The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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56 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2023 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE O n Aug. 7, 2022, Brandon Naurato began what was a nine-month whirlwind. That was the day Naurato, a former Wolverine player (2006-09), was promoted to interim head coach, after serving one year as an assistant under Mel Pear- son, who was dismissed from U-M after a third-party review into the program's "climate and culture." Naurato, 38, worked through the challenges of leading one of college hockey's most pres- tigious programs despite never having been a head coach. The Wolverines dealt with the fall- out from Pearson's dismissal, as well as injury and illness, including defenseman Steven Holtz being admitted to the ICU and placed on a ventilator be- fore returning to the ice later in the season. It was an "emotional roller coaster" at times, Naurato said, but it helped him grow "10x." Speaking with The Wolverine after Michigan's first official preseason practice ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, though, there was calmness, confidence and ex- citement in Naurato's voice. He steered the ship a year ago, leading Michigan to its second straight and NCAA-record 27th overall Frozen Four appearance, earning a promotion to permanent head coach before the team departed for its trip to Tampa, where it fell to eventual national champion Quinnipiac, 5-2. The Livonia, Mich., native now had a full offseason of preparation, anticipated the start of the season and could see it on the horizon. "It's way different, in an exciting way," the former Detroit Red Wings player de- velopment consultant said with a laugh, comparing the present to a year ago at the same time. "I took a lot of experience through- out my life into the job last year, and that helped at times, but I know what to expect now. And it's only been a year — there's obviously still a lot to learn — but last year, everything was new, and nothing regarding hockey, everything outside of that. You had to figure it out for the first time. "It's night and day. This year, there's more of a plan in place. And then still knowing that you're gonna adjust, and things are gonna come up that are in your control and out of your control." FORWARDS ARE 'HUNGRY' Naurato is in a much more comfortable spot personally, of course, but he feels great about his Wolverines, too, despite losing starting netminder Erik Portillo and the team's three top point scorers, including the No. 3 overall NHL Draft pick and Hobey Baker Award winner, forward Adam Fantilli. That's a lot to re- place, but Michigan is used to it. Naurato and Co. had even more of a void last year but still had a successful season. "With an interim coach and 12 fresh- men, losing 66 percent of our offense and five first-round picks, we weren't supposed to do what we did last year," Naurato said. "Losing [forward Mackie] Samoskevich, [defenseman Luke] Hughes, Fantilli — it's like, hey, yeah that stinks, but the year before we lost [de- fenseman Nick] Blankenburg, [defenseman Owen] Power, [forward Matty] Beniers, [for- ward Thomas] Bordeleau, [for- ward Johnny] Beecher, [forward Brendan] Brisson. Added Naurato, with a laugh: "I think life's easier this year." That's the case because the head man is confident with who he expects to step into more prominent roles, both in terms of leadership and on-ice production. At the forward spots, first- line sophomores Gavin Brind- ley and Rutger McGroarty both return, as do a pair from the second line, sophomore T.J. Hughes and junior Dylan Duke. "Adam Fantilli signed as a freshman and won the Hobey, and we're pumped for him, but his two linemates are coming back," Naurato said. "And T.J. Hughes and Dylan Duke played to- gether — and Samoskevich signed — and they're coming back. [Sophomore Jackson] Hallum and [sophomore Frank] Nazar [III] played together, and they're back. There's a lot of chemistry com- ing back, and it's another year of me in- troducing a whole new system with and without the puck that these guys know. "I truly believe that all those guys are going to take a step, just because they're so hungry and I know what they did this summer." The 14th overall NHL Draft pick in 2022, McGroarty is the team's leading returning scorer with 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists), headlining the group. Nazar, the 13th selection in the same draft, dealt with a nagging hip injury last season and is expected to take a big leap forward. "He's big-time. Whatever he did last year, I thought he was good — and the fact that he even came back was huge — but he's a game-changer," Naurato ❱ MICHIGAN HOCKEY Wolverines Enter Year 2 Under Coach Brandon Naurato In his first year guiding the Wolverines, Naurato led Michigan to its sec- ond straight and NCAA-record 27th overall Frozen Four appearance. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY