Riese Gaber named UND hockey captain
Aug. 18—GRAND FORKS — Riese Gaber had an opportunity to sign an NHL contract at the end of last season.
He passed.
The UND forward opted to return to school for his senior season with a goal of pushing the Fighting Hawks back to national prominence after missing the 2023 NCAA tournament.
Gaber officially became the leader Friday when UND revealed he will wear the captain's 'C' in 2023-24.
"I feel like I'm ready for the job," Gaber said. "Knowing everyone believes in me to help lead the way is a pretty good feeling. I know the tradition here and to be able to say I'm wearing the 'C' at the University of North Dakota is something that's very special to me and I'm very excited about that."
Gaber, of Gilbert Plains, Man., will be the first Manitoba native to wear the 'C' at UND since Stephane Pattyn (Ste. Anne) in 2014-15.
"There are a lot of new faces this year," Gaber said. "It's up to us returners here to keep the culture in the locker room. I have to lead the way I know I can — on the ice and off the ice. It's super important to keep the standard that I've been taught."
Four players will wear an 'A' as alternate captains — junior forward Jake Schmaltz, senior forward Louis Jamernik V, fifth-year senior forward Carson Albrecht and fifth-year senior transfer defenseman Keaton Pehrson, who wore an 'A' last season at Michigan.
Schmaltz, Jamernik and Albrecht will wear letters for the first time at the college level.
Last season, Gaber wore an 'A' and became UND's first 20-goal scorer in six years. He is coming off of back-to-back 37-point seasons and is five points shy of hitting 100 for his college career.
"He's grown in his body of work on the ice, but also with his leadership skills within our group," UND coach Brad Berry said. "Now he's coming back for his senior year to be an impactful player in our group and be one of the best players in the country this coming season. It's nice to have him add to his resume as far as being team captain at North Dakota."
The captains were chosen by a team vote.
"Almost everybody was here for the majority of the five-week period (in July and early August)," Berry said. "It was a chance for our group to get to know each other. Those five guys got the majority of the votes. I think it's a good cross-section of our team.
"Jake Schmaltz is an every-dayer. He's one of the first guys in the rink every day and one of the last to leave. He comes to the rink with a smile on his face every day. He feels grateful to be here and makes the most of every day. Albrecht is an unbelievable team guy in our locker room. He's a critical guy. Jammer is a Swiss Army Knife. He can fit in on any role in our team."
Pehrson will be the fourth player in UND history to wear a letter in his first year with the program. The others are Connor Ford (2021-22), Ernest Dyda (1961-62) and Bob Murray (1948-49).
"That shows how he's driven and has high character and compete," Berry said.
UND's fall semester begins next week. The team will hold limited-hour practices for a little more than a month. In October, regular practices will begin.
The Fighting Hawks open with an exhibition on Oct. 7 against the University of Manitoba. The regular-season opener is scheduled for Oct. 13 against Army in the Ice Breaker Tournament in Ralph Engelstad Arena.
"I'm really excited about our group," Gaber said. "I think we have a really good feel in the locker room, really good vibes. The transfers are awesome. The freshmen are going to be awesome. Going into the fall, I think guys are feeling really good. We're really excited to get started and back in the right direction we need to get going."
UND won three-straight Penrose Cups as National Collegiate Hockey Conference champions in 2020, 2021 and 2022, but finished tied for fifth in 2023.
"I'm going to do my best to lead this team to a winning season and our ultimate goal of winning that championship at the end," Gaber said.
