This year's senior class is a special one full of quality - on the ice, in the classroom and in the community. I have watched a lot of DU classes come and go, but this is a very special group.
Rhett Rhakshani had offers to leave for the NHL, but stayed around and became the DU captain. With his hands, scoring touch, work ethic and speed, he's going to have a good shot at a pro career. He's also an honor student whose laid-back California personality and leadership training makes him a good leader and captain. Who will forget his force-of-will third period win-the-game natural hat trick at SCSU? Or his MacNaughton-winning goal with 13 seconds left last week? Or his spina-rama-nonchalant-holy-crap goal at the Kohl Center? We will miss him very much.
Tyler Ruegsegger is the straight-arrow, straight-A, Faith-first local-kid-made-good player who has given every ounce of himself on the ice to become a model student athlete. While his outspoken faith may rub some on his team the wrong way, there is no question that his stats and his efforts in a Pioneer uniform have put him into a fan-favorite position. His highlight reel goal vs MSUM has certainly made his skills indelible via you tube. I don't know if he'll get a contract offer from Toronto, due to his skating style and his seemingly never-ending injury history, but he can certainly play at the AHL level, and perhaps, beyond with some hard work. Another guy that's hard to replace.
Matt Glasser is one of those seniors that some might label a bust in terms of his hockey point production, but the guy has been perhaps the hardest-working guy on the ice over his four years at Denver. His feet are always moving, and his yeomen-like work on the lower lines has made him a "glue guy". Another fine student, Glasser does whatever he's asked to do the staff, and is a team guy. We'll miss the effort and personality too..
Brian Gifford is one of those players that had some hype around him as a Mr. Hockey Finalist in Minnesota and he was taken in the 3rd round of the NHL Draft by Pittsburgh. But when he went into the USHL for juniors, his offensive game did not translate to dominance as it did in high school. And by the time he hit Denver, it was pretty obvious that he was destined to be a big-bodied plugger rather than a star. That said, he has accepted his varrying roles over the years, and picked up some key goals in spots. For some reason, Wisconsin was the once team he tended to burn more often. He also got the job done in the classroom, too.
Brandon Vossberg was a limited duty role player from the beginning, but he's made a mark as an energy guy, penalty killer and a hard worker on the forcheck. His humanitarian work also gets him into a special category of players nominated for a national award. which reflects well not only on him, but on the program. Another player who also hit the books hard and set a great example for other players.
Cody Brookwell is one of those quiet players who played a lot of solid stay at home defense over his four years. Popular with teammates, Cody struggled at times on the ice and off the ice to keep up with his more talented and academically gifted teammates. But at the end of the day, he'll be remembered for his on-ice effort level and his rare breakaway backhand goal in his junior year that was his first in a Pioneer uniform. The smile on his face when came back the bench and his teammates obvious joy in his achievement will likely be my best memory of Cody.
