Nick Cicek, following his best year yet
Last season’s captain of the Portland Winterhawks, Johnny Ludvig, 20, is staying in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch this season. With this, the Winterhawks knew a change in captaincy was on the way. It is easy to imagine this was not an easy decision for anyone. The coaching staff and players both had the opportunity to weigh in with their thoughts. While a few names were in the mix as the discussions took place, one name stood out above the rest.
Nick Cicek has been named as the 45th team captain in Portland Winterhawks history.
Cicek is entering his fourth season with the Winterhawks and has proven himself to be a reliable presence on the blue line. In the 114 games he’s played for Portland thus far, the new captain had his best season in 2019-20. He posted 14 points from the backend, which included four goals. Fans will be excited to see him reach new highs this season with the “C” on his chest.
The coming season
As newly named captain, Cicek has an impressive group behind him. He and his team aim to remain at the top of the ever-competitive US division. With all games taking place against inter-division teams, there will be a strong fight for the top spot. The Everett Silvertips, led by Cole Fonstad and Gianni Fairbrother, will look to finish what they started last season. Meanwhile, Eli Zummack and the Spokane Chiefs plan to remind everybody they are a force to be reckoned with. Both the Tri-City Americans and Seattle Thunderbirds have yet to announce their leadership groups for the coming season. However, we can never count either of them out. Each team is coming off of a trying season but will give everything they have to prove they are contenders.
Joining Cicek in leading the team this season are forwards Mason Mannek (00), Seth Jarvis (02), Reece Newkirk (01), and Jaydon Dureau (01).
We are proud to announce our 2020-21 team captains:
©️ – Nick Cicek
?️- Jaydon Dureau
?️- Seth Jarvis
?️- Mason Mannek
?️- Reece Newkirk pic.twitter.com/h2FjwBN5Sq— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) March 16, 2021
Continuing a legacy
The Manitoba-native has the faith of his teammates and coaching staff when it comes to his leadership and joins a long list of formidable former Winterhawks’ captains.
Former recent captains of the Portland Winterhawks include Nic Petan, Dominic Turgeon, Keegan Iverson, Keoni Texiera, Cody Glass, and Johnny Ludvig.
