Griffs Hockey: Back and Better

Kaitlyn Belile, Assistant Features Editor

The Griffs hockey team will be starting out their season at home against Clarkson on Friday, Oct. 3 (aka Mean Girls day). I believe that my writing of this article is fitting because if you know me, you would also know that I am a social media intern for the hockey team. The team is starting its season with 16 returning players and 14 new ones. Since this is my second year doing social media for the team, I knew this adjustment would be intense. Last season had a large graduating class and quite a few transfers as well. 

The Griffs lost two key players to the transfer portal coming into the season. Dominic Payne and Matteo Giampa were two out of five players who competed in all 37 games last season. Payne, now a sophomore defenseman, recorded six goals in his season at Canisius. Giampa, now a junior forward, appeared in 73 total games and recorded 26 goals. Losing these two players might be a great loss, but head coach Trevor Large made sure to take full advantage of the transfer portal and picked up two players that he is looking to shape into players the Griffs need. Freshman forward Cole Miller is coming to Canisius after playing in four seasons in the Western Hockey League, playing in 244 regular-season games and earning himself 46 goals and 42 assists. Junior defenseman Joe Messina is joining the team after spending the last two years at Union College, playing in 49 games and earning two goals and six assists. Large is prepared to coach these players and encourage them to be a Griff, on and off the ice. 

Oliver Tarr, the captain of the 2025-26 team, is entering his fourth and final year at Canisius. Being here for the past 3 years, Tarr has played in 80 games and has recorded 16 goals. With this being the first time the boys have started their season at home (minus exhibition games) since the 2017-18 season, Tarr expressed that he was looking forward to starting the season at home with this team as, “anytime we get to play at home and when the fans come out, that’s pretty special.” He is honored to be a part of this team and “couldn’t be more happy to lead the charge with this special group of guys we have.” Tarr is excited to be able to start the season and soak in all of the memories of the season. After last season, where the team went 11-13-2 in conference, Tarr says that this team is fully committed. He is confident that “everybody in our locker room knows we’re a great hockey team and we’re excited to show people that this year.” 

Rhys Chiddenton, a junior transfer forward from Bemidji State, is excited to join this team and have the opportunity to be “putting on the Griffs jersey and playing for the logo on the front.” Chiddenton put up two goals and ten assists in 40 games before coming here. He is excited to be at Canisius to be closer to his family along with the positive interactions he has had with this team and the coaches. Chiddenton fit right into the team’s dynamic, saying that the team is super positive and that “it’s like coming in here for the last month, and I feel like I’ve been on the team for the last three years.”

Head Coach Trevor Large is going into this season with eight years under his belt as the head coach of the Griffs. He says that the group this year is extremely competitive and very serious. He recognizes how his past teams may have been less serious and more outgoing, but that this group is focused on the game. He is creating a culture of task-oriented players that want to win as, “[he’s] now guiding the culture, and they’re the ones that are driving it.” Large is leading this team because it is something that he has always wanted to do. Since he was a player, he has wanted “to be able to give back to the sport but more importantly help people along their journey through the game.”