"Storey was just a steady guy on the blueline and was great offensively," junior goaltender Oliver Jonas said. "But I think [senior defensemen] Matt Scorsune is going to scoop that role up."

The Crimson will also miss Adams' on-and-off ice leadership. This year the honor and burden of the captain's "C" goes to forward Trevor Allman.

While Allman has not always been the most vocal leader in the locker room, he has never shied from admonishing his mates for lack of effort. Not a flashy offensive talent, Allman leads by example as a gritty, third-line checking center who plays excellent defense and picks up the occasional goal by being the hardest worker on the ice.

For that, he has earned the respect of his squad.

"Trevor has done a great job," Scorsune said. "He's our link between the coaches and us and that is very important right now."

As with any new coach, Mazzoleni, along with his staff of assistants Ron Rolston (brother of New Jersey Devils forward Brian Rolston) and Nate Lehman, brings a different coaching philosophy.

The Mazzoleni system is more well- defined and intricate than his predecessor. Tomassoni stressed a hodge-podge of basic fundamentals like crashing the net, while trusting certain players' creativity.