Head Coach and General Manager Trent Eigner named the leadership group for the 2026-27 season Thursday. Max Rider will serve as the 16th captain of the Capitols in the team's Tier 1 history. Joining Rider in the leadership group are Dexter Brooks, Will Dosan, Harper Frey, Nolen Geerdes, and Cooper Snee as alternate captains.
With a "C" on his chest, Max Rider enters his third full season with the Capitols in 2026-27. Over two seasons, Rider has grown from being in-and-out of the lineup in 2024-25 to becoming one of the team's top point scorers last season to now becoming captain. The forward from St. Louis Park, Minn., sits seven games shy of 100 in his USHL career. Rider is committed to play college hockey at Western Michigan.
Dexter Brooks enters his third season in the USHL after picking up a career high in points and games played in 2025-26. The defenseman from Ballwin, Mo., has had a positive plus-minus rating in each of his past two seasons to total at +16 in 88 career games played. Brooks will wear an "A" on his jersey as alternate captain for home games this season.
In his second season with the Caps, Will Dosan will wear an "A" on his jersey for home games this season. Dosan, a forward from Bloomington, Minn., picked up 18 points in 56 games with Madison last season. Dosan is one of three 2006-born skaters on the Capitols.
The hometown defenseman, Harper Frey, will represent the Capitols on the road this season with an "A" on his jersey. Frey is in his second full season with Madison after appearing in 52 games last season. Frey has played in games in each of the past three seasons and will make it four when he suits up for his first game of the season. Although he's still looking for his first regular season goal, Frey had two goals in the playoffs for the Caps. Frey is committed to play college hockey at Wisconsin.
Nolen Geerdes will join Harper Frey in wearing an "A" on his jersey on the road this season. The defenseman from Rogers, Minn., led Capitols blue-liners in points last season with 29. Geerdes added a team leading ten points during the playoffs on the Capitols route to the Eastern Conference Final. Geerdes is committed to play hockey at Western Michigan.
After suiting up in 50 games in 2025-26, Cooper Snee will dawn an "A" on his jersey on a rotational basis. The forward from Franklin Lakes, N.J., picked up 14 points last season and returns to the team as a veteran, being one of three age-out players on the team this season. Snee is committed to play college hockey at Providence.
The Capitols start the season on Saturday at noon against Sioux Falls. The game can be found on FloHockey and on the Capitols Audio Network on YouTube with pregame starting at 11:40 a.m.
Capitols Captain History
2025-26: Jackson Nevers
2024-25: Finn Brink
2023-24: Ethan Elias
2022-23: Matthew McGroarty, Nick Wallace
2021-22: Jack Horbach, Casey Severo
2019-20: Kristof Papp
2018-19: Noah Weber
2017-18: Alec Broetzman, Mick Messner
2016-17: Robby Fosdick
2015-16: Ryan Lohin
2014-15: Alec Vanko
