Senior defender Doug Jessey (Langdon, Alberta) will serve as captain for the 2014-15 Canisius College hockey team with senior netminder Keegan Asmundson (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.)being named the assistant captain, announced by head coach Dave Smith on Wednesday.
“Leadership in an important aspect to every team and with a senior class of 10, we expect great things from each of them,” Smith said. “Doug and Keegan will wear a letter but leadership is expected to come from many within this class.
“Doug is a player who leads by example and has a great amount of respect from his teammates both on and off the ice. He has grown immensely in his four years here and is very deserving of being captain. Doug and Keegan work well together and have a great command of the locker room. They have represented the program in a first-class manner during their career and I look forward to working with them as we attempt to get back to the Atlantic Hockey Championship and NCAA Tournament.”
Jessey has appeared in 116 collegiate games with 35 points, 10 goals and 25 assists, setting career highs last season with 22 points, eight goals and 14 assists. The Langdon, Alberta native was named to the 2014 Atlantic Hockey All-Tournament Team after helping lead the Griffs to their second-straight title game appearance, totaling seven points in seven postseason games.
Asmundson is the first Canisius goalie to earn a letter since Andrew Loewen was named an assistant captain during the 2008-09 season. In 19 collegiate games, Asmundson has posted a 2.28 goals against average and .931 save percentage, while collecting Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Week accolades twice.
The duo is set to lead a team that returns 18 letterwinners and has advanced to two-straight Atlantic Hockey title games. The Griffs won the program’s first conference championship in 2013, earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Canisius opens the 2014-15 regular season on Oct. 10with a home game against Western Michigan at First Niagara Center.
