With winter right around the corner, Bridgewater-Raritan High School’s varsity ice hockey team, coached by Vincent Arnone and Steven Diamond, is ready to dive back in, attempting to exceed the success they had last season. 

Winning the counties title last year, the team left a legacy for the current Bridgewater-Raritan roster to build upon.

Former captain Sean Fagan has passed his torch down to current senior forward Alexander Kotelnikov to lead the team this season as captain. 

Alexander Kotelnikov expresses confidence while representing the team’s feelings going into this season. 

“The team looks good and is ready to make another good run just like last year,” he said. 

Alexander went on to say some encouraging words to the incoming freshmen on the team this season. 

“I’m really excited to see the future of the team and the new young guys that are stepping in.” 

Kotelnikov was one of the team’s point leaders last year, finishing the season with a total of 56 points, making a significant impact on the squad’s play.  

Junior forward Sasha (Alexander) Abolenskiy shone through last year, being one of the team’s leaders in points with a total of 69 points, is again expected to perform as a key player for the team. 

Sophomore forward Jason Rutkowski finished last season with 10 points, ready to make a bigger impact on the team this season.  

Sophomore Goalie Justin Madison, who had an incredible season last year with a save percentage of 0.904, returns better than ever in preparation for this season. 

Current Junior Jimmy Kramer is having his first season with Panthers Hockey this year and is also prepared to leave an impact on the team.

Prospected freshmen who will be joining the team this year are ready to start the season and make progress throughout the season. 

Despite the loss of the Class of 2025, which included players like Sean Fagan and Dylan Churpakovich, who were major contributors to the extremely successful last season, the 2025-26 Bridgewater-Raritan High School ice hockey edition is ready to live up to high standards as the season begins.