“He’s a special person,” Storm coach Jim Hulton said. “He has a lot of unique qualities to him. To me, he leads naturally. It’s not a forced issue with him. He’s been with this franchise through the tough times. We want to see him be here with the good times.”

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Gamez was one of the few staples of a 2013-14 season filled with change. The coach that brought him to Tri-City, Josh Hauge, was fired two months into the season. Gamez watched fellow Storm leaders Garrett Cecere, Joel L’Esperance and Nolan Gluchowski be shipped at the trade deadline in an effort to rebuild for 2014-15.

After not earning a point in the first 16 games, Gamez still finished the season as the team’s second-leading scorer. His commitment to the Storm, despite all the transition, was never in doubt.

“When you see him on the ice, he’s embraced the changes that we’ve asked individuals to make and the team to make,” Hulton said. “He’s a team-first guy. That’s never been an issue with him. He’s an extension of the staff and vise-versa, he’s comfortable coming back to us with some of the messages in the locker room.”

His locker room presence was why he was nearly a unanimous vote for captaincy. Gamez isn’t afraid to sacrifice his personal stock for the sake of the team.