UNIVERISTY PARK, Pa.- Penn State hockey's 2020-21 campaign is kicking off in just about one week. Head coach Guy Gadowsky and select players met with the media this past Monday to preview the upcoming season.
There are tons of storylines to follow as the season approaches. Gadowsky touched on many topics but focused mainly on how the team plans to adjust with all the changes due to COVID-19. Here is a closer look at what to pay attention to with the season right around the corner:
Youth of the Team
This is the youngest team that Penn State has had since the 2016-17 season, when last year's senior class came in as freshmen. After losing 12 players last season, Penn State welcomed nine newcomers, with eight of them being freshmen.
Adjusting to the college game is always difficult for freshmen, but it has been made even more difficult this year due to the lack interaction the young guys can have with the more experienced veterans.
"It's been different for all of them and the reason is that there's been very little social contact with the team," Gadowsky said.
While the adjustment has been tougher than usual, there is still a lot of optimism surrounding this freshmen class. Senior captain Alex Limoges is looked at as a leader and is very excited about his new teammates for this season.
"We have great character guys in the freshman class," Limoges said. "They are a bunch of unbelievable guys who add to the culture inside that locker room."
Time will tell how quickly the freshmen adjust to Big Ten hockey. But all inclinations are the potential is there and it will now come down to the product put out on the ice.
Older Guys to Step Up
As previously mentioned, Penn State lost 12 players from last season. Ten seniors, in addition to Evan Barratt and Cole Hults, either graduated or signed professional contracts. It certainly is going to be a large void to fill.
Limoges is joined by Paul DeNaples and Aarne Talvitie as captains this season. Stepping into those roles won't be easy, but it is certainly a challenge those three will be up to. Gadowsky offered tons of praise about Limoges.
"Limo is exactly the same as he was the first day he stepped on campus," Gadowsky said. "He is the most humble guy and he's always been like that."
Limoges was also recently recognized as a preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection. While he is humbled by the selection, Limoges understands there is still work to do.
"I think it's very cool to be recognized by the league," Limoges said. "But I've got to go out and prove them right."
One of the more challenging tasks for the leaders this year is working to build a team camaraderie with a lack of social interaction. While it'll be a challenge, the Nittany Lions feel that once the games get going, that connect amongst the players will build quickly.
Another thing that's going to be different this year is consistency with lines. Gadowsky doesn't expect to be able to roll out the same line combinations each night. With so many new faces, it's going to take time to figure it all out.
But, ultimately with so many new players, the style Penn State plays is not going to change.
"The names are going to change, but the way we play is going to stay," Gadowsky said.
Goaltending Situation
With the departure of Peyton Jones, Penn State has a void to fill in net this year. Early expectations are junior Oskar Autio will assume Jones' role. Nothing has been officially determined yet, but Gadowsky is confident in what he's seen from Autio.
"He's going to be given every opportunity to find out what he can do," Gadowsky said.
Behind Autio will be freshman Liam Souliere. Souliere comes in with a ton of potential, but it will obviously take him time to adjust to playing hockey at a higher level. He will get his shots, but it's not determined yet how many opportunities Souliere will have right away.
"He's definitely going to get his opportunities," Gadowsky said. "We just don't know when."
Managing Expectations
With so much turnaround this season, it's hard to gauge the expectations for Penn State going into the season. The Nittany Lions recently came in ranked ninth in the USCHO poll, which is the highest ranking in program history.
On the contrary, Penn State was recently picked to finish last in the preseason Big Ten coaches' poll. Those rankings go to show just how tight the Big Ten race is expected to be this season, as usual.
"If everything was constant, you're going to see a tight race," Gadowsky said. "I think you're going to see it year in and year out in the Big Ten."
Gadowsky added that no matter where Penn State is picked before the season, the team doesn't really pay too much attention to it. They didn't care when they were picked first last season and will have the same attitude with where they were picked this season.
"The coaches were right about us last year and I hope they're wrong this year," Gadowsky said.
Even with all the distractions and COVID restrictions, the objective for Penn State is remaining the same. They will continue to keep things simple and adjust with whatever the season throws towards the Nittany Lions.
Adjusting to COVID
Perhaps, the biggest question mark surrounding this season is how Penn State will adjust to the new COVID protocols. This is going to be a season that is unprecedented for all the coaches and players.
One of the biggest adjustments will be playing in front of empty arenas. Ever since Pegula Ice Arena opened, the Roar Zone has been a constant and this is the first year Penn State will not play in front of its student section.
"I don't know how it's going to be without them," Gadowsky said. "It's a privilege to play in front of them."
Practices have looked different for the Nittany Lions as well. All of the players and coaches wear masks now and whistles are now electronic. Other adjustments have been the players must space out when they gather on the ice and the players are separated into two locker rooms when off the ice.
Since practice is the only time the whole team can gather together, it's a time they all try to make the most of.
"Practices have been really high energy because they don't get to spend too much time together [outside of practice]," Gadowsky said.
Once the season starts, there will still be uncertainty. One thing always in the back of Gadowsky's mind is how he can keep his players as safe as possible. The head coach has nothing but praise for his staff in how they've been so diligent.
"Our staff has done an unbelievable job to maximize our chances of staying healthy," Gadowsky said.
Penn State's first game is Thursday November 19 at Minnesota. Puck drop is slated for 8:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network. The Nittany Lions home opener is Wednesday December 2 at 6 p.m. against Michigan.
