Daniel Doremus is your typical power forward. Big guy, big shot, strong skater and enjoys being physical. But as a 23-year-old senior, he has become the University of Denver’s top center, playing between skilled 19-year-old wingers Trevor Moore and Danton Heinen on what could be the NCAA’s most dangerous line.
“It’s like me and my little brothers essentially,” said Doremus, who leads DU with a plus-21 rating.
Heinen, a freshman, and the sophomore Moore rank first and second, respectively, among National Collegiate Hockey Conference overall scorers, and the NCHC is unquestionably the NCAA’s toughest league. Among the top eight teams in the PairWise Rankings, the NCHC has five: No. 1 North Dakota, No. 3 Minnesota Duluth, No. 4 Miami (Ohio), No. 5 Nebraska Omaha and No. 8 Denver.
Heinen (two goals) and Moore (three assists) had four-point games in the Pioneers’ 6-2 win over Miami last Saturday, and Doremus chipped in two assists. Doremus’ skill is high, but his experience, toughness and ability to bulldoze his way to open lanes for his linemates are exceptional.
“When you look at the traditional great lines in hockey, usually there is a scorer, a puck-possession guy and a power guy. And usually the power guy is a winger. Your puck-possession guy is usually the centerman,” DU coach Jim Montgomery said. “But Danny does all the little things: drives the middle, separates people and pressures pucks so Danton and Trevor can use their instincts to read and react and pick off plays.”
Heinen and Moore have become the equivalent of what DU had in 2010-12 with Jason Zucker (now with the Minnesota Wild) and Beau Bennett (Pittsburgh Penguins). The alums signed with their NHL teams after their sophomore years; Heinen and Moore might also forgo a year or two of their college eligibility.
Doremus is thankful to have them now on an otherwise veteran team that includes 2014 first-team All-American and 2015 Hobey Baker Award candidate Joey LaLeggia, who is third in NCHC overall scoring and first in league play only.
“They make my job really easy,” Doremus said of his young linemates. “Whatever’s next is going to be a good play. I can’t be surprised out there at all, because they are so capable of making those plays that most guys can’t.”
Montgomery will stick with his top line the rest of the way.
“I moved them around a couple times, just because I thought going on the road it would be good to get different matchups,” the coach said. “But they’re so dominant now, I just leave them together. I don’t care who other teams put out against them, they’re going to get their scoring chances. I matched them up with Miami’s best line all weekend and they dominated them.”
Moore, from Thousand Oaks, Calif., has a team-high 18 goals.
“By far the best line I’ve ever played on,” Moore said. “Dan’s unbelievable and Danton is probably the most skilled forward I’ve played with. I’m lucky.”
College hockey preview
No. 8 Denver (19-11-2, 12-9-1 National Collegiate Hockey Conference) at No. 17 St. Cloud State (15-16-1, 10-11-1)
• What: NCHC two-game series
• When: Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (6 p.m.)
• Where: Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
• TV/radio: CBSSN (Friday only)/105.5 FM
• Notes: This is the regular season-ending series for each team. DU probably needs at least one win to hold off Minnesota Duluth and finish in the top half of the eight-team NCHC and host a first-round playoff series next week. But the Pioneers could finish as high as second. … DU is in good shape to obtain an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament but will have two to five NCHC Tournament games before the 16-team national bracket begins play at the end of the month. … Denver swept the Huskies by 3-1 and 4-1 scores in January at Magness Arena.
Colorado College (6-23-2, 2-18-2 NCHC) at No. 5 Nebraska Omaha (17-10-5, 11-8-3)
• What: NCHC two-game series
• When: Friday (6:30 p.m.) and Saturday (6 p.m.)
• Where: CenturyLink Center in Omaha
• TV/radio: None/103.9 FM
American International (4-23-7, 4-17-7 Atlantic Hockey Association) at Air Force (14-19-4, 13-12-3)
• What: AHA best-of-three quarterfinal playoff series
• When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday (if necessary), 7 p.m.
• Where: Cadet Ice Arena
• TV/radio: None/1300 AM
— Mike Chambers, The Denver Post
