Capouch Leads With a Firm, Quiet Hand

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.

He answers a reporter’s questions in the fewest possible words. (“It was a nice moment,” is how Capouch described being named the 106th captain.)

“Peter’s not a kid of many words. But when he says something, he’s well-spoken and the guys really listen to him,” said Harvard Coach Mark Mazzoleni.

Standing at only 5-6 and weighing 175 pounds, Capouch must battle every game with forwards that tower over him.

According to Smith, the captain does more than hold his own.

“He always outsmarts them,” Smithd said. “You rarely ever see him get overpowered.”

“I can’t try to outmuscle a lot of guys,” Capouch said. “I have to be the best position player out there to defend against the bigger guys.”

Capouch said he spends many hours before games poring over scouting reports to learn the nuances of opposing teams.

Capouch’s workhorse mentality is particularly apparent at game time, where he plays 28-30 minutes a game. (Average NHL players play about 26 minutes a game.)

“He plays every situation for us and plays them all so well,” Mazzoleni said. “He’s the glue that hold the team together.”

But Capouch is never one to draw attention to himself, and perhaps in the past he has never gotten the individual honors he deserves, according to Mazzoleni.

“I think he’s the most underrated player in college hockey. I hope our team can have succses this year and Peter can get the individual success and accolades he truly deserves,” Mazzoleni said.

It has been a long road for Capouch to reach the captainship of a team with such a distinguished tradition in college hockey as Harvard.

A native of Hibbing, Minnesota, a small town three hours north of Minneapolis, Capouch grew up dreaming of playing for the University of Minnesota.

“Growing up in Minnesota, everyone played hockey,” Capouch said. “We used to always go to the outdoor rinks after school and play hockey all day long.”

When former Harvard Coach Ronn Tomassoni came calling before his senior year in high school, Capouch was “all ears.”

“I was just hoping to be part of that that tradition,” Capouch said of Harvard hockey.

At the beginning of his final year at Harvard, Capouch has not only joined that storied tradition—he now leads it.

“I hope it’s the greatest year of hockey I’ve ever had and ever will have,” Capouch said. “Harvard hockey and the whole Harvard experience have been all I’ve cared about ever since they started recruiting me, and I want to have a great year.”