Last year at an afternoon practice at Bright Hockey Center, sophomore defenseman Kenny Smith remembers the team having a lackluster day—what Smith called “low intensity.”

Then Peter Capouch, who was at the time a junior assistant captain “called all the guys over and started yelling at everyone, himself included, to step up as a team,” Smith recalled.

Capouch’s approach worked and the practice was saved, but more importantly, it was just one incident among many that helped Capouch earn the great respect of his teammates.

“I thought it was really impressive for a junior to step up and grab ahold of the team,” Smith said.

At the end of last year, Capouch was unanimously selected by his teammates as the 106th captain of Harvard men’s hockey.

Capouch takes over the team at one of the most crucial moments in its recent history.

Coming off one of its most successful seasons in a decade, the expectations are piled high: a USA Today-American Hockey Magazine poll ranked the Crimson eighth in the country

“It’s great to be ranked that high, but it doesn’t mean much,” Capouch said. “We still gotta take care of business on the ice.”

Taking care of business, many teammates said, will be the hallmark of Capouch’s leadership.

For Capouch, dedication and effort—not flash—are paramount.

“Showing up every single day, ready to compete and give it your best” is how Capouch characterized his vision of leadership by example. “It means every practice and every game.”

His teammates said they appreciate Capouch’s no-frills approach to the season.

“What you see is what you get with Peter,” said junior teammate Dominic Moore. “He’s just a classy, straightforward guy.”

“His play alone brings up the intensity of every practice,” Smith said.

Soft-spoken with close cut blond hair, Capouch says little—rarely showing emotion—but his voice carries authority.