| Madison Capitols | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Madison, Wisconsin |
| League | United States Hockey League |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Home arena | Bob Suter's Capitol Ice Arena |
| Colors | Blue, sky blue, gray, red, and white |
| Owner(s) | Ryan Suter |
| President | Andrew Joudrey |
| General manager | Andy Brandt |
| Head coach | Andy Brandt |
The Madison Capitols are a Tier I junior ice hockey team that plays in the Eastern Conference of the United States Hockey League. Founded in 2014, the team plays its home games at Bob Suter's Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton, Wisconsin.[1]
History
Early history (1984–1991)
The Madison Capitols began as a team in 1984, competing in the USHL, and played for 11 consecutive seasons.[2] During this period, the Capitols played home games at the Hartmeyer Ice Arena, posting a 207–278–16 record, playing a total of 530 games.[3]
The team was coached by Bob Suter from 1984 to 1986, posting a 35–48–3–10 record.[4] Following what was a mild start to the franchise, Scott Owens took over coaching duties in 1986 and started a winning franchise, posting a 136–85–9–10 record through 1991.[5] Owens would then move on to coach the Des Moines Buccaneers and Colorado College, ending the first era of the Madison Capitols.
Wisconsin Capitols (1991–1995)
With the departure of Owens, the Madison Capitols re-branded themselves as the Wisconsin Capitols in 1991. Steve Huglen, a University of Illinois Defensemen, was hired as head coach for the 1991–1992 campaign and the Capitols intended to continue their winning record; however, under Huglen the team posted an 11–37–0 season.
The 1992–93 campaign saw the departure of Huglen, and the addition of Mike Dibble as head coach. After the team posted a 2–21–2 record Dibble was replaced by Rob Andriga mid-season, who would coach the Capitols to a 4–19–1 record, finishing at 6–39–2–1 season record.[6][7][8]
In the 1993–94 season, Andringa was still coaching the Wisconsin Capitols, along with the additions of Don Granato, and Brian Duffy.[9][10] The Capitols would post a 9–37–1–3 record this season, second to their worst.[3] The era of the Wisconsin Capitols and, for the time being, USHL hockey in Madison was close to an end.
The final season of the Capitols in Madison in 1994–95, saw the return of Duffy, who would post a 3–8–0[10] record as head coach. The replacement coach, Len Semplice would finish the season with a 7–29–1 record, totaling a team season record of 10–37–1.[11]
Madison Capitols (2014–present)
On November 26, 2013, the management of Madtown Hockey, LLC announced that the Madison Capitols would be returning to Madison in the 2014–15 season. Ryan Suter, defenseman for the Minnesota Wild and Tom Sagissor, a former Wisconsin Badger, would join the ownership group.[2] It was also announced that the Madison Capitols would play at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
On May 22, 2014, Luke Strand was formally introduced as the Madison Capitols head coach and general manager. He was joined on the bench by fellow Eau Claire native Keith Paulsen and longtime NHL veteran and Stanley Cup Champion Tony Hrkac.
Following Bob Suter's death in September 2014, the Capitols honored the lifelong Madison native and gold medalist with stickers on team helmets, a banner bearing his jersey number 20 inside the Coliseum, and the ice rink named in his honor (Bob Suter Memorial Rink).
The Capitols began their first season back in the USHL on September 27, 2014, with a 4–3 loss at Muskegon. Luke McElhenie, a native of Sauk City, WI, scored the first goal in the new era of the Capitols. McElhenie previously played for Bob Suter and the Madison Capitols AAA program. Madison picked up its first victory in the USHL on October 24, defeating the Sioux Falls Stampede 3–1.
Following the 2014–15 season, Luke Strand left the organization to accept an assistant coaching position at the University of Wisconsin–Madison under head coach Mike Eaves.[12]
On June 10, 2015, it was announced that Troy G. Ward had been hired as the new head coach and general manager.[13][14] After one season, Troy Ward resigned his positions with the organization[15] and was replaced as head coach and general manager by Garrett Suter.[16]
On July 28, 2017, the Capitols announced that Andrew Joudrey was named the team's new president.[17] That same day, the team announced plans to relocate from the Alliant Energy Center to Hartmeyer Ice Arena for the 2017–18 season. Reasons cited for the move included a decrease in available dates for hockey at the Alliant Energy Center and a desire on the Capitols' part for better sightlines and fan experience.[18] Negotiations between the Capitols and Hartmeyer management over needed facility upgrades would come to an impasse, and on September 11, the Capitols announced they would instead play the 2017–18 season at Bob Suter's Capitol Ice Arena, a two-rink facility in suburban Middleton owned by Ryan Suter and named in father Bob Suter's memory. The Capitol Ice Arena, already a practice site for the Capitols, had a capacity of 1,300 fans for hockey, and became the smallest arena in the USHL.[1] In the 2018 off-season, the Capitols renovated the rink to increase the capacity and add more suites.[19] Head coach and general manager Garrett Suter stepped down after the 2019–20 season.[20]
Due to the on-going restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Capitols went on hiatus for the 2020–21 season.[21] The Capitols resumed play for the 2021–22 season.
