Down the stretch of the 2015-16 regular season and into the postseason defenseman Will Butcher took on a more visible leadership role with the University of Denver’s hockey team.

While there was speculation in some corners as to whether or not the Colorado Avalanche draft pick (2013 fifth round) would sign with the NHL club, that was emphatically answered earlier this month when Butcher was unanimously selected the Pioneers’ captain for the upcoming season.

A trio of fellow seniors – forwards Evan Janssen and Trevor Moore, and defenseman Matt VanVoorhis – will serve as alternate captains.

Throughout this past season DU coach Jim Montgomery spoke of the team’s strong leadership group, not just the quartet that wore letters – captain Grant Arnold, alternates Gabe Levin, Nolan Zajac and Butcher. Moore was often mentioned as being part of it, and Janssen and VanVoorhis were cited for their contributions on the ice by the coach on multiple occasions.

Here is a closer look at the four players who will wear letters for the Pioneers this season:

Butcher put together one of the better seasons in NCAA hockey, and he was a catalyst for the team on many nights, and among his career-high 32 points (two fewer than his first two DU seasons combined) were two game-winning goals, three shorthanded points and 13 power-play points. He was everywhere in every situation

Montgomery summed it up perfectly, saying Butcher’s head and hands are elite, and when his feet are moving he’s a special player.

Butcher was as reliable off the ice as he was on it, helping mentor the Pioneers’ young defense core and speaking up when the situation called for it to the team at large.

Get to know Butcher here as he takes some one-timers with the Mayhem.

Two of VanVoorhis’ biggest strengths were his role in helping freshman D partner Blake Hillman and overcoming injury and his uplifting intangibles. Montgomery was clear after the season that VanVoorhis played a big role in Hillman’s emergence down the stretch (the freshman was NCAA West Regional MVP and scored 10 of his 11 points from Jan. 8 on). The coach also cited VanVoorhis’ upbeat attitude and his encouragement of the entire D group.

VanVoorhis also had a career-best 11 points, including his first three NCAA goals, and a career-high plus-11.

In a group of very pleasant humans to deal with, VanVoorhis stood out with a quick and ready sense of humor. That is fairly obvious when he teed off on our one-timers here.

Not only does Janssen bring elite skating and outstanding versatility (he can and did play on just about every line), but his hockey smarts were something to behold. As Montgomery noted at various times, Janssen is always in the right place and virtually always makes the right play. That was particularly obvious down the stretch, when Janssen had five points in seven postseason games. His 12 points were not only a career-best, but they were three more than he posted in his freshmen and sophomore seasons combined.

One of the Pioneers’ top penalty killers, his ascendance into a formalized leadership role also means the college hockey world can get better acquainted with one of the game’s foremost mullets! Something several teammates enjoyed discussing, and a topic he touched on in his one-timers with us.

There aren’t a lot of secrets to Moore’s game – skill, and once he got healthy after the Christmas break it was on display game-in and game-out. The left wing matched a career high with 44 points, but 33 of those came in the new year, placing him among the NCAA’s top scorers during that span.

He took on a more active role in mentoring the team’s younger forwards, and as a result many thrived. He also took time to fire away at our one-timers.

As the Pioneers regroup and train in advance of the 2016-17 season, it’s clear they will start off with a strong leadership group as they pursue the next step in their progression – an NCAA title.