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11/28/2017 11:00 PMJason Rossi has been a hockey player for a dozen years now and, during that time, he’s grasped a deeper knowledge of the sport with each passing season. Now, Jason is ready to apply everything that he’s learned in his final year as a member of the Hand boys’ ice hockey squad this winter. Jason is a senior captain left wing for the Tigers who’s looking to guide them on deep postseason runs in the upcoming campaign.
“The team environment has been really helpful to me. We all work out what we will do on the ice,” Jason says. “I’ve also had some great coaches that have helped me develop on and off the ice. I’ve been understanding the game a lot more now with positioning and who to pass to and where. My skating and shot has improved, which have been some of my main focuses.”
Two aspects of hockey that Jason embraces are the speed of the game and the physical challenges it presents. Jason also enjoys that there’s a great deal of familiarity among the athletes of teams that compete across the shoreline.
“I love the physicality and tempo of the game. It’s very fast-paced, and you have to make quick decisions,” says Jason. “It’s also a tight-knit community with hockey. I know most of the kids I have played against.”
Jason doesn’t necessarily focus on being the one who snipes a slap shot past the opposing goalie. Instead, he likes it when everyone on offense gets a piece of the puck.
“I like the plays where the team gets in a good passing rhythm and involve the whole line,” Jason says. “I just love that team atmosphere on the ice where everyone works together.”
When Jason was named a captain, he viewed it as the ultimate vote of confidence from his teammates and their belief in his abilities. Jason knows there’s a lot of additional responsibility that comes with wearing the ‘C’ on his sweater, but he’s honored that he gets to represent the Tigers in that leadership capacity.
“It meant a lot that my teammates voted for me as captain. It was a wake-up call that I meant a lot to them, and that I had to set examples for them and show what it means to play for Hand hockey,” he says. “Everyone on the team has a role, so it is big for me to be a captain.”
First-year Hand Head Coach Luke Galvin says that Jason is in a unique situation with leading a team that’s transitioning to a new coaching staff. However, Galvin feels confident that Jason owns the right mix of talent and character to thrive in the captain’s role.
“As a new coach, the senior captains will be very important in helping set the tone throughout the team. As a veteran forward, Jason gives us important size up front and has a heavy shot that he is going to have to use often and with great accuracy,” says Galvin. “His physical presence will be important individually and in setting the tempo for the type of constant physical pressure our team wants to apply on our opponent. In offseason settings, Jason presents himself as a thoughtful, steady, and composed demeanor. I do expect that this season Jason will be challenged in a way that is new and different and uncomfortable, and I further expect that he will adjust on the fly, that he will be the example that every successful team requires, and that he will lead and be a strong unifying presence throughout our season.”
With winter right around the corner, Jason and the Tigers are eager to get after it and lead Hand to a successful regular season that’s followed by a prosperous playoff push.
“We are really excited for this year. We have a new insight to the team on and off the ice with our new coaches,” says Jason, who thanks his parents, Tracy and Frank, along with strength and conditioning coach Rob Mangino, and former youth coach Mark Decola. “We have high expectations, are looking to do something special, and are ready to hit the ground running.”