The 2021–22 Michigan Wolverines men's hockey team was the Wolverines' 100th season of play. They represented the University of Michigan in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season. They were coached by Mel Pearson, in his fifth year, and played their home games at Yost Ice Arena. The Wolverines won the 2022 Big Ten men's ice hockey tournament and received an automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Tournament, where they reached their NCAA record 26th Frozen Four and were eliminated in the semifinals by eventual national champion Denver.
| 2021–22 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ice Breaker Tournament (West), Champion Big Ten Tournament, Champion NCAA Tournament, National semifinal | |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Home ice | Yost Ice Arena |
| Rankings | |
| USCHO | #3 |
| USA Today | #3 |
| Record | |
| Overall | 31–10–1 |
| Conference | 16–8–0 |
| Home | 17–5–1 |
| Road | 10–4–0 |
| Neutral | 4–1–0 |
| Coaches and captains | |
| Head coach | Mel Pearson |
| Assistant coaches | Bill Muckalt Brandon Naurato |
| Captain(s) | Nick Blankenburg |
| Alternate captain(s) | Matty Beniers Jimmy Lambert Nolan Moyle Mike Pastujov |
| Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey seasons « 2020–21 2022–23 » | |
Previous season edit
During the 2020–21 season, Michigan went 15–10–1, including 11–9–0 in Big Ten play. They received an at-large bid to the 2021 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament, however, they were removed from the tournament due to positive COVID-19 test results within the program.
Departures edit
| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Becker | Forward |  Canada |
Graduate transfer to Arizona State |
| Josh Groll | Forward | Canada |
Transferred to Minnesota State |
| Strauss Mann | Goaltender |  United States |
Signed professional contract (Skellefteå AIK) |
| Dakota Raabe | Forward | United States |
Graduate transfer to Sacred Heart |
| Cameron York | Defenseman | United States |
Signed professional contract (Philadelphia Flyers) |
Recruiting edit
| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dylan Duke | Forward | United States |
18 | Strongsville, OH; selected 126th overall in 2021 |
| Ethan Edwards | Forward | Canada |
19 | Grande Prairie, AB; selected 120th overall in 2020 |
| Mark Estapa | Forward | United States |
19 | St. Clair, MI |
| Luke Hughes | Defenseman | United States |
18 | Manchester, NH; selected 4th overall in 2021 |
| Mackie Samoskevich | Forward | United States |
18 | Newtown, CT; selected 24th overall in 2021 |
| Noah West | Goaltender | United States |
20 | Pittsboro, IN; transfer from Robert Morris |
Roster edit
As of August 30, 2021.[1]
| No. | S/P/C | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Erik Portillo | Sophomore | G | 6' 6" (1.98 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | 2000-09-03 | Gothenburg, Sweden | Dubuque (USHL) | BUF, 67th overall 2019 |
| 6 | 
|
Jack Summers | Senior | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1999-05-18 | Livonia, Michigan | Tri-City (USHL) | — |
| 7 |
|
Nick Blankenburg (C) | Senior | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 1998-05-12 | Washington, Michigan | Okotoks (AJHL) | — |
| 9 | 
|
Eric Ciccolini | Junior | 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 (A) | Sophomore | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2002-11-05 | Hingham, Massachusetts | USNTDP (USHL) | SEA, 2nd overall 2021 |
| 11 | 
|
Mackie Samoskevich | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2002-11-15 | Sandy Hook, Connecticut | Chicago (USHL) | FLA, 24th overall 2021 |
| 13 | 
|
Kent Johnson | Sophomore | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2002-10-18 | Port Moody, British Columbia | Trail (BCHL) | CBJ, 5th overall 2021 |
| 15 |
|
Jacob Truscott | Sophomore | 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 | Junior | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 209 lb (95 kg) | 2001-04-05 | Elmira, New York | USNTDP (USHL) | BOS, 30th overall 2019 |
| 19 | 
|
Brendan Brisson | Sophomore | 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 | Junior | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 1998-12-10 | Lakeville, Minnesota | Tri-City (USHL) | — |
