He's The Captain Now

Moorhead, Minn. --- Tucker Coborn is a leader of leaders.

Come to this weekend's men's hockey games and you'll see Coborn sitting behind the bench with his left arm in a sling - but he's still very much the heart and soul of this team.

Last season Coborn served as the team's assistant captain to Andrew Deters. Deters graduated and is playing for the Swedish professional team Motala AIF. He is the only American on the team's roster and in his rookie season Deters was bestowed the honor of being named captain. So far this year Deters has three goals and five assists in seven games. 

Playing without Deters for the first time in four years, Concordia opened the season in the annual in the MIAC Men's Hockey Showcase in the Twin Cities. On the final shift of Concordia's 3-2 win against Bethel, Coborn was hit awkwardly and immediately could feel something wasn't right.

Coborn felt something wasn't right and went into a local emergency room for an x-ray. The test came back positive and two days later Coborn went in for an MRI in Fargo and they found a fracture in the shoulder. 

The diagnosis was that he would be out 6-8 weeks meaning his role as a leader would change. 
Coborn understands he will get back on the ice.  "It's tough being a senior but I've talked to people about it and being around the guys helps."

Coborn gets to the rink early every day and is the first to greet his teammates in the locker room.

"Tucker is dealing with it very well.  He's not playing, but he's contributing in other ways," commented head coach Chris Howe. "He was Deters' assistant last year and was able to see how he handled it. Andrew was an extension of our staff and saw the culture we were looking to create. Tucker was right there and he just gets it." 

When Howe took over the program seven years in 2009 he was inheriting a team that went 1-23-1 overall and 0-15-1 in MIAC play. 

That culture has changed because of people like Coborn.

Howe cites his team goals as "sending his student-athletes out as leaders of leaders into the world," and Coborn has bought into it. 

Added Howe, "the message we have is you stand for other guys on the team, for each other, to be champions. When I say champions, I say make a difference in each other's lives. Our team's mission is to make each other better people.  

He went on to describe the culture on the team, "immediately when our kids get here the Tucker Coborn's, Charlie Aus' and Garrett Hendrickson's are right there helping the younger players move into apartments. It's contagious," 

Though Tucker Coborn won't be on the ice for the home opener, or for the remainder of the 2015 calendar year, his presence will be felt.

"It still sucks not being out there on the ice with my teammates. Through talks with Coach (Howe) we've come to a conclusion this is the way it's supposed to be. This adversity will help me as a leader for the rest of the season and for the rest of my life."


Written by Sports Information Intern Austin Hawkins