The 2020–21 Michigan Wolverines men's hockey team was the Wolverines' 99th season. They represented the University of Michigan in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season. The team was coached by Mel Pearson, in his fourth year as head coach, and played their home games at Yost Ice Arena. The Wolverines received an at-large bid to the 2021 NCAA Tournament, however, they were removed from the tournament due to positive COVID-19 test results within the program.
| 2020–21 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| NCAA Tournament, Regional semifinals | |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Home ice | Yost Ice Arena |
| Rankings | |
| USCHO | #9 |
| USA Today | #9 |
| Record | |
| Overall | 15–10–1 |
| Conference | 11–9–0 |
| Home | 7–5–1 |
| Road | 7–4–0 |
| Neutral | 1–1–0 |
| Coaches and captains | |
| Head coach | Mel Pearson |
| Captain(s) | Jack Becker Strauss Mann |
| Alternate captain(s) | Nick Blankenburg Jimmy Lambert |
| Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey seasons « 2019–20 2021–22 » | |
Previous season
editDuring the 2019–20 ice hockey season, Michigan went 18–14–4, including 11–10–3–2 in Big Ten play in a shortened season that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]
Season
editAs a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the entire college ice hockey season was delayed. Because the NCAA had previously announced that all winter sports athletes would retain whatever eligibility they possessed through at least the following year, none of North Dakota's players would lose a season of play.[2] However, the NCAA also approved a change in its transfer regulations that would allow players to transfer and play immediately rather than having to sit out a season, as the rules previously required.[3]
Departures
edit| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Hayhurst | Forward |  Canada |
Graduation (signed with Greenville Swamp Rabbits) |
| Hayden Lavigne | Goaltender | Canada |
Graduation (signed with Birmingham Bulls) |
| Will Lockwood | Forward |  United States |
Graduation (signed with Vancouver Canucks) |
| Griffin Luce | Defenseman | United States |
Graduation (signed with Rapid City Rush) |
| Luke Martin | Defenseman | United States |
Graduation (signed with Greenville Swamp Rabbits) |
| Emil Öhrvall | Forward |  Sweden |
Transferred to Sacred Heart |
| Jack Olmstead | Forward | United States |
Transferred to Miami |
| Nick Pastujov | Forward | United States |
Graduation (signed with Kansas City Mavericks) |
| Jake Slaker | Forward | United States |
Graduation (signed with Greenville Swamp Rabbits) |
| Shane Switzer | Defenseman | United States |
Graduation (signed with Tulsa Oilers) |
| Adam Winborg | Forward | Sweden |
Graduation (signed with Segeltorps IF) |
Recruiting
edit| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matty Beniers | Forward | United States |
17 | Hingham, MA |
| Thomas Bordeleau | Forward | United States |
18 | Houston, TX; Selected 38th overall in 2020 |
| Brendan Brisson | Forward | United States |
18 | Manhattan Beach, CA; Selected 29th overall in 2020 |
| Josh Groll | Forward | United States |
19 | San Diego, CA |
| Steve Holtz | Defenseman | United States |
21 | White Lake, MI |
| Kent Johnson | Forward | Canada |
17 | Port Moody, BC |
| Philippe Lapointe | Forward | United States |
20 | Hinsdale, IL |
| Erik Portillo | Goaltender | Sweden |
20 | Göteborg, SWE; Selected 67th overall in 2019 |
| Owen Power | Defenseman | Canada |
17 | Mississauga, ON |
| Jacob Truscott | Defenseman | United States |
18 | Fort Gratiot, MI; Selected 144th overall in 2020 |
Roster
editAs of September 1, 2020[4]
| No. | S/P/C | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Erik Portillo | Freshman | G | 6' 6" (1.98 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | 2000-09-03 | Gothenburg, Sweden | Dubuque (USHL) | BUF, 67th overall 2019 |
| 4 | 
|
Cam York | Sophomore | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 2001-01-05 | Anaheim, California | USNTDP (USHL) | PHI, 14th overall 2019 |
| 6 | 
|
Jack Summers | Junior | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1999-05-18 | Livonia, Michigan | Tri-City (USHL) | — |
| 7 |
|
Nick Blankenburg (A) | Junior | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 1998-05-12 | Washington, Michigan | Okotoks (AJHL) | — |
| 8 | 
|
Jack Becker (C) | Senior | F | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1997-06-24 | Dellwood, Minnesota | Sioux Falls (USHL) | BOS, 195th overall 2015 |
| 9 | 
|
