The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS "It's great for Michigan and for college hockey to see these kids fulfill a life-long dream," U-M assistant coach Brian Wiseman said. "It's great exposure and it's a validation of the college hockey game that we play." Michigan last had a pair of first-round picks in 2006 after first achieving that feat in 2005. Werenski was a first-team All-Big Ten performer in his rookie year for the Maize and Blue, leading the conference's defensemen with nine goals and ranking sec- ond among league blue liners with 25 points. "There's so much to like about his game," Blue Jackets director of amateur scout- ing Paul Castron shared on Columbus' official website. "First off, he's a thick kid and he's really strong, too. He's a great skater, he sees the ice well, he can play in all situations and run your power play — and we see him doing that for us in the future. "He'll continue to grow. He still needs some coaching on the defensive side, but he will get that and it's going to make him even better." A standout in the United States Hockey League for three seasons with the Youngstown Phantoms, Connor was drafted before enrolling at U-M. In 56 regular- season games this past year, he had a league-high 80 points, including 34 goals. "For us picking at 17, we're very excited to get Kyle," Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff shared on Winnipeg's official site. "We think he has tremendous skill and really good upside. We think he's a top-six forward. "You look at his stats and what he's been able to accomplish in the USHL, and we really believe that we've added a skilled player." On day two of the NHL Draft, four more future Wolverines heard their names called: forward Brendan Warren was tabbed by the Arizona Coyotes in round three; defenseman Joe Cecconi was the Dallas Stars' fifth-round choice; and for- ward Cooper Marody went to the Philadelphia Flyers in round six, at No. 158 over- all, 13 spots ahead of defenseman Nick Boka, who went to the Minnesota Wild. A member of the Muskegon Lumberjacks and the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL this past year, Marody was originally supposed to enroll in the fall of 2016, but he will instead join the Wolverines this season after the departure of 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Dylan Larkin, who signed with the Detroit Red Wings. Marody ranked 11th in scoring in the USHL with 58 points, tallying 22 goals, in 52 games. In the Stampede's 12-game playoff run, he added a goal and 11 assists. "Dylan's decision played a role, but more importantly, Cooper's season made the decision easy," Michigan associate head coach Billy Powers said. "His team won the USHL playoff championship. Cooper was a key guy on that team, better than a point per game (1.12). He was a top-10 scorer in that league, which is the best development league for college hockey. "There is no question if he needed another year of development, he would have gone back to the USHL, but he had the year physically and mentally that showed us he's ready for this challenge."