We wrap up our exclusive seven-part Denver hockey player survey by asking about hard work, resiliency and leadership – three hallmarks of any successful team.

Before we get into that, let’s recap the survey, in which 23 of the 27 players, or 85 percent, on the Pioneers roster responded to the 2018-19 survey. The survey includes 25 questions, broken down into various categories. Players were given multiple choices and promised anonymity for their answers. Questions pertaining to skaters only had skaters listed, same for goalie-related questions.

I hope you have enjoyed this fun exercise that picks the Pioneers’ brains to help shed light on which teammates they view as the strongest in various categories.

MORE SURVEY RESULTS

Part 1 (Questions 1-4) deals with skating

Part 2 (Questions 5-7) deals with strength, checking and toughness

Part 3 (Questions 8-10) unveils the Pioneers’ shooting stars

Part 4 (Questions 11-14) reveals the good hands Pioneers

Part 5 (Questions 15-17) looks at the eyes

Part 6 (Questions 18-22) gets defensive

Question 23: Who is the hardest worker on the Pioneers?

• Jarid Lukosevicius – 9 votes (41 percent)
• Colin Staub – 7 votes (32 percent)
• Sean Comrie, Slava Demin, Jack Doremus, Ian Mitchell, Ryan Orgel, Jared Resseguie – 1 vote

Analysis: I don’t think anyone would question the work ethic of the Pioneers’ two returning seniors on – or off – the ice. Their improvement from last season and cumulatively during their college careers is obvious. Four of the other six players aren’t every-game fixtures, yet their efforts have not gone unnoticed by their peers.

Question 24: Which Pioneer is the most resilient?

• Jarid Lukosevicius, Ryan Orgel – 5 votes (23 percent)
• Ryan Barrow – 2 votes
• Devin Cooley, Michael Corson, Jack Doremus, Jake Durflinger, Tyson McLellan, Kohen Olischefski, Jared Resseguie, Brett Stapley, Colin Staub – 1 vote

Analysis: Lukosevicius was a fourth liner as a freshman; he hasn’t had a full season of fewer than 16 goals since. Orgel was forced to play after arriving from juniors midway through last season. That nearly half of the roster is deemed to have this characteristic is a big reason why I’m bullish on DU’s chances to continue growing and reach the NCAA Tournament.

Question 25: Which Pioneer leads by example the most?

• Colin Staub – 11 (48 percent)
• Jarid Lukosevicius – 6 (26 percent)
• Slava Demin, Filip Larsson, Kyle Mayhew, Ian Mitchell, Kohen Olischefski, Brett Stapley – 1 vote

Analysis: No one can question the dedication of Staub and Lukosevicius. They’re the team’s primary leaders in word and deed. Both are relentless workers in the weight room and in practice, and both work to make sure all of their teammates feel part of things. From careful observation from the outside, this appears to be a very tight-knit group, and the two returning seniors are two big reasons why.

NEXT: Breaking down the survey

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