Season-by-season record
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 60 | 24 | 25 | 11 | 59 | 172 | 212 | 1193 | 7th of 9, Eastern 12th of 17, USHL | Did not qualify |
| 2015–16 | 60 | 25 | 27 | 8 | 58 | 169 | 198 | 892 | 7th of 9, Eastern 13th of 17, USHL | Did not qualify |
| 2016–17 | 60 | 23 | 32 | 5 | 51 | 135 | 192 | 851 | 7th of 9, Eastern 12th of 17, USHL | Did not qualify |
| 2017–18 | 60 | 23 | 33 | 4 | 50 | 183 | 224 | 755 | 8th of 9, Eastern 15th of 17, USHL | Did not qualify |
| 2018–19 | 62 | 15 | 38 | 9 | 39 | 145 | 249 | 822 | 9th of 9, Eastern 16th of 17, USHL | Did not qualify |
| 2019–20 | 50 | 12 | 34 | 4 | 28 | 122 | 219 | 889 | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2020-21 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not play due to COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2021-22 | 62 | 30 | 29 | 3 | 63 | 233 | 233 | 758 | 5th of 8, Eastern 9th of 16, USHL | Lost Championship, 1-3 vs. Sioux City Musketeers |
Personnel
Active roster
As of December 24, 2022.[22]
| No. | S/P/C | Player | Pos | Ht | Wt | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | College commitment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  |
Trey Ausmus | D | 5' 11" | 157 lb | 2004-05-07 | East Grand Forks, Minnesota | East Grand Forks (USHS–MN) | North Dakota |
| 3 |  |
Jan Olenginski | D | 5' 7" | 155 lb | 2003-03-23 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | El Paso (NAHL) | St. Lawrence |
| 4 |  |
William Felicio | D | 5' 8" | 160 lb | 2006-05-19 | Holden, Massachusetts | Mount Saint Charles U16 (Midget AAA) | None |
| 5 |  |
Nicholas Fascia | D | 6' 0" | 186 lb | 2005-04-28 | Blackwood, New Jersey | Long Island Gulls U18 (Midget AAA) | Penn State |
| 7 | |
Landen Gunderson | F | 6' 0" | 186 lb | 2004-11-28 | Plymouth, Minnesota | Maple Grove (USHS–MN) | Western Michigan |
| 8 |  |
Miko Matikka | F | 6' 3" | 200 lb | 2003-10-26 | Helsinki, Finland | Jokerit U20 (U20 SM-sarja) | Denver |
| 10 | |
Tyler Grahme | F | 5' 10" | 170 lb | 2004-07-11 | Bloomington, Minnesota | Wisconsin (NAHL) | Dartmouth |
| 11 |  |
Peter Cisár | F | 5' 11" | 188 lb | 2005-03-30 | Bratislava, Slovakia | Shattuck-Saint Mary's U18 (Midget AAA) | None |
| 12 |  |
Quinn Finley | F | 6' 0" | 178 lb | 2004-08-08 | Suamico, Wisconsin | Chicago (USHL) | Wisconsin |
| 13 |  |
Andrew Kuzma | F | 5' 11" | 197 lb | 2005-01-29 | Naperville, Illinois | Chicago Mission U16 (Midget AAA) | None |
| 14 | |
Tommy Cronin | F | 5' 10" | 176 lb | 2004-09-10 | Edina, Minnesota | Saint Thomas Academy (USHS–MN) | Colgate |
| 15 | |
Brady Yakesh | D | 5' 8" | 179 lb | 2003-09-15 | Delano, Minnesota | Sioux Falls (USHL) | Minnesota |
| 16 | |
Ethan Elias | D | 5' 7" | 177 lb | 2003-04-03 | Maple Grove, Minnesota | Omaha (USHL) | St. Thomas |
| 18 | |
Jonah Aegerter | F | 5' 9" | 178 lb | 2004-01-21 | Janesville, Wisconsin | Janesville (NAHL) | St. Cloud State |
| 19 |  |
Jack Musa | F | 5' 9" | 156 lb | 2003-07-22 | Orange Park, Florida | Odessa (NAHL) | UMass |
| 21 |  |
Bennett Barnes | F | 5' 10" | 178 lb | 2003-10-20 | Northville, Michigan | Cowichan Valley (BCHL) | None |
| 22 | |
Nathan Lewis | F | 6' 5" | 209 lb | 2004-07-27 | Chicago, Illinois | North Jersey Avalanche U18 (Midget AAA) | UMass |
| 23 | |
Max Nagel | F | 5' 10" | 165 lb | 2004-06-30 | West St. Paul, Minnesota | Saint Thomas Academy (USHS–MN) | Colgate |
| 25 | |
Nick Wallace (C) | D | 5' 7" | 165 lb | 2003-07-03 | Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey | Waterloo (USHL) | Quinnipiac |
| 26 |  |
Matt McGroarty (C) | F | 5' 10" | 172 lb | 2003-01-30 | Westport, Connecticut | Brunswick (USHS–CT) | Quinnipiac |
