USHL 2023-24 Preview: Madison Capitols
The Capitols are looking to bounce back from a difficult year in 2022-23.
MADISON — Following up on their Clark Cup Finals appearance, the Madison Capitols had an underwhelming showing in the 2022-23 season, to say the least. The Caps got off to a modest 5-6-0-1 start before dropping 10 of their final 12 games before the holiday break.
Back for the second half, Madison opened play with seven consecutive losses, signaling an otherwise lost season for the returning veterans hoping to help the team get back to the Finals.
The Capitols shifted their focus and looked toward the future, acquiring draft picks and younger players, beginning with the trades of forwards Quinn Finley and Miko Matikka to Chicago and Waterloo, respectively.
In early February, Madison completed the sell-off, sending forward Jack Musa to Cedar Rapids.
Before the season’s conclusion, the Caps made a change in their front office, relieving head coach and general manager Corey Leivermann of his duties.
Similar changes were underway at nearby University of Wisconsin-Madison, with head coach Tony Granato and the majority of his staff being let go after seven seasons at the helm.
However, Andy Brandt was the lone assistant to be retained by the Badgers.
With former Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings taking over to revive the program, Brandt was unsure whether his new boss would require his services.
“We had a sit-down meeting right away, and it went well. He was fully honest with me, and just said, ‘Hey, I’m not sure what I’m going to do at your position, and I would appreciate it if you keep plugging away and doing what you’re doing,’” Brandt said of his initial conversations with Hastings.
“I appreciated the honestly, and then obviously there was a coaching change with the Capitols, and I started briefly talking to (team president) Andrew Joudrey and (assistant head coach/assistant general manager) Tom Gilbert, and then we were also scouting — as I was with Wisconsin — I was watching Finn Brink here with them towards the end of the year.”
Over the course of the next month and as the three continued to be intertwined between NCAA and USHL scouting, Brandt becoming part of the Capitols organization quickly picked up traction.
On May 1, 2023, Brandt was officially introduced as Madison’s new head coach and general manager.
Key Departures
Nathan Lewis, F (traded to Youngstown)
Matthew McGroarty, F
Jonah Aegerter, F (traded to Sioux City)
Brady Yakesh, D (will play in BCHL in 2023-24)
Landen Gunderson, F (traded to Green Bay)
Rastislav Elias, G
Key Returners
Will Felicio, D
Max Nagel, F
Brendan Lamb, F
Jack Brandt, F
Ethan Elias, D
Finn Brink, F
Peter Cisar, F
Key Acquisitions
Patriks Berzins, G (acquired from Tri-City)
James Hong, F (acquired from Waterloo)
Jake Rozzi, F (acquired from Youngstown)
Christopher Delaney, F (acquired from Chicago)
Rainers Rullers, F (free-agent signing)
Carsen Musser, G (2023 USHL Phase II Draft)
Austin Burnevik, F (2023 UHSL Phase II Draft)
Nathan Tobey, D (2023 USHL Phase II Draft)
Tender Signings
None
Three Keys To 2023-24
Mixing Veteran Acquisitions With Youth
Brandt is tasked with getting Madison back on track after a difficult year that saw the team struggle to a 17-41-2-2 record, finishing with the fewest points (38) since the 2019-20 season.
With the Capitols moving on from players during the season, graduating players to the NCAA, or trading away assets for future draft capital, there is now a need for Brandt to re-establish his brand of Madison Capitols hockey.
The Caps bench boss was not eased into the job, with the shine of a new job quickly shifting to selecting the next wave of talent in the USHL Phase I and II Drafts just days after he was hired. Thankfully, Joudrey and Gilbert, among others, assisted Brandt with selecting players and bringing the right mix of prospects into the organization.
Madison grabbed three former NTDP players in goalie Carsen Musser, forward Austin Burnevik, and defenseman Nathan Tobey in Phase II of the USHL Draft.
Outside the draft, the Capitols acquired forwards Christopher Delaney and Jake Rozzi from Chicago and Youngstown, respectively, and goaltender Patriks Berzins from Tri-City to complement the young players with experience and guidance.
“Having (assistant coach) Dominic Zombo and Tom (Gilbert) here in place to help with the draft was crucial. I was fortunate to know a lot of the ‘07 group, the Phase I group, because of my time at Wisconsin and recruiting that class. So, with us three, and a couple of other guys included in that, we were able to hammer out some high-end picks,” Brandt said of the draft process.
Returning Players Buying In
Brandt is already making his mark on the Capitols, getting a combination of new faces into the organization to right the ship in a short amount of time.
However, Madison’s new bench boss will also be tasked with getting the returning players to buy in to his system.
The Capitols will return key second-year players in forwards Max Nagel, Jack Brandt, Finn Brink, and Peter Cisar and third-year player in Brendan Lamb. On the back end, defensemen Will Felicio and Ethan Elias are back after promising rookie seasons.
Brandt was proactive in speaking with several returning players at camp over the summer, with accountability being the resounding message heading into the 2023-24 season.
“We have to be able to jump into a situation where this is a coaching change, and we have to be ready to accept, learn and be held accountable,” he said.
“All of our guys from the main camp in two conversations over the summer understand that, and I think that's the biggest thing in Year 1 that our coaching staff wants to make sure that we drive home to our players is team success is number one. Individual success is really important to our guys, but we can't have individual success without the team having success.”
With the returning players having endured a challenging season in 2022-23, buying into a team goal that provides a clear path for success was not a tough ask.
“I think the guys that were here and went through a different season last year have a greater appreciation for (team success) and what it means now. And guys coming in — whether it be from the Phase II Draft or getting acquired — are excited to showcase their talents and hopefully get a different opportunity in front of a new coaching staff.”
Felicio’s Time To Shine
It would be remiss not to highlight one of the best returning players not only on the Captiols’ roster but in the USHL.
Defenseman Will Felicio enters his draft-eligible season, with several scouts and mock drafts projecting the DU commit to be an early-round pick next June.
Felico somewhat flew under the radar in 2022-23, finishing with four goals and 24 assists in 55 games. His 28 points were the most in USHL history by a 16-year-old defenseman, besting Rocky Welsing’s previous mark of 27 points, set back in the 1992-93 season.
The young blueliner gained some early traction to kick off his draft year, playing well for Team USA at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup earlier this month. Felicio finished with three goals and two assists in five games, helping the Americans to a bronze medal. His five points were the most for defensemen and third-most overall on the USA roster.
Despite being an undersized D man, Felicio offers so much offensive ability from his game. Brandt got an up-close look at the young defenseman on a couple of occasions during his time with the Badgers.
“The first thing that stands out is his offensive instincts and the skating ability,” Brandt said of Felicio. “He has the ability to change the game with his feet, so we are excited to have him back. I think the biggest growth for him last year and credit to that coaching staff as they allowed him to grow as a young player in the league and credit to Will himself for taking advantage of that and doing what he did.
“Anytime you are allowed the opportunity to get the ice time at the beginning and then all of a sudden you earn it and continue to grow and learn, I think you have to credit Will to recognizing the situation he was in and taking full advantage of it. We are looking for him to come back and continue to build on that growth and help our team going forward.”