Czarnecki Named 18th Captain in Oakland History

by | Mar 10, 2026 | Oakland ACHA DI Hockey News

Rochester-MI, Oakland University ACHA DI Hockey general manager Corey Hagood is pleased to announce that defenseman Patrick Czarnecki has been named as the 18th captain in program history. Czarnecki will be starting his second season with the team, and he is the sixth Oakland defenseman to wear the “C”.

“Being named captain is a great honor.” Czarnecki said. “It means to help set a standard everyday whether that be at the rink or outside. Helping those around me to not only become better players on the ice, but also off the ice. It’s an honor that I’m proud of and I’m looking forward to next season.”

Oakland head coach Nick Mammel is proud to name Czarnecki captain, as the staff looks to retool the culture and his leadership and experience is the first step in that process.

“Pat came here and was open to the idea of helping a young team find its way.” Mammel stated.

Mammel noticed that as time went on this past season, and Czarnecki was comfortable with his place on the team, his ability to be a great leader started to show and become more apparent. “Over the course of a year things have developed so much further than I could have imagined as his coach. Things really started to progress in the second half of the year with his leadership and the visual I had of just how impactful he was to his peers. He has helped guide and now is challenging his peers so that we can take a step forward as well. I am very proud to announce him as our next captain.” Mammel added.

As captain, Czarnecki will be tasked with helping change the culture of the program. “This last season was tough for everyone.” Czarnecki acknowledged. “A lot of ups and downs, but my goal for next year is, with the help of my teammates and coaches, to help bring a new standard to Oakland Hockey.”

He will be leading by example of how his teammates should conduct themselves on and off the ice, which everyone hopes will also translate into better results on the ice. “Holding each other accountable on the ice, in the weight room, and in the classroom. By being consistent and connected as a team will hopefully come with more positive results.”

This season was an eye-opening learning experience for Czarnecki, that he will use that experience to help guide him as the captain. “My first season really thought me a lot. We have a lot of guys coming in from different hockey backgrounds. This last season made me reason how much the small details matter.”

Czarnecki is excited for the future of the program and to see how the team comes together this summer during the recruiting process, team workouts and skates. “The thing I’m most excited for is to see how much we progress as a team.”

“I think if we all come together as a team, we can really be a special group.” He added.

Graphic by OU Hockey Alum Joseph Guenther

Graphic by OU Hockey Analyst Brian Fisher