By Joshua Boyd / NCDCHockey.com
Connecticut Jr. Rangers
Atlantic Division
Head Coach: Jim Henkel
Home Arena: Chelsea Piers
The Connecticut Jr. Rangers have returned to Stamford and continue in their unyielding dedication to their players’ development on and off the ice, as well as their advancement beyond the NCDC to the NCAA and other higher levels of the games.
A big part of that push is in team success, and the Jr. Rangers absolutely want to capture the Dineen Cup. The Jr. Rangers have always been tough competition in an always hard-fought Atlantic Division that has produced three of the last four Dineen Cup champs.
“Our goal every year is to compete for a Dineen Cup Championship. Our expectation is to come in and compete every day to be a better player and team,” said Henkel. “Expectations are always hard to speculate with where you are in the standings within the league. Over the last few years, I think we have come to realize you can win any game, any day of the week versus any opponent.
“There are always a lot of changes year after year, new teams, new coaches, and new players. We always take a wait and see approach to dial in more of our expectations on standings and internal review of where we are at and what the league looks like,” Henkel added.
The Rangers, knowing that their division and the league overall are growing, knew they had to up their off-season game. Henkel and his staff have certainly put in the time to make sure they can bring the best possible Jr. Rangers team to the ice every night.
“There has been a lot of video on players, as there have also been conversations with 18U, Prep and Junior coaches in learning more about the players’ habits, work ethic and what drives them. You always hear they want to be at the highest level, but are they willing to do the work?” Henkel said. “That was where a lot of our conversations went to help build our team. We did a lot of traveling to various showcases and reaching out to European scouts and camps to find some more talent to bring in.”
The foundations for the new team are built around tried and true Jr. Rangers leaders, including second-year players Carl Ericksen, Alexander Ondos and Justin Filipelli.
“Our returners did a lot of work and are showing the leadership qualities needed to take our program to a higher level. Early on in camp, they have been a driving force in getting our team up to speed and understanding what is to be expected,” said Henkel. “In watching our group over the last 10 days, as a staff, we are happy with the understanding and growth within our team and systems. It is a long year and process to make sure you are where you need to be in February and March, but that process starts on Day 1.”
Ericksen, named the Captain for the 2024-25 Jr. Rangers season, came along and improved throughout his first year exactly as the Jr. Rangers staff hoped he would.
“He has an amazing work ethic and passion for the game,” said Henkel. “He really grew a lot last year as a rookie and he knows how to really push the group to be better as a team and guide the younger guys.”
Ondos, a top 10 scorer for the team who put up 24 points last year, is another great voice to echo the culture that the Jr. Rangers staff and ownership have built.
“He will be a great locker room presence and create a lot of opportunities offensively this year,” said Henkel. “He worked hard this summer, and it is showing off early in camp that he is more focused and driven to have a great year.”
Filipelli started the year with the WBS Knights and was traded to Connecticut, finishing up with 25 points in 44 games for the year.
“We learned a lot about him and how he operates,” Henkel added. “Having this year to really educate him and get him into our systems and building chemistry will be a huge factor for us. He has a lot of great qualities about him and will be a driving force behind our team’s success.”
Some of the newcomers joining the Jr. Rangers include former draft picks and tenders, all of whom are raising the excitement of the upcoming year.
Paul Schilcher, an ’05 from Austria and coming out of Phillips Academy in Exeter, N.H.
“He is a smooth-skating defenseman that regularly trains with the Austrian National team,” said Henkel. “He was very impressive two years ago and again in our camp last summer. He is a player that we feel will really add some skill and skating to our back end, something that will help with the speed and puck possession game of the NCDC.”
Magnus Turcotte (‘05/North Haven, Conn.), Emmet Martin (‘06/Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Nathaniel Harrison (‘05/North Canaan, Conn.) are all incoming draft picks for the NCDC roster.
“Magnus will be a strong shutdown D for us, with a higher level of compete who played at Avon Old Farms. He brings a winning pedigree,” said Henkel. “Emmet is a smooth-skating, skilled winger from the Pittsburgh Vengeance. We were very high on him in camp last year and tried to work out an opportunity for him [then]. Nate is from the Hotchkiss School who always performed well in front of our staff, with a lot of speed and tenacity. I’m eager to see him play at the junior level and bring his skill set and speed to our lineup.”
