As UConn men’s hockey set out to build its 2021-22 roster, head coach Mike Cavanaugh decided to take a slightly unconventional approach with his defensive corps. Instead of having the standard eight defensemen (who compete for six spots on the line sheet), he wanted nine to ensure the team would have enough depth to last the entire season.
“This year we wanted to carry nine defensemen just because it seems like year-in and year-out, it’s hard to go through an entire year without a defenseman getting hurt,” Cavanaugh said. “Then all of a sudden when that happens, you’re in practice and we only have seven defensemen and it makes it hard to scrimmage.