Eric Ciccolini | Sophomore | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2001-01-04 | Vaughan, Ontario | Toronto Jr. Canadiens (OJHL) | NYR, 205th overall 2019 |
| 10 | 
|
Matty Beniers | Freshman | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2002-11-05 | Hingham, Massachusetts | USNTDP (USHL) | — |
| 12 |
|
Dakota Raabe | Senior | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 1997-05-06 | Capistrano Beach, California | Wenatchee (BCHL) | — |
| 13 | 
|
Kent Johnson | Freshman | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2002-10-18 | Port Moody, British Columbia | Trail (BCHL) | — |
| 15 |
|
Jacob Truscott | Freshman | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 178 lb (81 kg) | 2002-04-12 | Port Huron, Michigan | USNTDP (USHL) | VAN, 144th overall 2020 |
| 17 | 
|
Johnny Beecher | Sophomore | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 209 lb (95 kg) | 2001-04-05 | Elmira, New York | USNTDP (USHL) | BOS, 31st overall 2019 |
| 19 |
|
Brendan Brisson | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2001-10-22 | Manhattan Beach, California | Chicago (USHL) | VGK, 29th overall 2020 |
| 20 |
|
Keaton Pehrson | Sophomore | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 1998-12-10 | Lakeville, Minnesota | Tri-City (USHL) | — |
| 21 | 
|
Michael Pastujov | Senior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1999-08-23 | Bradenton, Florida | USNTDP (USHL) | — |
| 22 |
|
Owen Power | Freshman | D | 6' 5" (1.96 m) | 214 lb (97 kg) | 2002-11-22 | Mississauga, Ontario | Chicago (USHL) | — |
| 23 | 
|
Jimmy Lambert (A) | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1997-02-09 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | Vernon (BCHL) | — |
| 24 |
|
Steve Holtz | Freshman | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1999-04-02 | White Lake, Michigan | Penticton (BCHL) | — |
| 25 |
|
Luke Morgan | Senior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1997-08-28 | Brighton, Michigan | Lake Superior State (WCHA) | — |
| 26 |
|
Philippe Lapointe | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2000-02-29 | Novi, Michigan | Trail (BCHL) | — |
| 27 |
|
Nolan Moyle | Junior | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1999-09-13 | Briarcliff Manor, New York | Green Bay (USHL) | — |
| 31 | 
|
Strauss Mann (C) | Junior | G | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1998-08-18 | Greenwich, Connecticut | Fargo (USHL) | — |
| 34 | 
|
Thomas Bordeleau | Freshman | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 179 lb (81 kg) | 2002-01-03 | Terrebonne, Quebec | USNTDP (USHL) | SJS, 38th overall 2020 |
| 37 |
|
Jack Leavy | Junior | G | 6' 5" (1.96 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1997-09-19 | Birmingham, Michigan | Johnstown (NAHL) | — |
| 51 | 
|
Garrett Van Wyhe | Junior | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1997-04-30 | Seattle, Washington | Fargo (USHL) | — |
| 52 |
|
Josh Groll | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2001-08-09 | San Diego, California | Lincoln (USHL) | — |
| 55 |
|
Jake Gingell | Junior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1997-02-11 | Dexter, Michigan | Youngstown (USHL) | — |
| 71 |
|
Nick Granowicz | Sophomore | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 1998-03-28 | Macomb, Michigan | Merritt (BCHL) | — |
| 90 |
|
Jay Keranen | Sophomore | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | 1998-05-08 | Brighton, Michigan | Prince George (BCHL) | — |
Coaching staff
edit| Name | Position coached | Seasons at Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mel Pearson | Head Coach | 4th | |
| Bill Muckalt | Associate head coach | 4th | |
| Kris Mayotte | Assistant Coach | 2nd | |
| Matt Hunwick | Volunteer Assistant Coach | 2nd | |
| Steve Shields | Program Assistant | 3rd | |
| Rick Bancroft | Director of Hockey Operations | 3rd | |
| Joe Maher | Head Strength and Conditioning Coach | 8th | |
| Reference:[5] | |||
Standings
edit| Conference record | Overall record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | 3/SW | PTS | PT% | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | ||
| #8 Wisconsin † | 24 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 52 | .722 | 92 | 52 | 31 | 20 | 10 | 1 | 118 | 80 | |
| #7 Minnesota * | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | .727 | 69 | 44 | 31 | 24 | 7 | 0 | 117 | 64 | |
| #9 Michigan | 20 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 32 | .550 | 69 | 45 | 26 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 91 | 51 | |
