As the regular season comes to an end, the UConn men’s hockey team celebrated senior night on Friday for their last regular season home game at Toscano Family Ice Forum. This year is an unusual case for the Huskies, as their team does not have any typical four-year seniors, but rather, four fifth-year players: Hudson Schandor, John Spetz, Nick Carabin and Hugh Larkin.
Schandor and Spetz spent their entire five-year careers with the Ice Bus, while Larkin (Western Michigan) and Carabin (Princeton) transferred to UConn this past summer for their final season of college hockey.
Hudson Schandor
Starting off with the three-time captain, Schandor has left his mark on UConn men’s hockey and their record books. Schandor currently leads UConn’s Hockey East era in points (116), assists (81) and single season assists (25). But something unique about Schandor is that even with all the record-breaking statistics, Schandor’s personality and leadership exceeds all the accomplishments on the ice, and he will likely be remembered more for the ways in which he led the Ice Bus for three seasons as captain. He is known for his positivity, selflessness and being a leader of his teammates. Schandor helped to create “The Playbook,” which is a guide for how UConn men’s hockey players should act on and off the ice.
“I’ve been saying it continually — I’ve been blessed here with a lot of great captains when I look back, starting with Billy Latta, Derrick Pratt, Ryan Tyson, Wyatt Newpower…really awesome captains,” said head coach Mike Cavanaugh. “It would be hard for me to say which one was the best, but if I had to have that conversation, Hudson Schandor’s in that conversation for sure. Three-time captain, 3.4 student, three-time Hockey East All-Academic, probably going to be four-time Hockey East All-Academic. I think he embodies exactly what a student athlete should be and we are so lucky to have him.”
“He impacts everybody he plays with — when Hudson’s playing on your line, he steadies the ship,” said Cavanaugh.
Seeing all the players that Schandor has played with, from Ryan Tverberg two seasons ago to Joey Muldowney and Jake Richard now, it is no secret that Schandor makes the players around him better. That is simply the mark that Schandor will leave on the UConn men’s hockey program.
John Spetz
Spetz has played alongside Schandor for the past five years and has also been a record breaker this season, as he has racked his way up to the program’s leaderboards. Spetz has tallied 11 goals, 44 assists and 55 points in his career, which are all the most by a defenseman in UConn’s Hockey East era. Spetz rarely misses a minute on the ice, and he has been a dynamic part of the Huskies’ blue since the start of his career.
He has been described as one of the smartest players on the team and spends a lot of his free time around the sport, watching film from every practice and soaking in as much hockey information as he can. Coach Cavanaugh explained that Spetz played a lot of junior hockey, which made him well-prepared for entering college play years ago. Cavanaugh also said he wouldn’t be shocked if Spetz goes into coaching after he finishes playing because he lives and breathes hockey, which has heavily impacted the team in the last five seasons.
Nick Carabin
After spending three seasons at Princeton, Carabin transferred to UConn as a plug-and-play defenseman. After Andrew Lucas, Harrison Rees and Jake Flynn completed their eligibility last season, the Huskies were unsure of what their staple blue line would look like, especially since they did not know if Spetz would return for his fifth season. After adding Carabin through the transfer portal, UConn further solidified the blue line. Spetz decided to stay, and they signed the transfer Viking Gustafsson Nyberg. Carabin did his part as a Husky; three of his four points of the season have come since the second half of the schedule, which is perfect timing for the Huskies. Coach Cavanaugh described Carabin as a calming presence on the defensive side of the ice. Carabin was in the right place at the right time, as becoming a Husky worked out well for him and the team.
Hugh Larkin
Unlike other UConn players, Larkin has that no other player on UConn’s roster does is NCAA Tournament experience. He is also the oldest player with the Huskies at the age of 25, so it is safe to say that Larkin has experience in college hockey. He transferred to UConn from a Western Michigan team that made the 16-team national tournament in three of the seasons while he was with them. Larkin is set to go back to the NCAA Tournament following this season with the Huskies. Larkin has five points from this season and has been a leader for the young UConn squad. He has set the tone of games with big hits on the ice, been a proven leader on the bench and brought a lot of energy to the team, especially in game moments. Cavanaugh described Larkin as a large physical presence, which has really benefited the team this season.
With the bittersweetness of senior night and the regular season almost wrapped up, the Huskies still have a lot to look forward to with the Hockey East tournament and the NCAA tournament just around the corner. UConn looks to stay in the win column for their last game in the regular season until it is time for playoffs.
The Ice Bus will be back in action for the last game of their regular season schedule on Thursday, March 6 as they will travel up to Burlington, Vt. to face off against the Vermont Catamounts. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. and will be available to stream live on ESPN+.