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Denver’s nine-member Class of 2017 was the backbone of the program’s eighth national championship. Members of June’s graduating senior class, only one of whom will be able to attend Friday night’s pregame banner-raising ceremony, graciously took time this week to share some of their favorite memories from the championship season and their message for this season’s Pioneers. Obviously, winning the national championship is the top memory for each player.

Standout memories

“My favorite memory was having Christmastime with all the guys in Denver. We had all the boys over to our place, made a ton of food and celebrated Christmas as a team on Christmas Day last year.”

Will Butcher, Newark, N.J.

New Jersey Devils defenseman

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“The day before the national championship sticks out to me. Everybody was watching when Will won the Hobey on TV at the hotel and going crazy when he did. It was awesome. You could tell how happy everybody was for Will and Tanner winning their awards. There was absolutely not a single selfish individual anywhere near our team.

“Then going to dinner as a team and having Will and TJ rejoin us after their award ceremonies was great. The atmosphere was so relaxed and fun, which speaks to our team’s mindset. You would think everyone would be uptight and nervous the night before that game, but there was none of that. 

“If you had sat in on that dinner you would have been able to tell how cohesive of a unit the team was, and, again, would be able to tell instantly how much we enjoyed being around each other.”

Brad Hawkinson, usually outside the continental U.S.

Future Navy officer and pilot

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“I remember the night before the national championship game, we went out for a nice dinner in Chicago, the same place we had gone before the Notre Dame game. The mood was unbelievable. I don’t think we’d ever laughed more. We’d just found out Butchie had won the Hobey Baker and Tanner had won the Mike Richter Award. We had this one song we all would sing and we were doing that.

“Monty arrived later because he’d been with Tanner, so we all sang the song when he walked in. When Tanner walked in, we did it again.

“The owner of the restaurant was a real hoot. He came in and presented a special plate – I think to Liam Finlay for his birthday. It was hilarious.

“I’ve never seen a group more relaxed and loose. Our mood was, ‘We’re going to win tomorrow (vs. Minnesota Duluth).’

“Thinking back, we had a tough start. We hosted the Icebreaker Tournament and lost to Ohio State and Boston College. The next weekend we had a huge turnaround and swept Boston University at home. We never really looked back after that point.”

Evan Janssen, Des Moines, Iowa

Iowa Wild forward

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“Obviously winning it all, it’s not going to get any better. But that meal (Friday night at the Frozen Four) in the back room of some Italian restaurant, that was the culmination of everything we’d done. I didn’t realize how close we’d become and how much I’d miss these guys. 

“I miss those times with the boys after practice, the pregame and postgame meals, just shooting the breeze with guys. You’re with 25 of your best friends and you spend so much time with them. To transition out of that is difficult. We try to stay close. I make an effort to call guys every few weeks or every month but it’s not the same as when you see them every day.

“Everyone in our group really values the relationships we built here.”

Greg Ogard, Chicago

Investment banker for Citi

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“The experience of going to the Frozen Four was special. In the second half of the year, with our full team, you could see everything clicking. This year was special. Every day to go to the rink was such a joy because everyone was pulling in the same direction. It was really an awesome time to be a part of something like that.

“Obviously, we got rewarded for our hard work. Everything was clicking – it was just awesome to be a part of it. We just knew we were going to win on any given weekend. We played with such confidence down the stretch.”

Emil Romig, Reading, Pa.

Reading Royals forward

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“The whole time in Chicago was so special. Everyone was so focused and committed. We just got to work and still had a ton of fun. The dinner before the championship game was unbelievable. It was awesome to be a Pioneer that night. Another funny time from that weekend was when (Nick) Meldrum made a cooler that had a rubber snake in it. We were all dying watching guys open it and freak out. But when we won it was so cool to celebrate with our families and the alumni in Chicago, then when we got back to do it with the rest of the Denver community. So many people were impacted by it. Plus my roommate now was the captain of Harvard last year so it gave me some solid bragging rights.”

Evan Ritt, Gap, France

Gap HC forward

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“My favorite memory is obviously winning the national championship, but you already knew that so I will share my second. It was playing soccer before every game with the group of guys that played. Usually about 10 of us. Some of the funniest moments happened during those games.”

Matt VanVoorhis, Norway

Manglerud defenseman

 

Words of wisdom

“Grind for 9!”

Will Butcher

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“The success we had last year was built one day at a time. It had nothing to do with rankings or anything, just in our preparation and our ‘proscess’. They know how to win and what it takes. I guarantee they’re hungry for it again. Once you get a taste of that success, it’s all you want!”

Evan Cowley, Manchester, N.H.

Manchester Monarchs goaltender

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“Enjoy every second you have around your teammates and grind the proscess.”

Brad Hawkinson

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“The culture we built there in Monty’s first four seasons was special. I hope it not only remains but continues to grow stronger.

Evan Janssen

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“Stick to the ‘proscess’. Trust each other.”

Matt Marcinew, Manchester, N.H.

Manchester Monarchs center

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“They don’t need much advice from me. With how demanding Monty is it takes a team a while to get his systems down, but they looked good (vs. Notre Dame).  

“I would tell them to enjoy the ride. College is over sooner than you think. Be grateful to be able to experience something with an elite team, it really is awesome.”

Emil Romig

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“My advice for the guys in the program now is probably the same as the other alumni – have a blast while you’re there and always trust the proscess!”

Evan Ritt

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“What I would say to this year’s team is enjoy every moment and never overlook the Proscess. It’s what Denver Hockey is all about.”

Matt VanVoorhis