When Jacob Wilson announced his intention to return for a fifth season at Arizona State, forwards across college hockey groaned in exasperation.
Though soft-spoken outside the rink, Wilson has become one of the NCAA’s most feared players thanks to his bone-crushing open-ice hits. While opposing teams thought they had seen the last of him, the Sun Devils’ co-captain decided to delay his professional career in hopes of returning to the NCAA tournament one last time.
His leadership will be of paramount importance this season, as ASU’s defense corps will receive a healthy infusion of youth from incoming freshmen Ethan Szmagaj and Ty Murchison.