Tag: michigan hockey

How to watch, listen or stream Michigan hockey vs. MSU in NCAA Tournament

HUGE game on Sunday night! Don’t miss it! #GoBlue #BeatMSU

The last time Michigan hockey faced off against rival Michigan State, though the Wolverines appeared to have an upper hand, a questionable goal tied things up for the Spartans, and MSU went on to win the Big Ten Tournament championship, 5-4, in overtime.

Now, the stakes are even higher, with a trip to the Frozen Four on the line. The 3-seed Wolverines hope to avenge the 1-4 record against MSU in 2023-24, this time on the biggest stage. If you’re Michigan, win and you’re taking a trip to St. Paul, Minnesota to face either Boston College or Quinnipiac for the right to advance to the championship game — while sending your rival home. Lose, and you’re going back to Ann Arbor, not set to take the ice again until next season.

If you’re planning on watching the game, here is all the information you need.

Basic info

When: Sun., March 31, 2024, 6:30 p.m. EDT

Where: Centene Community Ice Center (Maryland Heights, Mo.)

Who: Michigan State Spartans (1-seed, 25-9-3)

Line: MSU -1.5

How to watch/listen:

Streaming: TV: WatchESPN; fuboTV; Audio: MGoBlue

Broadcast: ESPN2

Radio: The Varsity Network

Notes:

Via MGoBlue.com

• One of college hockey’s greatest rivalries is renewed for the second time in as many weeks in the NCAA’s Maryland Heights Regional, as the University of Michigan and Michigan State will face off for the 343rd all-time meeting, but first in the NCAA tournament.

• U-M owns a 176-142-24 advantage over the Spartans in the all-time series, including a narrow 11-10 edge in postseason meetings. MSU won the first seven postseason contests between the rivals until Michigan turned the tables in 1996. Since then, U-M is 11-3 in the playoffs versus the Spartans.

• Michigan opened the 2024 NCAA tournament by knocking off No. 5 North Dakota on Friday night. After falling behind in both the first and second periods, Michigan tied the game early in the second and third periods. In the final frame, the Wolverines never looked back, scoring three times to secure a 4-3 win. The line of Dylan Duke, Garrett Schifsky and T.J. Hughes was tremendous. Duke, the Wolverines’ leading active career scorer, netted a pair of goals in the third period. Meanwhile, Schifsky notched two assists and Hughes scored one while assisting on another. The trio finished the night with a combined +8 rating.

• Rutger McGroarty leads the team in scoring with 52 points on 16 goals and team-high 36 assists. Big Ten Player of the Year Gavin Brindley has 51 points off a team-best 24 goals and 27 helpers. After Duke’s two goals Friday, he is now tied with the team lead in goals with 24 while adding 22 assists. Hughes matches his total with 46 points, followed by Seamus Casey with 45 and Frank Nazar III with 40. All six are averaging over one point per game. McGroarty and Casey rank third and fourth nationally in helpers.

• Michigan’s top-ranked power-play unit is operating at 35 percent and has scored 49 times, the most for Michigan since they had 49 in 2005-06. U-M has been strong in the faceoff dot (52.7 percent) and the penalty kill (78.6 percent) has improved in the second half.

• In a homecoming for Jake Barczewski, a native of O’Fallon, Mo., he set a new career high in wins by going 19-13-3 as a Wolverine. Earlier this year, he surpassed a pair of major milestones with his 100th collegiate start and 3,000th career save. Barczewski is the active NCAA saves leader with 3,674 over his five seasons. The goaltender has accrued 955 this year while posting a .907 save percentage and 2.83 goals-against average along with a pair of shutouts.

• This year’s NCAA tournament bid for the Wolverines is the 41st in program history. That figure is a record, as are Michigan’s 27 Frozen Four appearances and nine national titles. After Friday’s win, the Wolverines improve to 58-32 in the tournament all-time.

LOOK: Sherrone Moore drops the puck at Michigan hockey vs. Notre Dame

He’s certainly making the rounds! #GoBlue

It’s been something of a whirlwind for Michigan football the past month. First, Jim Harbaugh finally departed for that NFL offer he had been searching for for the past three years, and suddenly, the Wolverines found themselves with a new head coach in Sherrone Moore.

