Maya Diaz/WCSN) As warmup music echoed throughout GCU ballpark, baseball bats pinged and cleats…

2 days ago

Takeaways: Sun Devils Clinch Bowl Eligibility With Win Over Oklahoma State

With 22 seconds remaining in the first half Arizona State football found itself a single…

2 days ago

No. 13 Sun Devils Extend Win Streak to 10, Earn Season Sweep Over No. 22 Utah

(Photo: Katherine Gore/WCSN) In a match one month ago, No. 13 Arizona State Volleyball won…

3 days ago

Sun Devil arms against pros in exhibition against USA Baseball

(Photo: Austin Hurst/WCSN) PHOENIX - Senior right-handed pitcher Jack Martinez walked off the mound in…

3 days ago