| 21 | 
|
Michael Pastujov (A) | Graduate | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1999-08-23 | Bradenton, Florida | USNTDP (USHL) | — |
| 22 |
|
Owen Power | Sophomore | D | 6' 6" (1.98 m) | 214 lb (97 kg) | 2002-11-22 | Mississauga, Ontario | Chicago (USHL) | BUF, 1st overall 2021 |
| 23 | 
|
Jimmy Lambert (A) | Senior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1997-02-09 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | Vernon (BCHL) | — |
| 24 |
|
Steve Holtz | Sophomore | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1999-04-02 | White Lake, Michigan | Penticton (BCHL) | — |
| 25 |
|
Luke Morgan | Graduate | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1997-08-28 | Brighton, Michigan | Lake Superior State (WCHA) | — |
| 26 |
|
Philippe Lapointe | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2000-02-29 | Novi, Michigan | Trail (BCHL) | — |
| 27 |
|
Nolan Moyle (A) | Senior | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1999-09-13 | Briarcliff Manor, New York | Green Bay (USHL) | — |
| 31 | 
|
Noah West | Sophomore | G | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2000-11-25 | Pittsboro, Indiana | Robert Morris (AHA) | — |
| 34 | 
|
Thomas Bordeleau | Sophomore | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 179 lb (81 kg) | 2002-01-03 | Terrebonne, Quebec | USNTDP (USHL) | SJS, 38th overall 2020 |
| 37 |
|
Jack Leavy | Senior | G | 6' 5" (1.96 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1997-09-19 | Birmingham, Michigan | Johnstown (NAHL) | — |
| 43 |
|
Luke Hughes | Freshman | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 186 lb (84 kg) | 2003-09-09 | Canton, Michigan | USNTDP (USHL) | NJD, 4th overall 2021 |
| 51 | 
|
Garrett Van Wyhe | Senior | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1997-04-30 | Seattle, Washington | Fargo (USHL) | — |
| 55 |
|
Jake Gingell | Senior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1997-02-11 | Dexter, Michigan | Youngstown (USHL) | — |
| 56 | 
|
Dylan Duke | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2003-03-04 | Strongsville, Ohio | USNTDP (USHL) | TBL, 126th overall 2021 |
| 71 |
|
Nick Granowicz | Junior | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 1998-03-28 | Macomb, Michigan | Merritt (BCHL) | — |
| 73 | 
|
Ethan Edwards | Freshman | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-06-06 | St. Albert, Alberta | Sioux City (USHL) | NJD, 120th overall 2020 |
| 90 |
|
Jay Keranen | Junior | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | 1998-05-08 | Brighton, Michigan | Prince George (BCHL) | — |
| 94 |
|
Mark Estapa | Freshman | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 197 lb (89 kg) | 2002-01-13 | St. Clair, Michigan | Tri-City (USHL) | — |
Coaching staff edit
| Name | Position coached | Seasons at Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mel Pearson | Head Coach | 5th | |
| Bill Muckalt | Associate Head Coach | 5th | |
| Brandon Naurato | Assistant Coach | 1st | |
| Bryan Hogan | Volunteer Assistant Coach | 1st | |
| Rick Bancroft | Director of Hockey Operations | 4th | |
| Joe Maher | Head Strength and Conditioning Coach | 9th | |
| Reference:[2] | |||
Standings edit
| Conference record | Overall record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | 3/SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | |||
| #5 Minnesota † | 24 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 55 | 90 | 50 | 39 | 26 | 13 | 0 | 138 | 91 | ||
| #2 Michigan * | 24 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 51 | 91 | 59 | 42 | 31 | 10 | 1 | 167 | 94 | ||
| #9 Notre Dame | 24 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 74 | 55 | 40 | 28 | 12 | 0 | 122 | 75 | ||
| #16 Ohio State | 24 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 76 | 59 | 37 | 22 | 13 | 2 | 125 | 87 | ||
| Penn State | 24 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 63 | 92 | 38 | 17 | 20 | 1 | 117 | 122 | ||
| Wisconsin | 24 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 53 | 96 | 37 | 10 | 24 | 3 | 76 | 132 | ||
| Michigan State | 24 | 6 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 51 | 87 | 36 | 12 | 23 | 1 | 76 | 119 | ||