| #17 Notre Dame | 24 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 41 | .542 | 65 | 53 | 29 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 84 | 78 | |
| Penn State | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 20 | .389 | 48 | 68 | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 65 | 81 | |
| Ohio State | 22 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | .273 | 39 | 82 | 27 | 7 | 19 | 1 | 53 | 101 | |
| Michigan State | 22 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 | .250 | 32 | 70 | 27 | 7 | 18 | 2 | 40 | 77 | |
| Championship: March 16, 2021 † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll | ||||||||||||||||||
Schedule and results
edit| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | |||||||||||
| November 14 | 3:00 PM | #15 Arizona State* | #12 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Mann | W 8–1 | 80 | 1–0 | ||
| November 15 | 7:00 PM | #15 Arizona State* | #12 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN | Mann | W 3–0 | 72 | 2–0 | ||
| November 19 | 6:00 PM | at #14 Wisconsin | #6 | Kohl Center • Madison, WI | FSD | Mann | W 5–2 | 0 | 3–0 (1–0) | ||
| November 20 | 6:00 PM | at #14 Wisconsin | #6 | Kohl Center • Madison, WI | FSD | Mann | W 2–1 OT | 0 | 4–0 (2–0) | ||
| November 27 | 7:00 PM | Notre Dame | #4 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN+ | Mann | L 2–3 | 0 | 4–1 (2–1) | ||
| November 28 | 7:00 PM | Notre Dame | #4 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN+ | Mann | L 1–2 | 0 | 4–2 (2–2) | ||
| December 2 | 6:00 PM | at Penn State | #7 | Pegula Ice Arena • State College, PA | Mann | W 3–1 | 153 | 5–2 (3–2) | |||
| December 3 | 6:00 PM | at Penn State | #7 | Pegula Ice Arena • State College, PA | BTN+ | Mann | L 5–9 | 166 | 5–3 (3–3) | ||
| December 8 | 8:00 PM | #4 Minnesota | #5 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN | Mann | L 1–3 | 0 | 5–4 (3–4) | ||
| December 9 | 6:30 PM | #4 Minnesota | #5 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN | Mann | L 0–4 | 0 | 5–5 (3–5) | ||
| January 8 | 7:00 PM | Michigan State | #8 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN+ | Mann | W 9–0 | 80 | 6–5 (4–5) | ||
| January 9 | 4:30 PM | at Michigan State | #8 | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, MI (Rivalry) | Mann | L 2–3 | 100 | 6–6 (4–6) | |||
| January 15 | 7:00 PM | Ohio State | #9 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Portillo | W 4–2 | 69 | 7–6 (5–6) | ||
| January 16 | 7:00 PM | Ohio State | #9 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN | Mann | W 5–0 | 70 | 8–6 (6–6) | ||
| January 21 | 6:30 PM | at #16 Notre Dame | #8 | Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN (Rivalry) | Portillo | W 5–1 | 136 | 9–6 (7–6) | |||
| January 22 | 6:30 PM | at #16 Notre Dame | #8 | Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN (Rivalry) | NBCSN | Mann | W 3–1 | 138 | 10–6 (8–6) | ||
| February 3 | 7:00 PM | Penn State | #7 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | – | ||||||
| February 4 | 7:00 PM | Penn State | #7 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | – | ||||||
| February 9 | 7:00 PM | Michigan State | #8 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | – | ||||||
| February 13 | 2:00 PM | #7 Wisconsin | #8 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN | Portillo | W 5–1 | 93 | 11–6 (9–6) | ||
| February 14 | 5:00 PM | #7 Wisconsin | #8 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Mann | L 2–3 | 98 | 11–7 (9–7) | ||
| February 19 | 5:30 PM | at Ohio State | #7 | Value City Arena • Columbus, OH | BTN+ | Portillo | L 2–3 | 0 | 11–8 (9–8) | ||
| February 20 | 5:30 PM | at Ohio State | #7 | Value City Arena • Columbus, OH | BTN+ | Mann | W 6–0 | 0 | 12–8 (10–8) | ||
| February 26 | 7:00 PM | Arizona State | #7 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Portillo | W 4–1 | 61 | 13–8 (10–8) | ||
| February 27 | 7:00 PM | Arizona State | #7 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Mann | T 1–1 | 71 | 13–8–1 (10–8) | ||
| March 5 | 8:00 PM | at #3 Minnesota | #7 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN (Rivalry) | FSD | Mann | W 5–2 | 0 | 14–8–1 (11–8) | ||
| March 6 | 5:00 PM | at #3 Minnesota | #7 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN (Rivalry) | BTN | Mann | L 2–4 | 0 | 14–9–1 (11–9) | ||
| March 10 | TBA | at Michigan State | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, MI (Rivalry) | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[6] | |||||||
| Big Ten Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 14 | 8:30 PM | vs. Ohio State | #6 | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, IN (Quarterfinals) | BTN | Mann | W 4–0 | 119 | 15–9–1 | ||