Moore might not have the same level of celebrity as Harbaugh did when he arrived in Ann Arbor as Harbaugh was arguably the biggest name in football — college or pro. But still, Moore is making the rounds — from his interview on Fox during the Michigan basketball vs. MSU game last week to one week later, when he made an appearance at Yost Ice Arena.

The first-year head coach of the maize and blue got the opportunity to come out onto the ice and perform the ceremonial puck drop between the Wolverines and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Perhaps Moore was good luck for the boys in maize on Saturday evening, as the Wolverines beat the Irish, 2-1, in a series sweep.

Checking in with Michigan players in the NHL

The former boys in blue are doing great in the league! #GoBlue

The state of Michigan loves hockey. From the nickname ‘Hockeytown’ given to Detroit for the success and passion following the Red Wings (prior to 2016 at least) to the glory that the Wolverines have found on the college ice, The Mitten State has taken to the great sport of hockey.

Of course, there is no school with more national titles than Michigan hockey’s eight. The Wolverines have been dominant on the ice and that production has bled into the pros with frequent first-round draft picks. There are currently 26 former Wolverines in the NHL. This article will break down the 2023 season of half of those players.

Checking in with Michigan hockey

If you haven’t been paying attention, you should. #GoBlue

With just eight regular season games left Michigan is getting ready to wrap up the regular season — and it needs some big wins if it wants to claim a Big Ten title.

The Wolverines currently sit in fifth place in the conference (keep in mind there are only seven teams) but are still ranked 11th nationally. Michigan has two games remaining against Michigan State (1-1 on the season), Penn State (1-1 on the season), Notre Dame (1-1 on the season), and Minnesota (1-1 on the season). The Big Ten tournament is set for March 8th through 23rd. Unfortunately, Michigan State currently leads the conference and is favored to take home the hardware. Hopefully, Michigan (or somebody else) can swing an upset to take home first place and guarantee and a national tournament invite.

Much like in football and basketball, Michigan has also dominated the Buckeyes on the ice. The two teams have matched up four times this season with three going Michigan’s way and Ohio State edging themselves to one win in an overtime thriller. The Buckeyes are the last-ranked team in the conference and the only one with less than a .500 win percentage. Tough year to be a Buckeye. Maybe baseball will be their sport this year!

The Wolverines are led by a high-powered offense that averages the second most goals per game in college hockey a 4.65 per contest. Michigan has six players with double-digit goals on the season but is led by Dylan Duke with 16 goals and 33 total points. The point leader of the team is Rutger McGroarty with 35 (10-25).

The squad has a solid defense that is averaging 2.92 goals per game, good for 30th best in the nation. The effort is spearheaded by goalie Jake Barczewski who has a record of 12-8-3 with a save percentage of .910. Backup Noah West has three starts and a record of 2-1 with a save percentage of .897.

Michigan’s next matchup is a double-header against Michigan State on February 9-10.

LOOK: Michigan hockey coaches don’t join handshake line with Michigan State

Michigan’s coaches didn’t join the handshake line following a weekend series with Michigan State:

Anyone who knows the game of hockey understands that the handshake line after a series, whether its the playoffs in the NHL or a weekend series in college and all different forms in the sport, is a tradition that is held with the highest respect. The handshake line tradition is sacred to the game of hockey and shows the upmost respect, sportsmanship and integrity to the game of hockey.

After Michigan State and Michigan’s series ending game on Saturday in Ann Arbor, a game the Spartans won to split the weekend series, the Michigan coaching staff did not join the traditional handshake line at center ice with the Michigan State players.

An unfortunate display after a hard fought rivalry series.

The Big Ten releases Michigan hockey schedule for 2023-24

The season is right around the corner! #GoBlue

The Big Ten hockey schedule is finally out.

In 40 days the defending Big Ten champion Michigan Wolverines will take the ice at Yost, where they welcome in Providence for a pair of non-conference games on Saturday, Oct. 7 and Sunday, Oct. 8. The following weekend, Oct. 13-14 they are off to Amherst for a weekend series with UMass.

