Standing at 5’9,” 175 pounds, Kyle Criscuolo certainly isn’t your prototypical hockey player—but he has never let that hold him back.

In hockey, players are drafted to the National Hockey League when they are about 17 or 18 years old—usually before their collegiate careers even begin. The Entry Draft for the NHL is much different than most sports. The team that drafts you holds your “rights” until you leave college, at which point you typically sign with that same team.

Few players sign with an NHL team the summer they’re drafted; so most drafted college hockey players report to school as highly touted recruits, wielding a potential NHL future as a means of credibility and legitimacy. Players that go on to have college careers as successful as Kyle’s, usually arrive on campus as draft picks... Kyle did not.

In typical Kyle Criscuolo fashion, he walked onto campus humble, undrafted, and ready to prove himself. And in typical Kyle Criscuolo fashion, he continued to prove himself year after year.

Recently, just days after his collegiate career ended, he signed a professional contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, just one step beneath their NHL affiliate—the Detroit Red Wings—one of the most storied organizations in hockey.

Riding this accomplishment, he has now squared himself up with those very players who came into college as highly touted draft picks.

Kyle, for myself and many others, has always epitomized hard work and grit, and with his goal of reaching the NHL closer than ever, he has only grown hungrier.

His dedication to his teammates, perhaps more accurately described as brothers, is evident in everything he does. After each season, all members of the Harvard hockey team vote on end of the year awards, given out at the team’s annual banquet. As a testament to the team’s respect for Kyle’s work ethic and devotion, he was presented the Ralph “Cooney” Weiland Award, presented to the team member “whose devotion to the game has repeatedly been evidenced by aggressive and spirited play and by selfless contribution to the total team effort.”

To lend perspective, Kyle has won the Ralph “Cooney” Weiland Award every single year of his collegiate career. If there were somehow a “Cooney” Award given out on every team Kyle has ever played for, or in every classroom he’s ever been in, he’d have won it in those circumstances as well.

One lesson that Adam La Reau, a former Navy SEAL who works with our team on leadership and team building, preaches to us is, “How you do anything, is how you do everything,” meaning, the way you go about certain things in life is indicative of the kind of character and work ethic you have. Kyle Criscuolo is the embodiment of this quote.

On top of these impressive accolades, Kyle broke a nearly 70-year trend last year when he was named the first junior captain of the Harvard Men’s Hockey team since 1945. The character, leadership, and work ethic it takes to earn this distinguished honor as a junior, as well as the poise and confidence it takes to employ those leadership skills as a junior on a team with six seniors, speaks volumes about Kyle. After displaying exceptional leadership as a junior, he was voted captain again for his senior season.

Before puck-drop at the 2015 ECAC semifinals in Lake Placid, Kyle was announced as the winner of the ECAC Student-Athlete of the Year Award, given to the player who has achieved the most impressive combination of academic and athletic accomplishments. One year later, before the 2016 ECAC semifinals, he was again recognized as the ECAC Student-Athlete of the Year.

Noticing a trend here?

Throughout his career, and most prominently in the two years he served as captain, Kyle also spearheaded our team’s contribution to the greater community by increasing our engagement with community service. He took the lead on our team’s involvement with several different endeavors, such as working with the Special Olympics, One Summit, Making Strides Count, and the local homeless shelter in Harvard Square. His leadership and community service efforts culminated in his selection as a finalist for the 2016 Hockey Humanitarian Award and finalist for the 2016 CLASS Award.

Of all the accolades and accomplishments that Kyle has accumulated since he stepped on campus, I think he is most proud of the strides that the Harvard Hockey program has taken during his four years. During the 2012-2013 season, Kyle’s freshman year, Harvard Hockey posted a dismal 6-14-2 ECAC record. Kyle had six goals and seven assists. His sophomore year wasn’t much different. Harvard posted a 6-12-4 conference record, and Kyle accumulated 11 goals and nine assists.

In his junior year, the tides began to turn. His captaincy proved to be a catalyst for a dramatic cultural shift in the Harvard men’s hockey locker room, leading to an ECAC championship and Harvard’s first appearance in the NCAA tournament in almost 10 years. That year he finished with 17 goals and a league-leading 31 assists, ranking fourth in the league with 48 points in total. That year we finished 21-13-3.

Looking forward to a big senior campaign, Kyle scored 19 goals while collecting 13 assists for 32 points in his final season with the Crimson. Harvard Hockey won a share of the Ivy League title and made a return to the ECAC championship in Lake Placid, as well as the NCAA tournament. So, after an almost 10-year tournament drought, the Harvard Crimson appeared in back to back NCAA tournaments under Kyle’s leadership.

One thing our team always talks about is leaving the jersey in a better place. And with the team’s growing success, the postseason stakes grew. With every playoff win, we increased the potential to put that jersey in a better standing. But at the same time, the potential for a season-ending loss became even more crushing.

As a junior, having been to hell and back with the guys on this team, to say that I was heartbroken after our NCAA tournament loss in Worcester doesn’t exactly do it justice. But of all the memories I’ve had the honor of making with my brothers on this team, one thing I’ll never forget was how tough it was for Kyle Criscuolo to take off that jersey, the jersey that meant so much to him, for the last time. And I also know that I speak for everyone when I say that, when he finally managed to pull it it off, as hard as it was, he could always rest assured that he left it in a better place.

For all that he’s done for the program, for all the awards and accolades he’s accumulated over the years, and for all the times he’s proven himself through hard work and character, there is not a more deserving person for the Career Achievement Award than Kyle Criscuolo. The boys are forever grateful for what you’ve done for us. We all love you, brother. Congrats.

Devin Tringale is a forward on the men's ice hockey team. He will be one of two senior captains for the 2016-2017 season.