PORTLAND, ME – October 19, 2023 – The Maine Mariners announced their captains for the milestone fifth season, assigning letters to three players, in addition to two alternates. Defenseman Connor Doherty will wear the “C” for a third straight season, becoming the longest tenured captain in team history.

Doherty, 30, originally joined the Mariners prior to the start of the 2021-22 season, having spent most of his professional career as a member of the Worcester Railers. He also played the 2020-21 season with the Kansas City Mavericks. A native of Holden, MA and an alumnus of Sacred Heart University, Doherty was the winner of the ECHL’s 2019-20 Community Service Award. As he enters his third season as Mariners Captain, Doherty surpasses the tenure of defenseman Zach Tolkinen, who wore the “C” from 2018-2020.

Assistant captains for 2023-2024 will be defenseman Andrew Peski and forward Alex Kile. Peski, 26, also enters his third season as a Mariner, originally joining the team on a Providence Bruins contract in 2021-22. He returns for his second straight season on an ECHL deal with the Mariners. From Ottawa, ON, Peski played NCAA Division I college hockey at the University of North Dakota and has also played in the ECHL with the Jacksonville Icemen.

Kile, 29, is the only player to appear on the Mariners roster in all five seasons. He was the first to sign a contract with the Mariners in July of 2018, and became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer last season. An ECHL veteran of nearly 250 career games, Kile has also spent significant time in the American Hockey League and enters his third season on a contract with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. From Troy, MI, Kile has skated in 126 career games as a Mariner, with 126 points, 53 goals, and 73 assists.

The Mariners also named forwards Tim Doherty and Cam Askew as alternate captains. Doherty enters his second season as Mariner. He led the team in scoring with 73 points in 2021-22, a single-season franchise record. Askew will play his third season in Maine and will be a part of the leadership group for the second season in a row.

The Mariners begin their milestone fifth season on Friday at the Trois-Rivieres Lions, a 7 PM puck drop. Fans are invited to a Watch Party at Three Dollar Deweys, which will stream away games all season long. The Home Opener, presented by Evergreen Credit Union is Saturday at 6 PM, also against the Lions, and is sold out. Single game tickets for the other 35 regular season home games are on sale at MarinersOfMaine.com or at the Ware-Butler Box Office inside the Cross Insurance Arena. More information on ticket packages and group discounts can be found by calling 833-GO-MAINE or visiting the Mariners front office at 94 Free St. in Portland.