Page 17 - Washington Little Capitals Season Program 2016-17

?I played for the Little Caps Junior B team
and Mark Tinordi for two years before
playing with the National Team
Development Program from 2006-2008,?
Clemente says. He went on to play at
Brown University, and after his senior year
signed a tryout contract with the AHL?s
Springfield Falcons, then the affiliate of the
Columbus Blue Jackets. And he spent the
next two seasons playing with the Missouri
Mavericks and the Evansville Icemen, he
decided to give playing in Europe a chance.
?Playing in Europe is a fantastic learning
experience. The culture is different. Being
exposed to the food, language, and the
Danish lifestyle was fun.?
?I still keep in contact with many of my
former Little Cap teammates,? Clemente
says. ?We have organized golf outings,
trips, and get together at least once a year.
They are always a great time.? He has fond
memories of his Little Caps days. ?The
thing I remember most was the road trips,?
he says. ?We had a fun group of guys, and
we spent just about every road trip playing
knee hockey in the hallways of the hotels.?
Clemente recently signed with the
Manchester Storm of the British Elite
League for the 2016-17 season.
Another Little Cap from the Tinordi team
era ho is now playing in Europe is Nick
Petersen. Petersen grew up in Quebec and
then decided the best place for his
development was Washington, DC. ?I took
a different route than most pro hockey
players,? Petersen recalls.
?I went to Washington to go to prep school,
Georgetown Prep, wanting to do the college
route and get a scholarship.? After playing
for the Little Caps, he played juniors in
Canada, got drafted by the Pittsburgh
Penguins and signed a three-year contract,
and played for the Wilkes Barre Penguins
and Houston Aeros of the AHL and
Orlando and Orlando Solar Bears of the
ECHL. TOP: Mike Clemente played 2015-16 season with Rungsted in Denmark's elite
Metal Ligen. This season he will play with Manchester in Britian's Elite Ice Hockey
?After that I decided to go to Europe and League. RIGHT: Garrett Roe is in his third season with Linköping HC in the Swedish
have made a good career in Germany. I'm
signed for the next 2 season in Berlin in the Hockey League (SHL). LEFT: Jamie Frictche plays for Scotland's Braehead Clan in
DEL,? he says. ?I enjoyed playing with the the Elite Ice Hockey League.
Little Caps, Junior Caps and Junior
Nationals,? he says. ?I made a lot of good for Salzburg in the Austrian league, then for remembered the most.? Their stories all
friends. I always go back to DC at least Munich in the German DEL, and finally show that, it?s possible to have a successful
once a year.? Linköping in the Swedish Elite League, hockey career outside the NHL.
where he has enjoyed continued success
Former Little Cap Garrett Roe is currently with 41 points in 41 games last season. As James Sixsmith says, ?it's been a
playing in Sweden?s SHL, the highest lifelong dream to play hockey and travel the
division in the Swedish ice hockey system. ?It's a fun setting to play, the leagues are world for a living.?
After playing for the Little Caps, Roe went just as competitive as anywhere, the skill is He?s now living that dream.
on to play four years at St. Cloud State, off the charts and the quality of life
where he put up 178 points over four compared to a minor league career with
seasons, and left as the all-time assist leader hours and hours on a bus every weekend is CLICK HERE TO SEE LITTLE
and third all-time in points. After two more appealing to me,? he says.
seasons with the AHL Adirondack ?Playing Little Caps was a blast,? he says. CAPS ALUMNI IN ACTION
Phantoms he moved to Europe, first playing ?Wearing the sweater was the thing that I

17
WWW.LITTLECAPS.COM