It has been a long offseason for the Summit High School hockey team. 

Last year, Summit made an improbable run in the Class 4A 2024 state hockey playoffs, winning against higher ranked opponents and sealing a spot in the state final against No. 4 Durango as the final team to make the 10-team bracket. 

As the Tigers took the ice at Denver University’s legendary Magness Arena, the bright stadium lights seemed to get the best of the young team, leading to a crushing, 4-2 loss.

While Summit slowly filtered off the ice, Durango gleefully skated around and hoisted the state championship trophy above their heads. It was clear that Summit was disappointed in coming up one win short, but as first year head coach Chris Miller emerged from the locker room, there was a sense of pride as well as confidence that the team would be back at Magness in 2025.

The Tigers began preparing for another state championship run the minute the bus pulled away from Denver University and back towards Interstate 70 en route to Summit County. 

“I was proud of what we were able to accomplish last year,” Miller said. “Coming in as a first year coach and trying to focus on culture is something that took a full season to figure out. It has been really surprising coming in this year with how the upperclassmen are holding each other accountable and introducing the underclassmen to what our culture is. You can definitely feel an attitude shift.”

After staying active throughout the spring and summer, the Tigers got their chance to see where the team stood before the winter high school season in five hockey tournaments throughout the fall.

“We played in five of them and our total record was 20-4,” Miller said. “Three of our losses were in the championship games, so we won two of the tournaments and lost three of them. We either got first or second in all of them. It was a pretty successful preseason. There are definitely things we still need to work on, but 20-4 is pretty good for us.”

It was in the tournaments that Summit got a true feel for the team’s new core of leaders. After graduating six seniors from last year’s roster, Summit returns a group of players that are not only experienced and skilled, but also have the drive necessary to make another run in the state playoffs.

Although Miller has yet to give out any captain or assistant captain jersey patches, he has a good sense on who the team will rely on for leadership and star power throughout the winter season.

“Last year we kind spread the wealth of our talent between our lines and this year we put three kids together on our top line,” Miller said. “Eli Powers, Karston Kerr and Graham Schuman. It was kind of something I was thinking about this summer — if we could have a true, scoring top line. They have really been able to figure it out. The chemistry between those guys is amazing. They are having multiple goal games pretty much every game.”

Miller will also lean on his top four defensemen to prevent the opposition from finding the net. Notable players on the defense include junior Owen Lewis, senior Henry Waldorf, junior Oliver Dixon and junior Kyle Reidy. Senior Matthew Tater is expected to be the Tigers go-to goalie throughout the winter.

In addition to establishing chemistry among the team, Summit also worked to address the team’s weaknesses before the start of the high school season. One of the major weaknesses Summit tried to streamline before the start of the season is its neutral-zone game.

“I think we recognize that last year we obviously had some weaknesses,” Miller said. “We have really been focusing on trying to improve our neutral-zone game and getting speed on the rush.”

Summit will officially begin its quest to return to the state-championship final on Saturday, Nov. 23, when it takes on Rampart High School at Stephen C. West Ice Arena in Breckenridge.

“The messaging all preseason was if we can play our tempo and pace, that we can win games,” Miller said. “In the preseason, in our losses, we just didn’t get a great start or took teams for granted. … The message to the kids is going to be that we are going to play at our pace, we are going to dictate the tempo. As long as we do that, it is going to give us a chance to win all these games this season.”

The season opener is slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. Summit will then enter Thanksgiving break before returning to the ice to face Glenwood Springs High School on Dec. 6. 

2024-25 Summit High School hockey schedule

The Summit High School boys hockey team huddles around the goal prior to its state semifinal game against Liberty High School on Saturday, March 2, 2024.

Nov. 23 vs. Rampart, 3:30 p.m.

Dec. 6 vs. Glenwood Springs, 5 p.m.

Dec. 7 vs. Caprock Academy, 5 p.m.

Dec. 13 at Battle Mountain, 3:45 p.m.

Dec. 19 at Palmer, 4 p.m.

Dec 20 at Standley Lake, 11 a.m.

Dec. 21 at Cheyenne Mountain, 8 a.m.

Jan. 3 at Crested Butte, TBD

Jan. 4 at Crested Butte, TBD

Jan. 10 vs. Steamboat Springs, 5 p.m.

Jan. 11 at Caprock Academy, 4:40 p.m.

Jan v. Aspen, 7 p.m.

Jan. 18 vs. Air Academy, 3 p.m.

Jan. 24 vs. Durango, 7 p.m.

Jan. 25 vs. Durango, 5 p.m.

Jan. 31 at Glenwood Springs, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 1 at Aspen, 5 p.m.

Feb. 7 at Steamboat Springs, 7:15 p.m.

Feb. 14 vs. Battle Mountain, 7 p.m.