Friday, May 1, 2015
Hendricks Wears ‘C’ for USA Hockey
Former St. Cloud State star leads U.S. into World Championship.
On a roster filled with talented current and former NCAA stars, outsiders may not see Matt Hendricks as an obvious choice as team captain.
But players in the NHL and executives at USA Hockey have learned what people at St. Cloud State found out in the early 2000s – Hendricks is a tremendous leader. He’s wearing the ‘C’ for the U.S., which began play Friday with a 5-1 win against Finland.
USA Hockey: U.S. 5, Finland 1 | U.S. Schedule
Hendricks’ leadership extended to the ice as well, where he had two goals and an assist in the first game.
“I didn’t coach Matt, but I have gotten to know him as he has returned to campus the past few years for golf tournaments, or just to visit,” current Husky head coach Bob Motzko said.
“He oozes character from the moment you meet him, and it’s clear that he’s a terrific young leader. It’s pretty impressive that he’s thought of that highly at that level and we, as a program, couldn’t be prouder of Matt’s success.”
Hendricks, 33, is on his fourth NHL team, now in Edmonton. He captains a young U.S. team at the World Championship in the Czech Republic, one that includes five current NCAA players. One of those five – Michigan’s Nick Larkin – had an assist Friday on Hendricks’s second goal.
Current and Former NCAA Players on Team USA
| Player | Current Team | NCAA Team |
| Mark Arcobello | Arizona Coyotes | Yale |
| Nick Bonino | Vancouver Canucks | Boston University |
| Jack Eichel | Boston University | Boston University |
| Justin Faulk | Carolina Hurricanes | Minnesota Duluth |
| Jake Gardiner | Toronto Maple Leafs | Wisconsin |
| Connor Hellebuyck | St. John’s (AHL) | UMass Lowell |
| Matt Hendricks | Edmonton Oilers | St. Cloud State |
| Torey Krug | Boston Bruins | Michigan State |
| Dylan Larkin | U. of Michigan | Michigan |
| Anders Lee | NY Islanders | Notre Dame |
| Alex Lyon | Yale U. | Yale |
| Steve Moses | Jokerit (KHL) | New Hampshire |
| Brock Nelson | NY Islanders | North Dakota |
| Zach Redmond | Colorado Avalanche | Ferris State |
| Mike Reilly | U. of Minnesota | Minnesota |
| Dan Sexton | Nizhmekansk (KHL) | Bowling Green |
| Ben Smith | San Jose Sharks | Boston College |
| Jimmy Vesey | Harvard U. | Harvard |