Colin Staub has piled up academic honors but this is one C he’ll gladly take.

The rising senior forward was selected as Denver’s captain Tuesday, one day after presumptive captain Logan O’Connor left the hockey program to sign a contract with the Colorado Avalanche.

Junior center Tyson McLellan and sophomore defenseman Ian Mitchell will join senior left wing Jarid Lukosevicius as assistant captains, a role Staub had held until his elevation.

“Being named captain is obviously a huge honor,” Staub said. “There’s obviously a great tradition of really fantastic captains who have led this program. I’m really honored to be given that opportunity. It means a lot to me.

“I’m super happy for Logan. He would have been a great captain for us. He has a great opportunity ahead of him and we’re really excited for him. And I’m really excited to help lead this team through the challenges we’re going to face this season.”

The youthful Pioneers, who have had five players leave early to sign NHL contracts and graduated five more players, including goaltender Tanner Jaillet, forward Rudy Junda and defensemen Tariq Hammond, Adam Plant and Sean Mostrom, have just six upperclassmen.

“We’ve got a young group, but once they get acclimated to college life and the college game and how Denver likes to play, which is a relentless style of hockey, I think we’re going to be a tough team,” Staub added. “Once we get over those couple humps I think it’s going to be pretty fun to watch us.”

Not to be denied

This is the latest twist in a story full of them for Staub, a Colorado Springs native who twice has received the Dr. Ken Bredesen Award as the Pioneers’ most sportsmanlike player in addition to being an NCHC Distinguished Scholar Athlete (gpa of 3.5 or above).

It was roughly three years and a month ago Staub was pretty much convinced his college hockey days were over before they had even started.

The day before he was to begin basic training at the Air Force Academy, where he had committed during his final season playing for Wichita Falls of the North American Hockey League, he received the news he had been denied admission to the Academy. The reason? Staub had been diagnosed with keratoconus, a degenerative eye disease that causes blurry vision at distances.

Air Force coach Frank Serratore worked the phones relentlessly to help Staub find a hockey home, and it turned out to be a relatively short drive up Interstate 25 at Denver.

“I have been extremely fortunate in the opportunities I’ve gotten to be a part of,” he said. “Just coming to Denver would have been enough for me. But then getting the chance to win a national championship, go to a couple of Frozen Fours, get to play outdoors at the Rockies’ stadium, these are things you dream about as a kid. But for them to become a reality, is for me after losing that Air Force opportunity and not being sure if I was going to be able to play hockey at the college level, that stuff’s just gravy.

“To be named captain on top of it, I’m extremely fortunate to be on this team and to have this opportunity.”

Staub found a role almost immediately at DU, playing 32 of 41 games as a freshman for team that went to the Frozen Four.

Staub played in all 44 games for the Pioneers in 2016-17 and boosted his point total from 9 to 20 for a national championship team.

Last season, Staub had 22 points (sixth most on DU) and played in all 41 games, meaning he’d played in 117 of a possible 126 games for the Pioneers.

“His daily habits, his work habits, his attention to detail garners respect from his teammates,” DU coach David Carle said. “He handles himself in a professional way on and off the ice.”

Three more hallmarks of his game besides his dependability are: 1, he rarely takes penalties (six total in three seasons); 2, he scores clutch goals (8 of his 22 in college have been game-winners); and 3, if the puck is near the wall and he’s in the vicinity, he’s going to come away with it.

“I don’t want to change anything. I want to play how I play, lead how I lead and do the best that I can,” Staub added.

Stepping up

Seniors have become a bit of an endangered species at DU this year. In addition to Staub and Lukosevicius, transfer defenseman Les Lancaster is the only other one on the roster. The class’ ranks were depleted by four with the departures of O’Connor, fellow forwards Dylan Gambrell and Troy Terry and defenseman Blake Hillman to sign NHL contracts.

“It’s going to be a challenge. It was going to be a challenge with or without Logan O’Connor,” Carle said. “We talked about it (Tuesday) as a team. We’re ready to take it on and take it on together.”

Carle indicated the Pioneers plan to bring in another player to fill the opening on the roster created by O’Connor’s departure. That move could happen as soon as by the end of the week.

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