| 29 | |
Brendan Lamb | F | 5' 10" | 172 lb | 2004-05-14 | Battle Creek, Michigan | Fox Motors U18 (Midget AAA) | Penn State |
| 31 | |
Rastislav Eliáš | G | 6' 2" | 172 lb | 2004-04-18 | Košice, Slovakia | Green Bay (USHL) | None |
| 32 | |
Mason Kucenski | G | 6' 2" | 177 lb | 2002-04-08 | Gill, Massachusetts | Omaha (USHL) | St. Lawrence |
| 34 | |
Finn Brink | F | 5' 9" | 178 lb | 2005-04-06 | Maple Grove, Minnesota | Maple Grove (USHS–MN) | Wisconsin |
| 36 |  |
Jordan Gudridge | D | 5' 10" | 160 lb | 2005-06-28 | Greenwood Village, Colorado | Colorado Thunderbirds U18 (Midget AAA) | None |
| 55 | |
Jake Ratzlaff | D | 6' 2" | 213 lb | 2002-06-23 | Rosemount, Minnesota | Wisconsin (Big Ten) | None |
Notable alumni
- Derek Plante, 1989–90[23]
- Brian Rafalski, 1990–91
NHL draft picks
| Year drafted | Player | Drafted team | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Tim Sweeney | Calgary Flames | 6th round, 122nd overall[24] |
| John Byce | Boston Bruins | 11th round, 220th overall | |
| 1987 | Joe Harwell | Winnipeg Jets | 6th round, 121st overall |
| Mark Osiecki | Calgary Flames | 9th round, 187th overall | |
| Roger Rougelot | Winnipeg Jets | 11th round, 226th overall | |
| Dan Brettschneider | Washington Capitals | 12th round, 240th overall[24] | |
| 1988 | Dan Ruoho | Buffalo Sabres | 8th round, 160th overall |
| Scott Billey | Philadelphia Flyers | 11th round, 224th overall[25] | |
| 1989 | Mike Doers | Toronto Maple Leafs | 6th round, 125th overall |
| Derek Plante | Buffalo Sabres | 8th round, 161st overall | |
| Joe Frederick | Detroit Red Wings | 12th round, 242nd overall | |
| 1990 | Jon Hillebrandt | New York Rangers | 10th round, 202nd overall |
| 1992 | Kirk Daubenspeck | Philadelphia Flyers | 7th round, 151st overall |
| 1993 | Cory Peterson | Dallas Stars | 11th round, 269th overall |
| 1994 | Rocky Welsing | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | 7th round, 158th overall |
| 2014 | Tyler Nanne | New York Rangers | 5th round, 142nd overall |
| 2015 | Garrett Metcalf | Anaheim Ducks | 6th round, 179th overall[26] |
| 2016 | Ryan Lohin | Tampa Bay Lightning | 7th round, 208th overall |
| 2017 | Cole Hults | Los Angeles Kings | 5th round, 134th overall |
| 2018 | Ryan O'Reilly | Detroit Red Wings | 4th round, 98th overall[27] |
| 2020 | Carson Bantle | Arizona Coyotes | 5th round, 142nd overall |
| 2021 | Kyle Kukkonen | Anaheim Ducks | 6th round, 162nd overall |
Awards and player recognition
- Scott Owens – USHL General Manager of the Year, 1986–87
- Scott Owens – USHL Coach of the Year, 1987–88[24]
- Joe Harwell – 1988-89 All-USHL 1st Team
- Forrest Karr – 1994-95 All-USHL 2nd Team
- Ryan Edquist – 2015–16 USHL All-Rookie Team[28]
- Sam McCormick – 2015-16 All-USHL 3rd Team
- Michael Mancinelli – 2017–18 USHL All-Rookie Team[29]
- Mick Messner – 2016 U.S. Junior Select Team[30][31]
- Ryan O'Reilly – 2017–18 USHL All-Rookie Team, 2018 U.S. Junior Select Team[32]
- Simon Latkoczy – 2019-20 USHL All-Rookie Team
- Ryan Kirwan – 2019-20 USHL All-Rookie Team
- Christian Stoever – 2019-20 All-USHL 3rd Team
Prospects games participants
- Ryan Edquist – 2015 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game, 2016 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game[33]
- Mick Messner – 2016 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game,[34] 2017 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game[35]
- Ryan O'Reilly – 2017 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game,[36] 2018 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game[37][38]
