Captain’s Feature: Tommy Gilligan
On Friday, July 19, 2024, Thomas “Tommy” Gilligan was announced as one of the three alternate captains for UNC Hockey during the 2024-2025 season. With his leadership role, he hopes to contribute to the program’s ongoing ascent in the college hockey world.
Hailing from New York, Gilligan began his hockey journey at the age of eight after a concussion from playing football led his mother to find a sport with “less contact.” Ironically, it was his father who suggested hockey—a choice that seemed counterintuitive given the sport’s reputation for physicality. Nevertheless, Gilligan embraced the challenge wholeheartedly. He has been a lifelong fan of the Edmonton Oilers, and his hockey idol is Connor McDavid, whom he admires for his performance both on and off the ice.
For Gilligan, the unique bonds formed among teammates are the sport’s greatest impact.
“Honestly, I think hockey and what we have at UNC is a great medium for you to have a group of friends that you immediately bond with,” Gilligan said. “It’s a really ‘tight-knit’ group, and just getting to have people you can lean on throughout the school year and into the summers as great friends is the greatest benefit of hockey.”
This sense of camaraderie is something Gilligan values deeply in his role as an alternate captain.
Reflecting on his selection as an alternate captain, Gilligan admitted he was “surprised,” given the team’s wealth of strong candidates and the fact that last season was only his first with the team. During that time, he was sidelined by an injury for part of the season. Despite this setback, Gilligan expressed that he is “honored and grateful” for the opportunity and is eager to help the team build momentum moving forward.
One leadership aspect that Gilligan takes to heart is helping new players acclimate to the team. With recent additions Daniel Hu, Nic Gringas, Will Hilton, Adam Zukowski, Nick DeAngelo and Will Smith joining the Tar Heels, Gilligan made it a point to reach out and develop relationships with them to ensure they had contacts before starting the school year.
“I remember when I transferred in last year, I reached out to Mikey [Michael] Vaglia, and he kind of got me in touch with so many guys, and I was super grateful for that,” Gilligan said. “So when I knew guys were committing, and once I had their contact information, I sent each of them a text message, letting them know I was excited they were coming in, and as a team, we were really looking forward to meeting them and getting to play with them.”
On the ice, Gilligan describes his playing style as “speedy and skilled,” using his skating ability to create separation and his offensive instincts to score and make plays. Finishing the 2023-24 season with 10 goals and 21 points in 18 games, he is looking to improve his defensive play while maintaining his dynamic offense.
Looking ahead, Gilligan is most excited for the outdoor game against Virginia Tech on Saturday, January 4, at Truist Field in Charlotte, NC. Having missed the ‘2023 Frozen Finley Stadium Series’ as he was not yet enrolled at UNC, he is eagerly anticipating his first outdoor game and is excited to have friends and family come out to watch him play.
