The Vancouver Warriors captain Brett Mydske made it official, re-signing with the club.
After spending three seasons with the Warriors, the 6-foot-4 defenceman believes in the direction of the franchise and it’s hard to beat playing in front of the hometown crowd.
“I don’t envision myself putting on another jersey for the rest of my career,” Mydske said. “Being back home in Vancouver and building from where we left off last year is the goal.”
Mydske has championship pedigree and is optimistic about the future of the franchise given the strides the group made last season along with the new additions to the roster through the NLL Draft and free agency.
Warriors’ General Manager and Head Coach Curt Malawsky says Mydske leads by example with his play, and although he never has to have the last word, when he speaks, he has the attention of the room.
“We are very excited to have our captain back for another season. Brett is a phenomenal leader on and off the floor and he is a very responsible player we can trust in key situations,” Malawsky said. “He’s also an exceptional teacher when it comes to helping show our younger players what it takes to be a pro and contribute at the highest level.”
There’s trust between Mydske, his teammates, and the coaching staff, which is a key piece of building success. The most important part of a winning culture is belief and last season the Warriors battled back from a 2-8 start to win six of their final eight games.
The 13-year NLL veteran has been through the ebbs and flows of a season many times and when it was hard last season, the team responded in a monumental way.
“We just dug in, worked together and supported each other. It showed in the second half of the season what we’re capable of and I think that’s what championship DNA is all about,” Mydske said. “You’ve kind of got to go through the trenches with one another to see what you’ve got, and we definitely started building in the second half of the season last year.”
Making sure everyone is on the same page is part of his duties as the captain, which he calls “easy” because of the rest of the leadership group on the team and many players on the roster have previously held leadership roles with other teams. They’re all hungry to win a championship and they know how to get there.
Their group is tight-knit and that is something Mydske is proud of. The team stayed connected during the NLL offseason through a group chat. The 36-year-old is less active in the chat than some of his younger teammates, but they help keep him young.
“I think it’s important just to stay in contact. We’ve got a super close group of guys on the team, and with the way it is in the offseason, everybody moves back home, or they play for other teams. So, it’s always important to stay in close communication with one another,” he said.
With Mydske back, the Warriors are poised to build on their late-season surge as they aim for a deep postseason run. His veteran presence and championship mindset will continue to guide the team for the upcoming season.
