ASU hockey head coach Greg Powers on Monday said this year’s team features a new-look roster better fit to handle the program’s first full Division I schedule.

While ASU moved to the Division I ranks last year, it played a hybrid Division I-ACHA schedule.

The preseason rankings were released Monday and ASU will play seven of the top 15 teams, three of last year’s Frozen Four finalists, half of last year’s tournament field and five of six conference champions from last season.

“Last year, our kids gave it everything they had,” he said. “We really ran out of gas last year in that second half with the travel. Half of our club guys just weren’t used to the grind of NCAA competition. Having those five redshirts that were here last year and helped us mold and sculpt a culture here that we’re proud of and still building on, and then certainly our new first, really good full freshman recruiting class that we think will contribute right away…Completely different team and we expect to be competitive.”

This year’s roster features three players selected in the NHL draft, and a fourth who is committed and will be with the team next year. Powers said he understands that a new program like ASU is not for everyone as some players grow up dreaming of playing for the traditional schools.

But the program uses this slogan in recruiting that Powers invented last year: “Be the tradition.”

“We said when we announced that we were going to exploit the fact that we’re the most unique college hockey experience in the country, and we are,” Powers said. “…Kids have an opportunity to come here and set a standard and do something really special at a place like Arizona State, and I would say the majority of them are buying into that.”

Powers named redshirt junior forward Dylan Hollman — a transfer from UMass-Lowelll — team captain for the 2016-2017 season this summer. Redshirt sophomore Louie Rowe and senior Ryan Belonger are the alternate captains.

He said Holman, who sat out last year due to transfer rules, was consistently the best player at practice from start to finish.

““He was here last year and his approach as a redshirt not playing in games, how much stronger he got, how he led in practice,” Powers said. “It’s tough when there’s no light at the end of the tunnel as far as game time and minutes in games which none of those redshirts last year, and to be the best player in practice every day, you got to be dialed in. He brings it every day…The guys just take to him. He leads by example, he’s a 4.0 student. He’s doing an incredible job so far.”

Brothers Brinson and Steen Pasichnuk are two of 14 new players on this year’s roster. While Steen may contribute later, Powers said Brinson has the potential to be a program first.

”He’s got a really good opportunity to get some good playing time here as a freshman and potentially be the first drafted player straight out of ASU,” he said. “We thought he’d be drafted last year and he wasn’t last year, but with all the ice time and his natural ability, that’s still on the table.”

While ASU’s home arena is Oceanside Ice Arena in Tempe, it will play four games at Gila River Arena, a unique opportunity the program received last year too. Powers said the players enjoy getting to play on that stage.

Additionally, two of the team’s games aired on the Pac-12 Network. This season, the network is televising three — Oct. 16 vs. Air Force, Oct. 28 vs. Harvard and Nov. 4 vs. Michigan, all at Gila River Arena.

Powers said getting a new arena is part of the process involved in building the program from the ground up.

“We’re very fortunate to have an NHL franchise here that will let us use their venue and supports what we’re doing,” he said. “I think our interim solution is better than some Division I programs’ permanent solution.”