| Championship: March 19, 2022 † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll; updated April 7, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||
Schedule and results edit
| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| October 2 | 7:00 PM | Bowling Green* | #3 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Exhibition) | BTN+ | Portillo | W 7–1 | 5,407 | — | ||
| Regular season | |||||||||||
| October 8 | 7:30 PM | Lake Superior State* | #3 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Portillo | W 6–1 | 5,246 | 1–0 | ||
| October 9 | 7:00 PM | Lake Superior State* | #3 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Portillo | W 7–4 | 5,141 | 2–0 | ||
| Ice Breaker Tournament | |||||||||||
| October 15 | 8:35 PM | at #5 Minnesota Duluth* | #3 | AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, MN (Ice Breaker Semifinal) | NCHC.tv | Portillo | W 5–1 | 5,940 | 3–0 | ||
| October 16 | 4:07 PM | vs. #1 Minnesota State* | #3 | AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, MN (Ice Breaker Championship) | NCHC.tv | Portillo | W 3–2 | —[a] | 4–0 | ||
| Regular season | |||||||||||
| October 22 | 7:30 PM | #17 Western Michigan* | #1 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Portillo | L 2–5 | 5,800 | 4–1 | ||
| October 23 | 7:05 PM | at #17 Western Michigan* | #1 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, MI | NCHC.tv | Portillo | W 3–2 OT | 3,369 | 5–1 | ||
| October 28 | 7:00 PM | Wisconsin | #2 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN | Portillo | W 3–0 | 5,338 | 6–1 (1–0) | ||
| October 29 | 7:30 PM | Wisconsin | #2 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Portillo | L 2–4 | 5,598 | 6–2 (1–1) | ||
| November 5 | 7:30 PM | Michigan State | #3 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN | Portillo | W 7–2 | 5,800 | 7–2 (2–1) | ||
| November 6 | 7:30 PM | at Michigan State | #3 | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, MI (Rivalry) | BTN+ | Portillo | W 3–2 | 6,705 | 8–2 (3–1) | ||
| November 11 | 8:30 PM | at #19 Penn State | #2 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, PA | BTN | Portillo | W 5–1 | 6,128 | 9–2 (4–1) | ||
| November 12 | 7:00 PM | at #19 Penn State | #2 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, PA | BTN+ | Portillo | W 6–2 | 6,437 | 10–2 (5–1) | ||
| November 19 | 7:30 PM | #14 Notre Dame | #1 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN+ | Portillo | L 2–3 OT | 5,800 | 10–3 (5–2) | ||
| November 20 | 8:00 PM | #14 Notre Dame | #1 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN+ | Portillo | L 4–5 OT | 5,800 | 10–4 (5–3) | ||
| November 26 | 7:30 PM | Niagara* | #4 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Portillo | W 6–1 | 5,800 | 11–4 | ||
| November 27 | 7:00 PM | Niagara* | #4 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Portillo | W 4–1 | 5,800 | 12–4 | ||
| December 3 | 6:30 PM | #11 Minnesota | #3 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN | Portillo | L 1–5 | 5,800 | 12–5 (5–4) | ||
| December 4 | 7:00 PM | #11 Minnesota | #3 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN | Portillo | W 6–2 | 5,613 | 13–5 (6–4) | ||
| December 10 | 7:00 PM | at #17 Ohio State | #3 | Value City Arena • Columbus, OH | BTN | Portillo | W 5–2 | 7,324 | 14–5 (7–4) | ||
| December 11 | 8:00 PM | at #17 Ohio State | #3 | Value City Arena • Columbus, OH | BTN | Portillo | L 1–6 | 6,928 | 14–6 (7–5) | ||
| Great Lakes Invitational | |||||||||||
| December 29 | 7:00 PM | #18 Michigan Tech* | #3 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Great Lakes Invitational) | BTN+ | Portillo | T 0–0 OT | 5,800 | 14–6–1 | ||
| December 30 | 7:00 PM | #4 Western Michigan* | #3 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Great Lakes Invitational) | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[3] | ||||||
| Regular season | |||||||||||
| January 8 | 5:00 PM | #10 Massachusetts* | #6 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN | Portillo | W 4–1 | 5,800 | 15–6–1 | ||
| January 9 | 4:00 PM | #10 Massachusetts* | #6 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | ESPNU | Portillo | W 4–2 | 5,800 | 16–6–1 | ||
