UConn men’s hockey lands 2021 defenseman Aidan Metcalfe

UConn men’s hockey’s 2021-22 roster isn’t quite finished yet. While Arizona State grad transfer Jarrod Gourley was expected to be the last player brought in for this season, the Huskies added another defenseman with the commitment of Aidan Metcalfe.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 194 pounds with a left-handed shot, Metcalfe most recently played for the Shreveport Mudbugs, where he was teammates with future UConn goaltender Arsenii Sergeev. The Palos Verdes, California native will also be one of the older players on the team having been born on Jan. 24, 2000.

“Aidan plays a very consistent brand of hockey that consists of subtle but effective plays,” Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell told NAHL.com. “He will take hits to make plays and play a tough brand of hockey. He’ll be a great teammate and the community will love him.”

Last season with Shreveport, Metcalfe recorded 18 assists in 55 regular season games and added one goal and three assists in 10 playoffs games. From 2017-19, he played at the Berkshire School, where he was coached by Dan Driscoll, a former UConn men’s hockey player who played in Storrs from 1987-91.

With Metcalfe in the mix, the Huskies will have eight defensemen this season. The freshman is expected to provide UConn with solid depth in case the blue line is hammered by injuries.

Metcalfe will join an incoming class that includes three grad transfers — goaltender Darion Hanson (Union), forward Kevin O’Neil (Yale) and Gourley (Arizona State) — and five freshman — forwards Chase Bradley, Sasha Teleguine and Jake Veilleux, Metcalfe and goaltender Logan Terness.