CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI – The Chippewa Steel are excited to announce Matthew Brille captain along with alternate captains Parker Gnos, JJ Grainda, and Joe Kelly for the 2022-23 season.
The season’s leadership group features all returners. The captains were voted on by members of the team.
“We are thrilled about this leadership group,” head coach and general manager Casey Mignone said. “In our team vote we had 12 players receive some sort of vote for captaincy, which speaks to our group as whole.”
Already seven games into the season, Brille leads the Steel in points with three goals and seven assists for ten points. Last year, Brille played 51 games for the Steel tying him for fifth on the team. The Brown University commit registered 24 points.
“We are excited to name Brille our captain,” Mignone said. “He has a relentless work ethic, who sets the level of intensity for our team every day. He plays the game the right way and has displayed tremendous leadership on and off the ice in the early stages of the season.”
Alternate captains Grainda, Gnos, and Kelly have combined for 197 games of experience playing for the green and white. Grainda led all returns from last season with 34 points followed by Kelly with 25. Gnos, a balanced defender, also tallied 20 points.
“We expect everyone to be a leader, but are thrilled to have this group assert themselves as the guys the coaching staff can count on,” he said. “They will further push our message to the rest of the team.”
This season, the leadership group will have a larger role and responsibility than in past. The Steel have signifiant roster turnover from last year with young skilled players that are already making an impact.
At the beginning of the season, high expectations were set by members of the team and the coaching staff. Each player was asked to list both group and individual goals to strive for this season. The three most common responses were to make the playoffs, win the Midwest Division and lift the Robertson Cup.
Seven games into the season the Steel sit with a record of 4-3-0 and are third in the division behind Fairbanks and Janesville.
The Steel will play a crucial series against the Janesville Jets on Sep. 30 and Oct. 1 in Chippewa Area Ice Arena at 7p.m.
Stay connected during the season by following the Steel @chippewasteel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and online at chippewasteelhockey.com.
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The Chippewa Steel are members of the NAHL which is the oldest and largest junior hockey league of its kind in the United States and one of only two USA Hockey-certified leagues that operate under the non pay-to-play model. The NAHL is also one of the best at advancing players to NCAA and professional hockey. All league games are viewable via HockeyTV. For more information, visit chippewasteelhockey.com.