There are a multitude of reasons why Denver finds itself back in the Frozen Four for the fifth time since 2016.

Junior goaltender Matt Davis returned to health and is in the best stretch of his DU career.

Secondary scoring emerged.

And the Pioneers’ overall defense — led by its young defense and centers — has improved. All of these were clear in the NCAA Regionals in Springfield, Mass., a few weeks ago, and all will be necessary in Saint Paul, Minn., on Thursday and (ideally) Saturday.

This transformation took place as Denver dropped the gloves with injury after injury. The unwelcome insect’s bite was particularly felt at center, where top pivot Massimo Rizzo has missed the past 14 games and No. 2 Carter King was out for seven.

Filling the Void at Center

Rizzo was one of the top scorers in D-I with 44 points on Feb. 3. His possible return for Thursday’s game against Boston University is one of the Frozen Four’s bigger storylines. King was enjoying a career season — his 34 points matched his total from the past two seasons combined.

Into the void stepped junior Tristan Broz, who moved from wing to top-line center, sophomore Aidan Thompson and freshman Kieran Cebrian.

“Who has stepped up since Rizzo went down? We’ve talked about Broz sliding to center, and we’ve talked about (Rieger) Lorenz, (Jared) Wright and (Sam) Harris and their scoring increasing,” DU coach David Carle said. “Certainly, the guys in the center of the rink have had to take on a heavier lift as well. Aidan and Keiran, both of their games have gone to another level in the last six weeks with Rizzo being out. Putting Lorenz, Cebrian and Wright together has given that line a great identity offensively and defensively.”

Thompson, Cebrian and freshman Peter LaJoy also marked a resurgence of a longheld DU tradition — Colorado-born players making key contributions to Frozen Four teams.

During their storied history, the Pioneers have recruited heavily from several areas, including Western Canada and the Western U.S. in general — Colorado in particular. The Centennial State figured prominently in this century’s most successful teams.

Every cardinal-and-gold-wearing Frozen Four entrant since Y2K had at least three Coloradoans until the 2022 national champions. That might have flown under the radar to some, but it was noticeable to the program’s alums from the state. Several mentioned it to me during informal conversations over the past two years.

Coloradoans on DU Frozen Four Teams since 2005

The script has flipped back as the Pioneers have three this season, and the center-ice tag team has played key roles for them.

Thompson, who was a third-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022 — his final season of draft eligibility, moved up to the second line with captain McKade Webster and 20-goal freshman standout Miko Matikka. Cebrian moved up to form a third line with fellow forechecking phenoms Lorenz and Wright, who also have combined for 29 goals and 52 points.

“Losing Kinger and Rizz has been hard,” Webster said. “We were in a really tough stretch there where (Thompson and Cebrian) really stepped up and filled those roles when we needed them most.”

The other part of the Rizzo and King injuries was they came near the end of one of DU’s worst stretches (3-3-1) of the season. Yes, average won’t cut it when a national title chase is on the table.

Success Starts in the Circle

The Pioneers long have favored a puck possession game, and that starts with winning face-offs. And that has been a struggle over the past two seasons. However, that is one place Thompson (51.5 percent) and Cebrian (55.7) have made their mark. They’re the only two Pioneers winning more than 50 percent of their draws.

“He’s always been a smart player,” Thompson said of Cebrian, whom he’s known and played against for years, and once spent a season playing with at the Colorado Thunderbirds. “One thing we both work on a lot is face-offs. We talk about it a lot. That’s one thing he helps us out a lot with is his faceoffs.

“One more thing, he’s a great team guy, everyone in the room likes him a lot, and there’s something to be said for that.”

Quiet off the ice, Cebrian’s game spoke volumes from the start of the season, when he was thrust into the penalty kill and many important defensive situations. It’s a weighty responsibility for a freshman at the highest level of college hockey.

“My main focus is my details,” he said. “Defense, face-offs, penalty kill. That’s where I can help.”

That’s putting it politely, Webster said.

“Cebs is one of the best two-way forwards I’ve seen in college hockey,” the captain said. “He’s unbelievable on the draw, very defensively sound. No one wants to play against his line.”

Thompson Rounds Out His Game

Cebrian said he’s seen massive improvements in Thompson’s game, which he’s had a front-row seat for since they were kids.

“Aidan’s always been a good player offensively, but his details away from the puck have gotten better here,” Cebrian said. “He’s relied upon in a lot of situations, and it’s impressive to see his growth.”

Offense had been Thompson’s calling card coming into DU, and he hasn’t disappointed on that front either, notching 30 points this season after 34 as a freshman.

“Tommer’s unbelievably skilled,” Webster added. “A great player with a great motor.

“Both of these guys have done a great job stepping into those roles.”

Conquering Injuries Is a Common Theme

All three Coloradoans have had to overcome injuries during their DU careers. The start of Thompson’s freshman season was delayed eight games as he recovered from offseason surgery. Cebrian missed eight games at the start of 2024. But LaJoy takes the cake with the slew of injuries he dealt with during his career … without the benefit of being able to have surgery.

“When I was in Wichita Falls (in junior), I tore my meniscus and broke my kneecap,” he recalled. “That was a long recovery, and I didn’t know what it was going to be like afterward. I couldn’t get surgery because I’m allergic to anesthesia. It was four months of lying in bed doing nothing. I didn’t know what was going to happen next.”

Already committed to DU at the time, LaJoy was then traded.

“When I was in Danbury I tore my labrum in my shoulder, and again, I couldn’t get surgery,” LaJoy said. “I soaked it for eight weeks, didn’t play and let it heal as much as it could.”

Anguish turned to relief in December 2022.

“That’s when they called me and told me I’m coming in. It was a dream come true.”

There Is No Place Like Home

That’s the other side of this story for all three players. They’re going to the Frozen Four with a team they all grew up rooting for.

“I went to quite a few games growing up, and it was exciting to watch all those top guys — Troy Terry, (Dylan) Gambrell, (Jarid) Lukosevicius,” Cebrian said “It’s cool to watch them play and now I skate with them in the summer.

“All the alumni are good about letting you know about the tradition, and carrying it on is the job of the guys on this team. It’s a tight-knit culture. Seeing DU win a national championship made it exciting for me to come here and try to do that.”

Added Thompson, “It feels pretty surreal after watching guys like (Will) Butcher, Gambrell and Terry growing up. To finally come in and be part of the program, especially being from Colorado, is something surreal. Not a lot of kids get to experience it, and I’m excited to go to the Frozen Four.”

LaJoy grew up attending DU hockey camps, which only enhanced his connection with the program.

“Rhett Rakhshani was my favorite player ever to come out of here,” La Joy said. “When I used to do DU camps when I was young, like 8 years old, he was my first coach here. I built a really good connection with him, and our families still talk to this day. He was my idol when I came to all the games.

“Coming to DU was a dream of mine that I finally got to achieve through a long, tough road. It’s been the coolest experience ever.”

Denver’s improvement down the stretch is what got it here, and the Coloradoans have been right in the middle of that.

“We’ve gotten better as a team defensively, and a lot of times that’s your D men and the middle of the rink,” Carle said. “That’s a lot of Thompson and Cebrian. Good growth from them and we wouldn’t be where we are without them.”

And that is an opportunity for the program to win a record 10th national championship.

©First Line Editorial 2024