The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2018 THE WOLVERINE 57 HOCKEY PREVIEW "We've got some young players who we think can come in and be good right away. I like our depth. I like the competition we have within our team and I like our experience. All those factors add up to give us high expectations. But, the bottom line is that you have to go do it. We had good chemistry on this team last year. We have good leadership and hopefully that leads to good chem- istry this season. They like being around each other and they play for each other." An incoming class of 10 freshmen, which features six forwards, should bolster the returners and put Michi- gan in position for a strong follow up to Pearson's successful debut. "I think we have incoming players who can help," the coach noted. "The freshmen can help. [Forward] Jimmy Lambert is coming off a good career in the BCHL [British Columbia Junior League]. He's got some talent. [For- ward] Jack Randl is a good, solid player. "[Forward] Nolan Moyle could be a guy that surprises some people. He's a big kid with good hands. I think [forward] Jack Olmstead, too, he was one of the top 10 scorers in the NAHL [North American Hockey League], can skate, works hard and knows how to finish. Nolan and Olmstead are two guys you don't hear much about that can help immediately." ❏ switched his commitment to Michigan. He's a player that uses his size effectively. Pearson: "Dripping with charac ter. A leader with Youngstown, who made it to the USHL final. Grew up in Chelsea, Mich., so we knew a lot about him. "A hard-nosed, strong, physical, shut-down type of defenseman." Forward Jimmy Lambert (shoots right, 6-0, 175, 1997 birth year) 2017-18 Stats With Vernon (BCHL): 55 games, 23 goals, 38 assists, 52 penalty minutes Lambert has been a sniper at every stop in his developmen- tal path. Skilled and smart, he will be an important offensive player for Michigan, likely to stay for his full four-year term. Pearson: "Jimmy has a really good offensive mind, good of- fensive instincts. He comes from a good hockey background in Saskatchewan, a good hockey family. "We expect him to be able to help out offensively. He went to Calgary's [NHL] development camp and it was a good experience for him." Forward Garrett Van Whye (shoots left, 6-2, 200, 1997 birth year) 2017-18 Stats With Fargo (USHL): 57 games, 10 goals, 13 assists, 38 penalty minutes Another depth player for Pearson, this one combines size with a reputation for leadership skills. Pearson: "Garrett is going to add a big, strong, physical presence. Skates well, is really good defensively. Won a cham- pionship in the USHL and was a leader, served as a captain there. "Has lot of the leadership attributes that we're looking for in a player. Another guy who is going to be hard to play against, hard on the puck." Forward Jack Olmstead (shoots left, 5-10, 165, 1998 birth year) 2017-18 Stats With Wilkes-Barre (NAHL): 58 games, 23 goals, 30 assists, 38 penalty minutes Olmstead — like Lambert, Gingell and Van Whye — is an older player able to provide the maturity that comes with years played. Pearson: "Jack's a gritty kid with some offensive capabili- ties. He can play any way you want. He can play in a tight- checking game, a hard-nosed game. If you want to play an end-to-end game, he can play it. "He maybe doesn't get the notoriety coming out the NAHL, but a lot of good players come out of that league." Forward Nolan Moyle (shoots right, 6-2, 185, 1999 birth year) 2017-18 Stats With Green Bay (USHL): 57 games, 19 goals, 25 assists, 22 penalty minutes Moyle decommitted from Michigan State, then committed to Michigan in November. Was ranked by NHL Central Scout- ing for the 2017 NHL Draft, but went unselected. Pearson: "Had a really good year in Green Bay. He's a big kid with good hands and likes to score. A smart hockey player with good offensive instincts." Defenseman Nick Blankenburg (shoots right, 5-9, 160, 1998 birth year) 2017-18 Stats With Okotoks (AJHL): 57 games, 16 goals, 26 assists, 65 penalty minutes After captaining his Romeo (Mich.) High School team to a state championship in 2015, Blankenburg went to the Ca- nadian prairie to further hone his game before committing to come back to his home state and to join the Wolverines. Blankenburg epitomizes the commit base with many strong leader types with which Pearson is building. Pearson: "Nick's going to be a defenseman. Started his ca- reer as a forward, then they moved him back to defense and that's where he can help most offensively. He posted really good numbers playing on a really good team. "Skates well, smart, plays bigger than his size indicates and he has some bite to his game." Defenseman Jack Summers (shoots left, 5-11, 180, 1999 birth year) 2017-18 Stats With Tri-City (USHL): 56 games, one goal, 10 assists, 34 penalty minutes Livonia, Mich., native known for his skating mobility. Pearson: "Smooth, smart and reliable. He can skate, sees the ice well and makes plays. A really steady, all-round defenseman." Goaltender Jack Leavy (catches left, 6-5, 205, 1997 birth year) 2017-18 Stats With Johnstown (NAHL): 24 games, 2.82 goals against average, .914 save percentage An unheralded recruit who can fill in a pinch and has some upside. Pearson: "Jack is a big goalie like Steve Shields [current Mich- igan goaltending coach and former Michigan and NHL player]. He's a local kid who always wanted to come to Michigan. "He's a little bit under the radar, but he's got some good junior experience. He's a little bit of a project, but we think he can push our other two guys."