The Wolverines will officially drop the puck on Big Ten play against Ohio State Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oc. 21. This will be transfer Tyler Dukes’ first game against his former team. Michigan will make the trip down to Columbus Feb. 2-3.

Michigan won’t have to play the Spartans until the second half of the season when it makes the road trip up to East Lansing on Friday, Jan. 19 and it returns to Yost the next day to host the Spartans. On Saturday, Feb. 10, the two will meet at Little Caesars Arena for the annual ‘Duel in the D’ contest. The Wolverines have won the last five Iron D trophies.

Brandon Naurato and his crew will close off the season in Minneapolis for a weekend series March 1-2 with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. 3M Arena at Mariucci has been very kind to the Wolverines as they have won the last two Big Ten Titles in that rink.

The full schedule is as follows:

October 2023
07 Sat             Providence (nc)       
08 Sun             Providence (nc)       
13 Fri           at Massachusetts (nc)       
14 Sat           at Massachusetts (nc)       
20 Fri             Ohio State       
21 Sat             Ohio State       
November 2023
03 Fri           at Wisconsin       
04 Sat           at Wisconsin       
10 Fri             Minnesota       
11 Sat             Minnesota       
17 Fri             Penn State       
18 Sat             Penn State       
24 Fri           at St. Cloud State (nc)       
25 Sat           at St. Cloud State (nc)       
December 2023
01 Fri           at Notre Dame       
02 Sat           at Notre Dame       
January 2024
12 Fri             Stonehill (nc)       
13 Sat             Stonehill (nc)       
19 Fri           at Michigan State       
20 Sat             Michigan State       
26 Fri             Wisconsin       
27 Sat             Wisconsin       
February 2024
02 Fri           at Ohio State       
03 Sat           at Ohio State       
09 Fri             Michigan State       
10 Sat 1         vs. Michigan State       
16 Fri           at Penn State       
17 Sat           at Penn State       
23 Fri             Notre Dame       
24 Sat             Notre Dame       
March 2024
01 Fri           at Minnesota       
02 Sat           at Minnesota

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Michigan hockey trolls Ohio State with transfer signing announcement

It’s great to be a #Michigan Wolverine! #GoBlue

Rivalries are intense, and the one between Michigan and Ohio State is particularly notorious.

While the football rivalry gets the most attention, it exists between all sports. There is veritable animosity between the schools and states, dating back to the battle of Toledo. Ohio may claim it won that battle by retaining Toledo, but as a result, Michigan was awarded the upper peninsula.

And just like that, Michigan won another battle.

Tyler Duke, an Ohio native and defenseman who started his hockey career at Ohio State and was even a starter, announced he was transferring to his rival back in April. He officially was announced by Michigan hockey in the best way: with a dig at the Buckeyes.

It goes without saying he’ll be a fan favorite in Ann Arbor, but he’s not exactly going to be welcomed with open arms back in Columbus.

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Michigan hockey freshman Adam Fantilli wins Hobey Baker Award

Outstanding! #GoBlue

It was another great season for Michigan hockey. While the season didn’t end the way the Wolverines wanted — losing to Quinnipiac in the Frozen Four — the maize and blue defeated Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament to cap off the amazing regular season.

The University of Michigan also officially named Brandon Naurato the head coach after he started the year off as an interim coach.

The Wolverines got as far as they did due to the coaching of Naurato, but also the sensational talent on the roster. A large part goes to freshman Adam Fantilli. He scored 65 points in 36 games and was the recipient of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award which goes to the nation’s top hockey player.

Fantilli is the third Wolverine to win the award. He joins Brendan Morrison and Kevin Porter to win the prestigious award for Michigan

Here is the official Michigan press release:

TAMPA, Fla. — University of Michigan ice hockey freshman forward Adam Fantilli was named the recipient of the 2023 Hobey Baker Memorial Award on Friday night (April 7). The honor is given annually to college hockey’s top student-athlete.

He is the third Wolverine to capture the prestigious honor, joining Brendan Morrison (1997) and Kevin Porter (2008).

