Four Minnesota Wilderness players will don letters as captain and alternate captain for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.
Ethan Wolthers has been named team captain: The 20-year-old forward from Valencia, CA, is in his 4th season of Jr. hockey and 2nd with the Wilderness. He currently leads the team in points with 13 and assists with 9 through 10 games. Wolthers just today announced his commitment to play college hockey with Western Michigan University of the NCHC. He was also recently awarded the NAHL’s Midwest Division Star of the Week for his performance versus the Janesville Jets on October 1 and 2. That weekend, Wolthers recorded 3 goals and 3 assists in leading the Wilderness to a pair of 6-5 victories.
Below are the players named alternate captain:
Cole Gordon: Gordon is a veteran for the Wilderness in his 2nd season with the team. The native of Windsor, CO, recently earned his first Jr. A point, when he registered an assist against the Kenai River Brown Bears on Sept. 25. Gordon is 18 and currently ranks second on the team in penalty minutes with 19.
Bobby Metz: Metz is in his 2nd season of Jr. hockey and is committed to play college hockey with Colgate University of the ECAC. The 20-year old from Bloomfield Hills, MI, currently leads all Wilderness defensemen in assists (7) and points (9), through 10 games this season, and his points rank in a tie for third for all NAHL defensemen. He first joined the Wilderness in the 2020-21 season after starting his Jr. A career with the Northeast Generals of the NAHL.
Gunnar Thoreson: Thoreson is a 19-year old forward who hails from Andover, MN. Through 10 games, he is currently tied for the team lead in goals with 5. Thoreson is in his 2nd season with the Wilderness and has played in Cloquet for his entire Jr. A hockey career. He earned a NAHL Midwest Division Star of the Week award when he posted 2 goals and 4 assists in a weekend sweep of the Kenai River Brown Bears on September 24-25.
From Wilderness Head Coach and General Manager Dave Boitz:
“We let the team vote for captains and the coaching staff agrees: All four guys are a great choice. We will look to these guys for leadership, but we also know we have many other veteran players that are also great leaders.”