With summer coming to a close, hockey season is right around the corner. With it, there will be new captains of the Ice Bus. The UConn men’s hockey team is coming off a 15-19-2 season, with a 9-14-1 record in conference play. At the end of May, the team announced their new dual captains to be fifth-year players Hudson Schandor and John Spetz.
Hudson Schandor, forward
Out of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Schandor has been one of the key pieces to the Huskies’ roster. He has made a name for himself as a dynamic forward for the Huskies and is now entering his fifth season with UConn. Schandor contributes strongly on both offense and defense for the Huskies, which makes him invaluable to the team. Schandor has always been a key anchor for the team. During his freshman season, he appeared in 22 games. That same year, Schandor finished third on the team, scoring 14 points off six goals and eight assists. Furthermore, he was tied for fifth among Hockey East rookies in scoring. Schandor also contributed heavily to power players. He was ranked second on the team with seven power play points, scoring twice and dishing five assists. In the 22-23 season, Schandor played in all 35 games for the Huskies as a junior. He scored 11 goals with 21 assists, totaling 32 points. Schandor had eight multi-point games and three multi-goal games, generating 75 total shots. Schandor was awarded the Len Ceglarski Individual Sportsmanship award that year. Last season, Schandor played in 34 games for UConn, during which he rounded out five goals, 16 assists, totaling 21 points on the season.
John Spetz
Spetz is originally from Oak Ridge, New Jersey. He has been valuable to the UConn team during the last four seasons and has made the decision to return for a fifth season alongside co-captain Schandor. As a defenseman, Spetz is known for his reliability on the ice in the Huskies’ blue line. He has a strong positional play, effective puck movement and a large physical presence that consistently protects the net. In his freshman campaign, he led all Huskies defensemen in scoring 11 points off of three goals and eight assists. He was a huge part of UConn’s power play unit as he collected a goal with five assists. He finished the season as a +3. Additionally, he was the team leader in blocked shots with 53, and first in the Hockey East Conference averaging 2.4 per game. Spetz’s effectiveness only grew throughout his time with the Huskies. In the 2022-23 season, his junior year, Spetz played in 35 games. He finished the season scoring two goals and 10 assists, totaling 12 points. Last season, Spetz played in 36 games for the Huskies. He combined for two goals and four assists, rounding to six total points during his senior season.
Both Schandor and Spetz have unfinished business with the Huskies and will be the leaders of the team this season. Notably, it’s not Schandor’s first time in this type of leadership position. He was one of three captains last season in a tri-captain situation and was an alternate captain in the 22-23 season. As for this upcoming season, the Huskies have a whole new freshman class, new transfers and many returners on this year’s roster that are more than ready for another season of UConn hockey.