Senior defenseman Brandon Holt said the optional six-week workout regimen in Orono this summer for the University of Maine’s hockey team reminded him of his freshman season at UMaine.
There are 13 newcomers, including nine from Canada’s three Major Junior League teams, as the Black Bears had to replace players who scored 64 of the team’s 124 goals last season.
There were 15 newcomers during the 2022-23 campaign.
“It has definitely been unique. A lot of familiar faces are gone. My freshman year we had a whole new team,” Holt said.
The Grand Forks, North Dakota, native has been a rock solid defenseman ever since he stepped foot on the UMaine campus in 2022. He is one of just four Black Bears from the 2022-23 campaign still in the program, along with defensemen Brandon Chabrier and Grayson Arnott and left winger Thomas Freel.
“That’s why we’re here in the summer. We’re integrating 13 new guys into our culture and showing them how we do things here,” Holt said. “I think we’ve done a really good job so far. We’ve got a great group. All 13 new guys are awesome guys. In order to become a good Black Bear, you first have to be a good person, and they have hit the nail on the head so far.”
It’s been special for Holt to see how the newcomers have worked this summer, and he’s excited to get the season going and see what the Black Bears can do.
This is the first time Major Junior players have been able to play U.S. college hockey. Previously, the NCAA ruled that they were pros because they received financial stipends, making them ineligible.
“This is a unique opportunity for them, and they’re all really special players,” Holt said. “It’s kind of cool we can pick those guys up. They all know how to play hockey. It’s just about them buying into what we’ve got going on here, and so far, we like what we see.”
He noted that the team will look different than last year’s team, which went 24-8-6 and won the Hockey East tournament for the first time since 2004 while earning its second consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.
Top two scorers Harrison Scott and Taylor Makar, who each tallied 18 goals last season, and nine-goal scorer Nolan Renwick were big, strong power forwards who won a lot of puck battles and got to the net front.
This year’s team will be faster and more skilled but not as big or strong.
“Some guys play a little different style, but we have a lot of skill, and if we can get them to play the right way, which I think we’re going to, we may be a little different looking team, but I think we’ll still have a lot of success,” Holt said.
The 5-foot-11, 181-pound Holt is coming off his best season as a Black Bear as he notched career highs in points (20), assists (16), blocked shots (46) and shots on goal (75).
“We don’t want to lose our identity as a hard-working, grinding team. We never want to lose that,” Holt added. “But if we add a little bit more skill and a little more playmaking and score more goals on top of our grinder-outwork-everyone mentality, that’s a recipe for success.”
The Black Bears return five veteran defensemen, and they have added five newcomers on the blue line.
“I really like what I’ve seen from the new defensemen. They’re big, solid, physical and good skaters,” Holt said. “They play both ways, offensively and defensively. It’s encouraging to see stuff like that.”
Holt was a third team All-Hockey East selection and was runner-up to Boston College’s Eamon Powell as the league’s best defensive defenseman.
He has appeared in 91 career games and has 12 goals and 34 assists.
He wants to build on last year’s performance.
“I want to continue to play the way that I play,” Holt said. “Play my game. Don’t change too much. Just keep building, keep building confidence and try to do a little bit more.”
He is looking forward to playing in the newly renovated Alfond Arena, which is undergoing a $50 million facelift.
“That’s going to be something special. Something I haven’t experienced,” he said. “I’ve been on a few tours and have been able to see stuff slowly come along. It’s getting really close, and it’s really exciting.”
UMaine will open the season with an exhibition game against New Hampshire at the Sidney J. Watson Arena on the Bowdoin College campus in Brunswick at 7 p.m. on Oct. 3 before beginning regular season play by hosting Atlantic Hockey America regular season champ Holy Cross on Oct. 10-11.
Both games will have a 7 p.m. puck drop.
