All measures must be taken – within NCAA rules, naturally -- to ensure Olivier Mantha is comfortable, relaxed, happy, confident, energized, motivated and ready to roll.
Not just to begin the hockey season, but every day of the season.
If he gets a sniffle, a teammate should be there going all valet with a box of tissues.
If he likes the crust cut off his bread, get someone on the case – the Seawolves cannot permit Mantha anywhere near cutlery.
If he likes to hear a story before bedtime, there better be a freshman there ready to read. For good measure, leave a mint on Mantha's pillow.
Hell, even in the improbable event Mantha goes full rock star – he won't, he's all about the team – there better be someone making sure all the blue M&M's are jettisoned.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but Mantha's excellent goaltending is as necessary for the Seawolves as oxygen.
As UAA opens the season Friday night in its Kendall Hockey Classic at Sullivan Arena, here's the Cliff's Notes on last season: Uncle.
The Seawolves went 8-22-4 and did not qualify for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs. They endured losing streaks of nine games, six games and four games, and they dropped 11 of their last 12 games. They did not win a game played Outside (0-13-1). They were shut out six times, held to two goals or fewer in 21 of 34 games, and one goal or fewer in 12 games. There were nights the offense slipped into Witness Protection Program stealth – the Seawolves endured scoreless droughts of 101 minutes, 39 seconds, and 111:10 and 134:06, the latter the equivalent of two full games and most of another period.
(Why, yes, it could have been worse, and thanks for muttering. Recall, you hockey historians, the epic 2002-03 season, when the Seawolves won their opener and promptly went 0-28-7 the rest of way. That season was so jinxed a Seawolf was injured when an advertising tile fell off the scoreboard above the ice at Sullivan Arena and landed on his foot just as he skated out for warm-ups one game. True story. Seriously.)
Anyhow, you get the gist. If not for Mantha and his .914 save percentage, the third-highest in program history, that 8-22-4 could have been even more shudder-worthy – grisly, like American Horror Story grisly. There were not a lot of great nights, to tweak a phrase they like to use around UAA, to be a Seawolf.
But this is a new season, a fresh slate, replete with the customary optimism. No player or coach begins a new campaign, at least not publicly, thinking, man, we are going be so awful.
Maybe Mantha, as a sophomore, is even better this season. Maybe some of the freshman who showed flourishes in the second half of last season – looking at you, Tad Kozun and Austin Azurdia – will continue their climb. Maybe a couple of freshmen surprise. Maybe they don't again lead the nation in penalty minutes per game. And maybe new assistant coach Louis Mass, a defenseman by trade who long oversaw the Alaska Aces' usually formidable blue line, tightens things up on the back end.
Look, no one reasonably expects the Seawolves to develop into a juggernaut this season. Let's be clear: In coach Matt Thomas' third season, this is a rebuild. Don't expect the Seawolves to return to the relative glories of Thomas' first season, when they went 18-16-4, beat UAF in the first round of the WCHA playoffs and advanced to the league's Final Five. (Oh, and in hindsight, the departed Matt Bailey absolutely carried that club).
A little offense this season would be welcome, of course, and not just for winning, but also for entertainment value from a program that has long suffered declining attendance. (That bagel the Seawolves were fed by Mount Royal in their 1-0 exhibition loss did not inspire).
The Seawolves should, at minimum, aspire to be a difficult team to play, one that some sandpaper to it – minus the major penalties.
The Seawolves open with a set-up game of sorts. They entertain Arizona State in the Sun Devils' first game as an NCAA team. If the Seawolves win, well, yeah, they played a fledgling program making its NCAA debut. Should the Seawolves lose, uh, good luck trying to spin that into green and gold.
Long season. Fans shouldn't get too giddy if UAA starts out well – remember, the Seawolves started 4-1-2 last season, and went 4-21-2 the rest of the slog.
Still, with a new season comes new opportunity. The puck drops at renovated, refurbished Sullivan Arena on Friday night, and we begin seeing whether the Seawolves can likewise deliver a rink resurrection.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockeyblog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr