ADRIAN, Mich. – The Adrian College NCAA men's hockey coaching staff announced its leadership group for the 2023-24 season. The group consists of a John Kaljian as team captain, and Matt Couto, Zachary Heintz, and Jaden Shields as assistant captains.
 
"I'm excited for this leadership group to have an opportunity to lead our young group," said head coach Adam Krug. "These were important selections with the departure of guys like Alessio Luciani, Sam Ruffin, Matus Spodniak, and the rest of that class. We let our group vote for captains and it showed how deep our leadership is and where our team culture is when so many guys got votes. However, these four were definitely in a different tier and I think the team got it right."
 
Kaljian appeared in 31 games during the 2022-23 season and 70 games for his career. The senior has scored 18 goals in his career with 27 assists for 45 points. Eleven of Kaljian's goals came last season along with nine assists.
 
"I'm ecstatic for John," expressed Krug. "He really understands the importance of this role and you can tell he's flattered by it too. He's not a guy that gets a lot of notoriety on the scoresheet or with awards but he's an incredible teammate and will sacrifice for the team. The guys love him, his leadership qualities come out naturally and that's what you really need in a captain."
 
Couto appeared in 22 games last season before his season was cut short due to injury. The junior defenseman has played in 51 games for his career totaling four goals and 17 assists for 21 total points.
 
"Matt was given a letter halfway through last year as he's a warrior of a player," Krug said. That type of mentality really leads the way on the day-to-day level in practice, and in games. Matt really brings it all the time."
 
Heintz has played in 82 games during his career for the Bulldogs including 28 games last season. The fifth year forward has totaled 30 career goals with 59 assists for 89 total points. Heintz was a member of Team USA in the 2023 World University Games in Lake Placid, New York last January.
 
"We're thrilled for Zach," Krug said. "When COVID-19 struck, Zach thought his career was over due to a health condition, but after a doctor's appointment in the summer of 2021 they reevaluated his condition and allowed him to return to the ice after a year off. I don't think he thought he'd ever play again, let alone be a captain. Zach's shown a ton of maturity and growth this season and we're excited to see him in a bigger role."
 
Shields has played in 77 games for his career including 25 during the 2022-23 season. The senior defenseman scored 13 goals during his career to go along with 69 assists for 82 points. Shields was also a member of Team USA in the 2023 World University Games.
 
"There are not many guys that I've coached that want success more than Jaden," Krug said. "He's a student of the game and straight-up loves hockey. His day-to-day process and his ability to lead in big moments are big reasons why our guys recognized him in a leadership role."
 
The Bulldogs open the season with an exhibition game at home on Friday, October 20 when they face Simon Fraser University at 7:00 PM. Adrian's regular season will begin on the road with the annual two-game series with Utica University on October 27-28.