| January 14 | 7:30 PM | Penn State | #4 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Portillo | W 3–2 | 5,800 | 17–6–1 (8–5) | ||
| January 15 | 7:00 PM | Penn State | #4 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Portillo | W 4–3 | 5,800 | 18–6–1 (9–5) | ||
| January 21 | 9:00 PM | at #11 Minnesota | #3 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN, (Rivalry) | ESPNU | Portillo | L 1–2 OT | 8,204 | 18–7–1 (9–6) | ||
| January 22 | 7:30 PM | at #11 Minnesota | #3 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN (Rivalry) | BTN | Portillo | W 4–1 | 8,046 | 19–7–1 (10–6) | ||
| January 28 | 7:00 PM | at Wisconsin | #4 | Kohl Center • Madison, WI | BTN+ | Portillo | W 5–1 | 9,994 | 20–7–1 (11–6) | ||
| January 29 | 9:00 PM | at Wisconsin | #4 | Kohl Center • Madison, WI | BTN | Portillo | W 6–2 | 12,231 | 21–7–1 (12–6) | ||
| February 2 | 7:00 PM | USNTDP* | #3 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Exhibition) | BTN+ | Portillo | W 4–3 OT | 5,176 | — | ||
| February 11 | 7:30 PM | Michigan State | #4 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN+ | Portillo | W 6–2 | 5,800 | 22–7–1 (13–6) | ||
| February 12 | 7:00 PM | Michigan State | #4 | Little Caesars Arena • Detroit, MI (Duel in the D) | BSD | Portillo | W 7–3 | 16,289 | 23–7–1 (14–6) | ||
| February 18 | 7:30 PM | #11 Ohio State | #2 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Portillo | W 5–3 | 5,800 | 24–7–1 (15–6) | ||
| February 19 | 8:30 PM | #11 Ohio State | #2 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN | Portillo | W 3–0 | 5,800 | 25–7–1 (16–6) | ||
| February 25 | 7:30 PM | at #9 Notre Dame | #2 | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, IN (Rivalry) | Peacock | Portillo | L 1–4 | 5,633 | 25–8–1 (16–7) | ||
| February 26 | 6:00 PM | at #9 Notre Dame | #2 | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, IN (Rivalry) | Peacock | Portillo | L 1–2 | 4,903 | 25–9–1 (16–8) | ||
| Big Ten Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 4 | 7:00 PM | Michigan State | #5 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Quarterfinals) | FS2 | Portillo | W 4–1 | 3,741 | 26–9–1 | ||
| March 5 | 7:00 PM | Michigan State | #5 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Quarterfinals) | BSD | Portillo | W 8–0 | 5,429 | 27–9–1 | ||
| March 12 | 6:30 PM | #8 Notre Dame | #4 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Semifinals) | BTN | Portillo | W 2–1 | 5,800 | 28–9–1 | ||
| March 19 | 8:00 PM | at #2 Minnesota | #4 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN (Championship) | BTN | Portillo | W 4–3 | 10,774 | 29–9–1 | ||
| NCAA Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 25 | 3:00 PM | vs. #18 American International | #2 | PPL Center • Allentown, PA (Regional semifinals) | ESPNU | Portillo | W 5–3 | 2,155 | 30–9–1 | ||
| March 27 | 6:30 PM | vs. #8 Quinnipiac | #2 | PPL Center • Allentown, PA (Regional final) | ESPN2 | Portillo | W 7–4 | 3,256 | 31–9–1 | ||
| April 7 | 5:00 PM | vs. #3 Denver | #2 | TD Garden • Boston, MA (National semifinals) | ESPN2 | Portillo | L 2–3 OT | 17,850 | 31–10–1 | ||
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. Source:[4][5] | |||||||||||
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 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 (Final) | |
| USCHO.com | 3 (11) | 3 (8) | 3 (16) | 1 (45) | 2 (17) | 3 | 2 (3) | 1 (42) | 4 (1) | 3 (5) | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 (3) | 3 (4) | 4 (3) | 3 (6) | 4 (4) | 2 (8) | 2 (10) | 5 | 4 (1) | 4 (1) | 2 (14) | 2 (14)^ | 3 |
| USA Today | 2 (4) | 3 (6) | 3 (9) | 1 (34) | 3 (6) | 4 | 2 | 1 (24) | 3 (3) | 2 (3) | 3 (1) | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 (4) | 4 | 4 (1) | 4 (1) | 2 (5) | 2 (4) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 (13) | 2 (7) | 3 |
^USCHO.com did not release a Week 24 poll.
Awards and honors edit
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.[22][23] Michigan had five players drafted in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Owen Power became the first Wolverine to be drafted first overall.[24] Michigan's 2021–22 roster had an NCAA record seven first round draft picks.[25]
References edit
External links edit |