Sophomore defenseman Keaton Peters is looking to build on his early success in rebuilding a Huskies hockey program in his second season with NIU’s Division I hockey team.

A native of Quad Cities, Iowa, Peters was on the ice before he was on the school playground. His path to the rink is rooted in his family’s involvement in the sport.

“I started skating actually when I was two years old, and started actually trying to use a stick and puck and stuff at around four,” Peters said. “I got into it really early because my brother has always played and my parents have always watched. My brother was the first one in the family to actually play, and then it kind of just carried on to me.”

Peters’ talent through his three seasons playing high school hockey in Iowa allowed him to play two seasons of junior hockey from 2019 to 2021 with the Peoria Mustangs of the North American 3 Hockey League.

NIU contacted Peters during his second year in Peoria. Peters found his way to Huskie country despite offers from other schools. After seeing what Huskie hockey was all about, Peters made the switch from Peoria to DeKalb.

“I was talking to some other schools, but the old coaching staff actually reached out and connected with me,” Peters said. “Had a visit and I just really liked it. Decided that it’d be a good fit.”

A unique piece in NIU’s puzzle

Peters thinks of himself as a defenseman that is always looking to have an impact everywhere on the ice.

“Rushing the puck and just trying to be a playmaker,” Peters said about his playstyle. “Trying to be involved in the offense while also doing my job on the defensive side as well.”

With this being his second season with the Huskies, Peters is getting used to first-year head coach Brad Stoffers, who praised Peters as a rare type of defenseman that plays an up-to-date brand of hockey.

“The hardest piece to find is really a good defenseman,” Stoffers said. “What we’re trying to do is play a modern style, where the defensemen are getting involved offensively. They’re playing a full 200 feet, they’re able to handle the puck and can skate well … he’s that for us. He (Peters) can get involved. He’s a good defender but also can handle a puck and make some plays offensively. He plays that modern style two-way defenseman.”

Peters’ on-ice impact isn’t only felt at even strength. Senior forward and team captain Rodahn Evans believes Peters’ offensive presence and previous experience have lifted this season’s top power-play unit to a new level.

“He (Peters) has taken the lead of our power play point players,” Evans said. “The guy at the very top. The quarterback. Last year, he was trying to get to know the position and buying into it on PP (power play) two. This year, he’s really upped his passing abilities.”

A mentor for the new guard of Huskies

Not only is Peters an impactful player, but also an impactful leader. Serving as an assistant captain as a sophomore, Peters wants to set an example for the younger players on the team.

“I try to lead by example,” Peters said. “Just show the younger kids what it is that you have to do each and every day just to improve.”

Stoffers summed up Peters’ leadership style in two words:

“Quietly confident,” Stoffers said.

Evans spoke highly of Peters’ ability to be an impactful leader without being the loudest in the room.

“He’s more of a lead-by-example type of guy,” Evans said. “He’s not the most vocal. He’s not the most active amongst the boys, but he leads by example. That’s what makes him stand out. He just always tries to do the right thing.”

Peters’ leadership style applies not only to the on-ice aspect but to every aspect of being a Division I hockey player. Whether it’s at practice, conditioning skates or off-ice training, Peters always exceeds the standard that Stoffers sets for his players.

“He carries himself to a pretty high standard,” Stoffers said. “He’s one of the top guys for off-ice training. Consistently one of the best guys in the weight room, and with workouts and with conditioning skates.”

From battle to bond

Evans and Peters know that when things on the ice aren’t going right, frustration boils over. As leaders, they are tasked with holding themselves and their teammates accountable. Both players detailed a time when practice wasn’t meeting their standard, so they got into a fight. Ironically, it showed a sign of respect and formed a bond between them.

“It definitely brought us way closer together,” Evans said about the altercation. “It’s not like a punch me in the face or punch you back type thing. It’s more of a ‘hey, I’m gonna hold you accountable, you hold me accountable.’”

“Make everything more intense,” Peters said about the fight. “You want practices to be more intense and everyone doing the right things and just working harder.”

Despite the quiet nature of Peters’ leadership, he sets a high standard for what a Division I college athlete should strive to be.

Peters and the Huskies will look to put their first win on the board at 7:30 p.m. Friday when they take on the Purdue Northwest University Pride at Canlan Ice Sports in West Dundee.