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Chiefs name captain and alternate for next season

Eric Roberts will wear the captain's C for the Chilliwack Chiefs next year, with Jordan Kawaguchi wearing an A.

The Chilliwack Chiefs announced Tuesday that defenseman Eric Roberts will serve as captain for the 2014-15 season. Roberts is entering his third full season with the team and has appeared in 108 regular season games.

Roberts is no stranger to wearing the C. He was captain of atom, peewee and bantam teams while playing in the Abbotsford Minor Hockey system.

Chiefs head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic says selecting Roberts was an easy choice.

It was obvious in our discussions that he would be a great person to lead our team,” Tatarnic said. “He has a tremendous work ethic. He battles hard and we want to be a hard team to play against in all zones. We expect Eric to lead our team and prepare them for those battles. We are going to strive for excellence and it starts in the dressing room under Eric’s leadership.”

Roberts is thrilled to take on the role and understands what is expected from him.

It’s a tremendous honor,” he said. “As a leader on the team I will make sure every player is 100 per cent committed to what needs to be done to win. The Chilliwack Chiefs are a family and every player is a leader in their own way. Nobody will be along for the ride. Each player will give their all day in and day out so that our team will succeed. The harder we battle in practice, the easier the games will become.”

Roberts adds that leadership is not just something that happens on the ice.

Off ice activities are crucial for a team to become a family,” he said. “Whether its working out in the gym, or hanging out with the guys, everyone will be involved.”

Forward Jordan Kawaguchi will join Roberts in the leadership group as an assistant captain. Kawaguchi is coming off a rookie season that saw him appear in 48 games with the Chiefs.

Jordan is very mature for his age and had an excellent finish to last season,” said Tatarnic. “We are very excited to have Jordan back and in a leadership role. We’re confident he will be a great example along with Eric to our returning and new players.”