The 09-10 Seawolf Senior Class

Nils Backstrom - 6'1" 203lbs, Defenseman
Nils Backstrom was a late addition to the 06-07 UAA freshman class. We first learned he'd be coming to UAA on August 26th, 2006. Just in enough time to get fully enrolled in school and get fitted for a helmet. Over the course of his first three years Nils has matured and improved steadily. Last season he stepped up to the role of shutdown defensemen and fulfilled it very nicely. He sees the ice as well as anyone. His skating is top notch; he can often be seen gaining steps on opposition forwards and dispossessing them.

He is more than strong enough to handle pretty much any opposition forward. He continuously shows his smarts on the ice with good breakout passes and/or taking the responsibility to move the puck up on his own. His career 6 goals and 21 assists are perhaps less than many of us expected but the 4 goals he scored as a junior could be a nice sign for the season to come. He did miss 18 games as a sophomore due to injury. His plus/minus for this past season was a stellar (team best) +10.

Nils experience and maturity will serve him well as a team leader this season. His positives on the ice will contribute to overall team success. Last year, I said that he played virtually mistake free hockey. I'd assume that will be the case again.

Kevin Clark - 5'9" 171lbs, Forward
Kevin Clark is plain and simply the most dynamic player for the Seawolves. At times, it seems that he can make things happen by sheer force of will. Over his first three years Kevin has netted 28 goals and 43 assists. He's almost certain to reach the 100 point career plateau this season.

Kevin will be responsible for much of the team's success this year via his playmaking, scoring and mental play. Kevin can be a bit of a pest and seems to play better when he's jawing a bit with the opposition.

Kevin is both an emotional leader and a leader by example on the ice. He can make magic with the puck and make his linemates better. He is not intimidated by physical play and even likes to mix it up. He will be counted on to play smart this season and while I won't judge him on his 236 career penalty minutes; taking a penalty or two less would be positive. The team will need him to put up his best season stats ... both goals and assists.

Trevor Hunt - 5'10" 190lbs, Defenseman
Trevor Hunt has become a beast during his first three years in a Seawolf uniform. It wasn't that this guy wasn't tough as a freshman. He was. But last year he really came into his own as a college hockey player. He's always shown his physical abilities and flashes of offensive prowess. But as a junior he put every facet of his game together in positive ways.

He substantially dropped his penalties/game average. He tied for the lead in goals from blueliners. He continued his punishing physical play with opponents. He showed over and over that he's got a real nice set of boots.

His vision moving up the ice is as good as anyones. He can dynamically either dish the puck smartly or deke the opposition out of their breezers as required. He's both quick and strong. His play along the boards is a bit reminiscent of Darren Meek who never came away from the boards without the puck in his possession.

Josh Lunden - 6'2" 202lbs, Forward
In every year as a Seawolf Josh Lunden has scored double-digits in goals. 11 as a freshman, 14 in both his sophomore and junior years. Josh is a hard charging power winger who plays the cycle game as effectively as anyone. He knows how to put himself into scoring positions.

He's been very consistent over his career in terms of his style of play. He knows how to use his size against opponents and possesses enough speed to skate with anyone.

Josh is capable of putting up bigger numbers if he is allowed to focus more on scoring. He is a very responsible player always trying to make opportunities for his linemates. If he could perhaps focus a bit more on scoring then I see no reason he couldn't bag 20 goals. As with the other seniors his maturity and experience will be strong contributors to the team's overall success.

Jon Olthuis - 6'4" 200lbs, Goaltender
Jon Olthuis is unflappable. Hockey mouthpieces love to say that about a goalie. In Jonny O's case it happens to be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Jon is a great big guy and covers a lot of the net. He played in 10 games as a freshman and as a sophomore was asked to take on the number 1 role when Nathan Lawson turned pro early. He had a bit of an up and down season but learned a lot and improved steadily.

Last season saw a number of games where he flat-out stood on his head. His career numbers don't look impressive but he's often not recieved the support necessary to have great stats. Jonny will likely earn a fair amount of playing time this season competing with the more talented junior Bryce Christianson. If he gets those starts at the right times he'll be an awesome alternative. He'll also bring a strong leadership presence on the bench during the game.

Ken Selby - 6'1" 195lbs, Forward
I always try to be fair and balanced with my comments regarding the individual Seawolves. I doubt any regular reader though wouldn't have noticed my fondness for Ken Selby. Why do I always pine for him to get more ice time? Because he's got jets in his boots. He can fly.

I can't help liking a hockey player that motors. To be fully honest there's a somewhat legitimate debate about Ken's hockey instincts. In other words, some people don't think he knows where he ought to be when he ought to be there. It's a tough argument to counter when over his career the guy has played in a total of only 43 games.

Last season he dressed for 23 games. He didn't necessarily see major ice time in those games. I can't begin to guess how many games Ken will play this coming season. But I will guess that the more ice time he sees the more he'll contribute. He's an excellent stick handler with great wheels. At minimum he could be a very effective penalty killer who perhaps creates shorthanded scoring chances.

Jared Tuton - 6'1" 202lbs, Forward/Defenseman
If there is another reason Ken Selby hasn't cracked the lineup as often as I'd have liked, it is Jared Tuton. This year's Captain is quite simply the epitome of a coaches player. He's got a wide range of quality skills and not only understands what his coach wants/needs, he fulfills those for the coach without hesitation.

Jared has played virtually every position on the ice at some point during his career. He's played on the #1 line and contributed; he's been an ultra-responsible defensive forward; played in all special teams situations and led by example on nearly every shift he's taken as a Seawolf. That is exactly why he's the Captain this season.

Note: Yes, I chose pictures with WCHA opponents with their sticks on these profiled Seawolf players. All their fans complain endlessly about "clutching and grabbing". I just thought I'd show some clear examples of their own players doing exactly that. The favored WCHA check appears to be the cup check. What is up with that? All these opposition players are fixated on Seawolf crotches?

Look for a Junior Class profile in a few days time.