Fantilli leads the nation in scoring 65 points in 36 games, scoring 30 goals and 35 assists — averaging 1.81 points per game, 0.83 goals per game and 0.98 assists per game.

It is the culmination of accolades for the projected No. 2 overall selection 2023 NHL Draft, which also includes the Tim Taylor National Rookie of the Year, first team All-America honors, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player, College Hockey News Player of the Year, first team All-Big Ten, Big Ten All-Rookie Team and NCAA All-Regional Team.

The Nobleton, Ontario, native had points in 33 of 36 games (91.7 percent) and multi-point performances in 19 of 36 games (52.8 percent). He has an active seven-game points streak, scoring multiple goals in three of four Big Ten Tournament games for a 7-4-11 scoring line to set a new single-tournament record for goals and points before a two-point performance versus Colgate and a goal against Penn State in the NCAA regionals. Additionally, he scored his 30th goal of the season against Quinnipiac in the NCAA semifinal.

A clutch performer, Michigan was 24-9-3 when Fantilli was in the lineup and 2-3 without him. In 26 games against ranked opponents, Fantilli scored 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points (1.62 points per game).

He started his career on an eight-game point streak to lead Michigan to a 7-1 start and earned the Hockey Commissioners Association Player and Rookie of the Month in October. Fantilli won Player of the Month honors again in February, the only two-time honoree this season. Returning from the World Junior Championship with a gold medal as a member of Team Canada, Fantilli went on a 12-game point streak and helped push U-M into second place in the Big Ten standings.

Fantilli’s 1.81 points-per-game average is the third-highest scoring clip behind only Hobey Baker winner Johnny Gaudreau (2.00 ppg) and 2016 runner-up Kyle Connor (1.87 ppg). His points-per-game average beats recent Hobey Baker Award winners Jack Eichel (1.78), Cole Caufield (1.68), Adam Gaudette (1.58), Kevin Porter (1.47), Jack Connolly (1.46) and Jimmy Vesey (1.39).

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Michigan falls to Quinnipiac in Frozen Four, season over

Sad ending, but a heckuva season! #GoBlue

Once Michigan and Quinnipiac took the ice at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, the two teams knew that the winner would face Minnesota in the national championship game two days later.

The Wolverines entered the contest as the top-scoring offense in hockey against the top-rated defense, but it was the Bobcats who struck first at 5:18 in the first period coming off of a power play that had just expired, with the shot ricocheting off goalie Rick Portillo’s back. But Michigan struck right back, tying the game, with an impressive stick-handling by Seamus Casey at 6:49, where he streaked down the ice, crossed the face of the Quinnipiac goalie, and diverted the puck right past him.

But at 11:21, Quinnipiac’s Jacob Quillan got a breakaway and scored his second goal of the game, putting one past Portillo.

Both teams couldn’t convert on the power play, and though Adam Fantilli thought he had the tying score in the second period, it hit off the top crossbar. However, he wouldn’t have to wait too long, as he had a slapshot off the right side at the 10:15 mark in the second to knot the game at 2-all.

But at 1:24 in the third period, a shot saved by Portillo bounced behind the net, and in the clear out, it bounced off his skate and went backward into the goal, 3-2 Quinnipiac. Four minutes later, due to a Bobcat slashing, Michigan would have another opportunity to tie on a power play. Yet another shot hit off the top crossbar, and Quinnipiac killed the extra-man situation.

Then the really bad news. Metsa put one past Portillo to give the Bobcats a 4-2 lead at the 13-minute mark. With just under three minutes, the Wolverines pulled Portillo, needing two goals just to send it into overtime.

It wasn’t to be. Quinnipiac scored on the empty net at the 18:15 mark to push the lead to 5-2. The Wolverines will go home to Ann Arbor while the Bobcats will remain in Tampa to face Minnesota in the national championship game.

Regardless of the outcome that no one in maize and blue wanted, it was an impressive year given the turmoil that surrounded the program. Mel Pearson was let go in the offseason and Brandon Naurato was a late hire, bearing the interim tag until after the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.

The Wolverines went 26-12-3 and won the Big Ten Tournament for the second-straight year.

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Michigan names Brandon Naurato permanent head coach

About time! #GoBlue

Michigan hockey needed someone to come in and save the season after former coach Mel Pearson was let go following the 2022 season.

The Wolverines hired former Michigan hockey player Brandon Naurato on an interim basis to fill the void for the 2023 season. Not only did the season go well for the Wolverines, but Naurato also led the maize and blue back to the Frozen Four where they will take on Quinnipiac.

On Friday, Michigan announced Naurato would lose the interim tag and become head coach. The specifics haven’t been confirmed, but it will be a five-year deal.

Here is the official press release:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Warde Manuel, the University of Michigan’s Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics, announced Friday (March 31) that Brandon Naurato has agreed in principle to an agreement to serve as the permanent head coach of Michigan hockey. Details of Naurato’s five-year contract will be finalized and communicated following the completion of the Frozen Four.

“I am thrilled that Brandon Naurato will continue to lead our ice hockey program, and it is with that knowledge that I am incredibly excited for the future of this storied program,” said Manuel. “Simply put, Brandon has done a phenomenal job with this team over the past year. In his first year as the Head Coach, Brandon has kept his focus on the success of our student-athletes and staff who support the program…and the results of his leadership are clearly evident. He leads with positivity and with vision and has demonstrated his capability to lead at a high level. I look forward to watching the program sustain great success under his leadership.”

“I’m extremely honored to be officially named the head coach of Michigan Hockey,” Naurato said. “Michigan holds a special place in my heart. It’s where I met my wife and where I started my family. It’s where I want to be for a long time. I want to thank Warde Manuel and the administration for their support and trust with this program. I’d also like to thank the Michigan alumni and our incredible fans for their unwavering support throughout the season. We’re going to continue on what we’ve been building and I’m looking forward to putting more of my stamp on Michigan Hockey and elevating it from where I found it. The ultimate goal is and always will be to win while simultaneously cultivating the student-athletes’ individual and group identities, on-ice skills, mental health and leadership skills. Our staff will take pride in preparing these young men for the game of life and they will leave our program better men — Michigan Men. Go Blue!”

Named a finalist for the 2023 Spencer Penrose Award, given annually to the CCM/AHCA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Coach of the Year, Naurato has guided the Wolverines to the Big Ten Tournament Championship and a spot in the Frozen Four, where they will face off against Quinnipiac at 8:30 p.m. on April 6 in Tampa, Fla. (ESPN2). Michigan brings the highest-scoring offense in the nation into the Frozen Four, averaging 4.22 goals per game despite being the nation’s youngest team. The squad has been ranked in the top 10 nationally all season and set an NCAA record last week for most goals in an NCAA Regional game with 11.

Naurato’s program has electrified the Michigan fanbase, with the Wolverines setting a program record with 17 sold-out home crowds this season. Despite missing six key players at times throughout the season for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championships, Michigan sports a 26-11-3 overall record while advancing to an NCAA record 27th Frozen Four appearance.

A native of Livonia, Michigan, Naurato joined U-M in 2021-22 following three years with the Detroit Red Wings organization, where he served as a player development consultant. In that role, he worked with the Red Wings and Grand Rapids Griffins coaching staffs to incorporate individual player skills into the organizational structure.

Along with running all prospect development for Detroit in the summer months, Naurato worked independently with junior, college, and professional players in his development program, focusing on blending technical, tactical, and transferable skills. He also spent seven years as the owner and director of Total Package Hockey in Detroit, where he started the first online hockey academy in the United States.

Notable NHL players that have worked with Naurato include Zach Werenski, Quinn Hughes, Dylan Larkin, Jacob Trouba, Jack Hughes, Kyle Connor, JT Compher, and Andrew Copp.

Naurato played four years at Michigan, from 2006-09, making the NCAA Tournament all four years. In 130 career games, he scored 32 goals and recorded 32 assists. He helped the Wolverines to the CCHA Championship in 2008, which led to a Frozen Four appearance. He played four years in the pros, making stops at Stockton (ECHL), Toledo (ECHL), Port Huron (IHL), Fort Wayne (CHL), and Dayton (CHL).

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