Connor Stephen Kruk, the Varsity Arrowhead Hockey captain, awaits his final season in the Arrowhead uniform. Kruk has been on the varsity team since the 2016 season, his sophomore year. He was chosen to lead this year’s hockey team by his coach.

Kruk has been playing hockey since he was eight-years-old and skating since he was five.

“It was a cold snowy winter night at Malone park in new Berlin, me and [my father] went on the ice and he taught me how to skate. It was kind of just a feeling right away that this is something I can learn to love, which I have, and something that will always be a part of my life,” says Kruk.

Kruk says he has mixed feelings about how it feels to have one last season as an Arrowhead hockey player.

“Lots of Mixed emotions. I’m of course excited to be a senior and lead my team, but looking back and seeing my progress, not only as a player but as a person is amazing,” says Kruk.

Kruk’s says his goal is to be able to know he had given it his all for his team and himself.

“It won’t be easy for me to take my last stride off the ice as an Arrowhead Warhawk, but when it’s all said and done, when I look at myself in the mirror, I want to be able to say I gave it all I had and left everything out there [on the ice], and hopefully that will make my last stride—a stride of me holding the championship trophy over my head with all my buds both in the crowd and on the ice,” says Kruk.

Kruk says he has been spending his time during the offseason physically and mentally preparing for the upcoming season.

“For me, hockey is year round no matter in season or out. I made it my priority to increase my speed and shot ability by using many assets such as coaches trainers and facilities. Another priory for offseason is team bonding which is key to a team’s success,” says Kruk.

Ethan Hill, Kruk’s teammate for the past four years, feels Kruk has gotten a lot better as a player and person.

“Connor has really changed from when he was a freshman and the way he plays. He really goes hard on the ice and is always determined to lead the team to a victory,” says Hill.

Kruk feels the team will have a successful season because of his teammates. “There is much optimism going into the season with many seasoned players and a mix of younger underclassmen that complements very well. For me, it all depends on our work ethic. To be a hockey team everyone must contribute and pull the rope the same way as our head coach always says. If we set our minds to something as a team to become centered around work ethic and desire I believe it will make for quite a successful year with the many resources we have.”

Tryouts for the hockey team start on November 5th. They will be held at the Mullet ice arena after school.

The first official varsity practice will be held on November 9th.

The first game of the season will be on Tuesday, November 20, at the Capital Ice Arena against Middleton.

The regular season will end in the middle of February, and the playoffs to the State Championship will conclude in early March.