From The Hockey News
By Lizz Child
When people talk about hockey in San Jose lately, the word “rebuild” gets thrown around a lot. Perhaps no hockey team in the area embodies the start of a rebuild more than the San Jose State University club hockey team.
Rebuilding both on the ice and on dry land, SJSU Hockey has plenty to offer, but they may need a bit more time to show you what they can do.
A team that was making a statement against bigger and seemingly stronger teams in the postseason throughout the mid-2010s, the Spartans found consistency and began putting in work to continue developing their program. The goal is to be one that could achieve higher success in the near future.
Then, the world shut down due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. While sports were impacted as a whole and the hockey world changed at every level, SJSU Hockey found a new set of struggles.
The team did not play in the 2020-21 season due to the pandemic and had a tough first year back in the 2021-22 season.
“We ended up losing almost all of our guys,” goaltender Nick Checklenis recalled. “As a fresh start, we had something like 16 brand-new guys. We played through that season with 15 guys. It wasn’t our strongest season but it started a rebuild.”
Last year, in 2022-23, their second season back, the Spartans were getting momentum back and things were looking up once again.
In December 2022, team general manager Winston Adams left the program. He moved into a role as the Director for Sport and Youth Programs at Stanford University.
“A lot of the guys stepped up and took on bigger roles,” Checklenis said. “Just getting our footing under us and figuring out how to run the team. Learning the ins and outs of getting signed up with the league and scheduling with the rink. Jerseys and merch. USA Hockey stuff. All of the back door stuff for the team. That was the second half of last year.”
Finishing the 2022-23 season with a 16-12-0 record, the Spartans went into their offseason facing a rebuild once again.
This year, Checklenis noted the team feels they have some traction once again, though they are still looking for someone to fill the team manager role. With several new players, a new coach and new processes in place within SJSU Athletics, the program is back to getting on track. Don’t expect them to go anywhere anytime soon.
One of the most challenging parts of keeping the program running?
No surprise, but it’s figuring out team funding. Between travel expenses, ice time, gear, registration fees and general expenses. Hockey is one of the most expensive sports in the world.
Sponsorships and funding from the school cover only so much, but donations to their fundraising efforts from friends, family members and fans have helped to ease some of the burden.
Checklenis notes that Adams and other SJSU Hockey alumni have provided much-appreciated guidance on everything from USA Hockey requirements to understanding insurance needs.
In regards to scheduling and ensuring the team meets PAC-8 requirements, Checklenis noted the team worked together with him and other leaders on making decisions about their schedule.
“I didn’t want to just be the one making decisions for everybody, so it’s a huge help for me, getting guys that are willing to shoot an answer or opinion out there. Even if it’s a stretch and it doesn’t seem like it means much to them. It’s a huge help for us just being able to get some input.”
If Checklenis could describe the current mood of the SJSU Hockey team in one word, it would be “excited.”
“I think we’re excited to see what we can do with our group and excited to see what the future holds,” Checklenis said. “Not that we were not excited the last couple of years, but the prospect of this season seems like it will be better, so we’re excited.”
The goal for the Spartans’ season?
For Checklenis, it is to make it into the playoffs and earn a spot at Regionals, one way or another.
The Spartans are currently 2-2 on the season, opening the year with back-to-back wins over the Eastern Washington University Eagles on home ice (6-4, 5-2). Then faces back-to-back losses to the Loyola Marymount University Lions (9-1, 6-3).
You can catch the SJSU Spartans on the ice live at the Sharks Ice Orange Rink or stream the game through Black Dog Hockey Entertainment here on Friday, Sept. 29, at 8:15PM PT and Saturday, Sept. 30, at 8PM PT as they take on Cal Ice Hockey.
Oh, and never forget: Club hockey is college hockey.
(Originally published at https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks/san-jose-state-hockey/sjsu-spartans-rebuilding-college)
