The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2021 THE WOLVERINE 45 MICHIGAN HOCKEY PREVIEW started in five, allowing 1.67 goals per outing (10 total) with a save percentage of 93.5 and record of 4-1. "He really came into his own last year in the second half of the season," Pear- son raved. "He got some games, and I think we all saw just a glimpse of how good he can be. He plays the puck ex- tremely well, is a big goalie, takes up a lot of net at 6-5, 6-6, and is athletic." A back line with plenty of promise will help take the pressure off Portillo. Power, the College Hockey News Rookie of the Year last season, was fourth among Big Ten defenders in scoring with 16 points (three goals, 13 assists), sixth in the conference in on- ice rating with a plus-18 and led the team in blocked shots with 40. His re- turn should pay dividends. Senior Nick Blankenburg is another steady piece, having racked up five goals and nine assists last season, and regis- tering an on-ice rating of plus-21 (tied atop the team). He was elected as the team's captain, and Pearson is excited about what he'll bring on the ice and as a leader. "He's a special, special person, first and foremost," Pearson said. "He's a tremendous player, a heart and soul type of guy on your team. He plays much big- ger than he is; he's tough as nails. He makes people around him better. "He inspires people in that locker room — just to see the road that he's taken to get to Michigan and the sacrifices that he's made and the work he's put in to get here. To be voted captain — that's not the coaches picking him, that's his peers electing him to be our captain — I think tells you everything about Nick Blanken- burg you need to know." Freshman Luke Hughes, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft to the New Jersey Devils and a high-level skater, is a big addition as well. And Pearson believes he has some others who are not household names but are primed to emerge and poten- tially become breakout players. "[Senior] Jack Summers and [junior] Keaton Pehrson are two guys who fly under the radar," Pearson said of the duo that combined for one goal and 10 as- sists last year. "They've played a lot of hockey, they're very experienced, and it looks like they've had tremendous summers, in terms of workouts. They've looked really good." ❑ 2021-22 SCHEDULE Date Opponent Oct. 2 Bowling Green& Oct. 8 Lake Superior State Oct. 9 Lake Superior State Oct. 15 at Minnesota Duluth* Oct. 16 vs. Providence/Minnesota State* Oct. 22 Western Michigan Oct. 23 at Western Michigan Oct. 28 Wisconsin Oct. 29 Wisconsin Nov. 5 Michigan State Nov. 6 Michigan State^ Nov. 11 at Penn State Nov. 12 at Penn State Nov. 19 Notre Dame Nov. 20 Notre Dame Nov. 26 Niagara Nov. 27 Niagara Dec. 3 Minnesota Dec. 4 Minnesota Dec. 10 at Ohio State Dec. 11 at Ohio State Dec. 29 Michigan Tech# Dec. 30 Western Michigan# Jan. 8 UMass Jan. 9 UMass Jan. 14 Penn State Jan. 15 Penn State Jan. 21 at Minnesota Jan. 22 at Minnesota Jan. 28 at Wisconsin Jan. 29 at Wisconsin Feb. 2 USNTDP& Feb. 11 Michigan State Feb. 12 Michigan State^ Feb. 18 Ohio State Feb. 19 Ohio State Feb. 25 at Notre Dame Feb. 26 at Notre Dame March 4-6 Big Ten First Round! March 12 Big Ten Semifinals! March 19 Big Ten Final! March 25-27 NCAA Regionals^ April 7-9 NCAA Frozen Four% Note: As of Sept. 20, only three game times were announced — Oct. 2 at 7 p.m., Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. & Exhibition; ^ location TBD; * Ice Breaker tournament in Duluth, Minn.; # Great Lakes Invitational in Ann Arbor; ! Higher seed will host; % at Boston Head coach Mel Pearson's roster boasts 13 NHL Draft picks, including seven first-rounders. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY "There's some unfinished business with the way that things ended last year, leaving a sour taste in all of our mouths. Now hopefully, we all have a little chip on our shoulder, get to come back and have another shot at it. That's also another reason why they're here." Head coach Mel Pearson on his players who had NHL opportunities that came back for another college season