- Kamil Sadlocha – 2017 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game
- Carson Bantle – 2020 USA Hockey BioSteel All American Game
References
- 1 2 "Capitol's Move to Hartmeyer nixed; Capitol Ice Arena named as new home". Wisconsin State Journal. September 11, 2017.
- 1 2 "United States Hockey League - Madison Capitols Begin New Era in USHL". Archived from the original on 2014-04-09. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
- 1 2 "Wisconsin Capitols hockey team statistics and history at hockeydb.com".
- ↑ "Bob Suter Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com".
- ↑ "Scott Owens Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com".
- ↑ "Mike Dibble Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com".
- ↑ "1992 Wisconsin Capitols minor league hockey Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ↑ "Rob Andringa Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com".
- ↑ "Don Granato Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com".
- 1 2 "Brian Duffy Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com".
- ↑ "Len Semplice Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com".
- ↑ Haase, Nicole (3 June 2015). "UW men's hockey hires Strand as top assistant".
- ↑ "Madison Capitols Name Troy Ward Head Coach".
- ↑ "Coaching Staff".
- ↑ "Caps' Ward Resigns as Head Coach/GM". OurSports Central. April 18, 2016.
- ↑ "Suter Named Capitols' Head Coach/GM". OurSports Central. May 18, 2016.
- ↑ Capitols, Madison (2017-07-28). "Capitols Change Venues; Name President". Madison Capitols. Retrieved 2017-07-28.
- ↑ "Capitols on the move to Hartmeyer Ice Arena," from Wisconsin State Journal, 7/28/2017
- ↑ "Rink Renovations". Madison Capitols. April 18, 2018.
- ↑ "Garrett Suter to Step Down from Behind the Bench". OurSports Central. March 30, 2020.
- ↑ "Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Madison Capitols Will Not Participate in 2020-21 USHL Season". OurSports Central. September 18, 2020.
- ↑ "Madison Capitols Roster". USHL. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
- ↑ "United States Hockey League - USHL Awards Member Club to Madison, Wisconsin". Archived from the original on 2014-09-04. Retrieved 2014-09-03.
- 1 2 3 "Team History".
- ↑ "Scott Billey Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com".
- ↑ "SportsEngine". 30 June 2015.
- ↑ "NHL Draft: Detroit Red Wings Select Ryan O'Reilly With 98th Pick In 2018 NHL Draft". mlive.com. 23 June 2018.
- ↑ "USHL Announces 2015-2016 All-Rookie Teams". USHL.com.
- ↑ "USHL 2017-2018 All-Rooke Teams Announced". USHL.com. May 2018.
- ↑ USHL, USHL. "2017 NHL Draft Profile: Mick Messner". ushl.com. ushl.com. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
- ↑ "21 USHL Players Selected to US World Junior A Challenge Squad". sbncollegehockey.com. 22 November 2016.
- ↑ "2018 U.S. Junior Select Team Coaching Staff and Player Roster Unveiled". USAHockey.com. 16 November 2018.
- ↑ "Rosters Announced For 2016 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game". USHL.com. 15 December 2015.
- ↑ "USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game All-Time Roster". AllAmericanProspectsGame.com.
- ↑ "2017 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Rosters". USHL.com.
- ↑ "USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game History". allamericanprospectsgame.com. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
- ↑ "2018 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Rosters Announced". USHL.com.
- ↑ "USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Testing Results". ushl.com. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