| March 15 | 8:30 PM | vs. #4 Minnesota | #7 | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, IN (Semifinals) | BTN | Mann | L 2–3 OT | 123 | 15–10–1 | ||
| NCAA Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 26 | 4:00 PM | vs. #9 Minnesota Duluth | #8 | Scheels Arena • Fargo, ND (Regional semifinals) | ESPNU | Cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols[7] | |||||
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. Source:[8][9] | |||||||||||
Rankings
edit| Poll | Week | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 (Final) | ||||
| USCHO.com | 12 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | — | 9 | |||
| USA Today | 12 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | |||
USCHO did not release a poll in week 20.[10]
Awards and honors
edit| Player | Award | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Bordeleau | Tim Taylor Award | [11] |
| Cameron York | AHCA West First Team All-American | [12] |
| Cameron York | Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year | [13] |
| Thomas Bordeleau | Big Ten Freshman of the Year | [13] |
| Cameron York | Big Ten First Team | [13] |
| Thomas Bordeleau | Big Ten Second Team | [13] |
| Strauss Mann | ||
| Owen Power | ||
| Matty Beniers | Big Ten Freshman Team | [13] |
| Thomas Bordeleau | ||
| Kent Johnson | ||
| Owen Power |
Players drafted into the NHL
editMichigan had four players selected in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Brendan Brisson was drafted in the first-round, becoming the 25th first-round NHL Draft selection for Michigan, which leads all NCAA teams.[14][15] Michigan had three players drafted in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Owen Power became the first Wolverine to be drafted first overall.[16]
| Year | Round | Pick | Player | NHL team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | Owen Power | Buffalo Sabres |
| 2021 | 1 | 2 | Matty Beniers | Seattle Kraken |
| 2021 | 1 | 5 | Kent Johnson | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| 2020 | 1 | 29 | Brendan Brisson | Vegas Golden Knights |
| 2020 | 2 | 38 | Thomas Bordeleau | San Jose Sharks |
| 2020 | 4 | 120 | Ethan Edwards | New Jersey Devils |
| 2020 | 5 | 144 | Jacob Truscott | Vancouver Canucks |
References
edit- ^ "Big Ten Statement on Competitions, Recruiting". Big Ten Conference. March 12, 2020. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ "NCAA approves blanket waiver for 2020 fall sports athletes to retain year of eligibility". CBS Sports. August 21, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
- ^ "DI Council grants waiver to allow transfer student-athletes to compete immediately". NCAA. December 16, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
- ^ "Michigan Hockey Roster". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ "Michigan Ice Hockey Coaches". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ McNeil, Kristy (March 5, 2021). "Michigan and Michigan State Cancel March 10 Ice Hockey Game". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^ Svoboda, Kurt (March 26, 2021). "U-M Removed from NCAA Ice Hockey Tournament Due to COVID Protocols". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ "2020-21 Ice Hockey Schedule". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ "Big Ten Announces First Phase of Michigan 2020-21 Ice Hockey Schedule". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- ^ "Michigan freshman Thomas Bordeleau selected 2020-21 Tim Taylor Award winner as national rookie of the year". USCHO.com. April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
- ^ "Boston College, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin lead way with three All-American college hockey players apiece for '20-21 season". USCHO.com. April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Hockey Postseason Honors Announced". Big Ten. March 16, 2021. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- ^ "Brisson Selected by Vegas Golden Knights in First Round of NHL Draft". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. October 6, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ "Bordeleau, Truscott, Edwards Selected on Day 2 of NHL Draft". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. October 7, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ McNeil, Kristy (July 23, 2021). "Power, Beniers Go First, Second in NHL Draft; Four of First Five Picks Wolverines". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 24, 2021.