The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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but he had to play a role early in his career, most often centering the third line for the Wolverines. In 2010, he contributed seven goals and six assists, and he improved those numbers to nine goals and 13 assists in his sopho- more campaign. A year ago, playing on ei- Skater ther the first or second line, Treais had career highs in goals (15), assists (17) and points (32), and also finished with a plus/minus of plus-24. This season, he has been Michigan's top-line center for the majority of the year, play- ing extended minutes with an active role on the power play and the penalty kill. U-M needs Treais to lead this team offensively, and he's deliver- ing, which shouldn't be a sur- prise. Over the past 28 years, Berenson's captains have con- sistently delivered their best, with 14 experiencing a career year. "I wanted to look back Brendan Morrison Bubba Berenzweig Sean Peach David Harlock Steve Halko Alex Roberts Don Stone Luke Glendening Andrew Ebbett Kevin Porter Jed Ortmeyer Eric Nystrom Frank Downing Todd Brost * Also a career high MICHIGAN CAPTAINS THAT Year Captain 1987 Jeff Norton* 1989 Todd Brost and say I gave everything I could," said Wiseman, who had a career-best 50 assists when he was captain. "Without put- ting any further stress on yourself, there is a focus and a mindset that can come with being the captain, and we're seeing that with A.J. "If you take care of yourself day in and day out, you'll see the results because you're putting yourself in position physically and mentally, and from a preparedness point, to realize your potential." * Led Michigan defensemen in scoring 1994 Brian Wiseman 1997 Brendan Morrison 2008 Kevin Porter 2011 Carl Hagelin 2013 A.J. Treais Myles O'Connor* THEIR BEST SEASONS AS CAPTAIN Year G A Pts. 1986 1989 1990 1991 1993 1996 1997 1999 2000 2002 2005 2006 2008 2012 WOLVERINES THAT HAD 4* 16* 20 31* 57* 88 7 24* 31 7* 12* 19 15 23* 38 13 19* 32 14* 28 42 33* 30 63 10* 11 21 9 12 LED THE WOLVERINES IN SCORING 20* 30 50 14* 21* 35 21* 27* 48 3* 20* 9 29 too unselfish at times and make the extra pass, but lately I've just been firing the puck. "At the same time, I don't want to be too selfish and take shots from all over the ice when my linemates are open. I'll keep that playmaking mentality still with me and mold those together." G A Pts. 12 36 48 20 30 50 3 19 50 69 31 57 88 33 30 63 18 31 49 9 5 are a lot of games to be played, and my goal is just to be consistent. If my effort is there, the rest will come." With nine goals in 13 games, Treais 31 34 fine a captaincy, but since Matt Herr was the last Michigan cap- tain to lead U-M to a national title, in 1998, that association has changed some. Conference titles and playoff tournament titles matter, but the benchmark for the Maize and Blue is the Frozen Four and keeping the NCAA Tournament streak alive. Michigan has participated in 22 consecutive postseasons and has been to the national semifinals 11 times. "Michigan is such a storied Typically, championships de- LEAVING A LEGACY 14 is on pace for a 30-goal season. He would be Michigan's first since Por- ter had 33 markers in 2008. It's ob- viously not a sure thing the senior reaches that milestone, but he has emerged as a scorer this year after previously occupying the role of Head coach Red Berenson on Treais "You won't notice him in class or on the street and think, 'Here's the captain of the Michigan hockey team,' but when he puts on that uniform and goes down those steps, he plays like a captain." pleased with his career through three seasons, but always felt he could have been doing more. "I set high expectations for this Treais carved out a niche and was year," he said. "I think every year, from freshman to sophomore year, and sophomore to junior year, I've gotten a little bit better, and this is my year to max out. "I'm off to a good start, but there playmaker — he had 36 assists com- pared to 31 goals from 2010-12. "Coming to Michigan I was sur- rounded by guys that could shoot really well, guys playing pro hockey right now, so I had no problem pass- ing the puck," he said. "These past two years I've evolved a little bit, and I've become more of a goal scorer, and that's a product of me shooting the puck more. I used to be a little an impact at a program that ranks among the best in college hockey his- tory because of what each new senior class continues to add." The NCAA Tournament is a long program with great tradition, and as a junior and senior you have opportunity to leave a foot- print," Wiseman said. "I think it's something that guys should re- ally relish and cherish … to have ways off, but Michigan's streak is in jeopardy. The Wolverines stood only 5-7-1 and weren't ranked in the top 28 of the Pairwise Rankings as of Nov. 25. With just 16 teams in the tournament field, the Maize and Blue cannot afford to keep playing poorly. And while Treais alone is not solely responsible for this team's record, he wears the 'C' and his legacy will be directly tied to how this team eventu- ally performs in 2013. "We've had slow starts since I've been here, slumps, and we're not where we want to be right now, but there is time to pick it up and peak going into the tournament," said Treais, optimistic U-M will put it all together soon. "This is it for me. I know what's at stake, and whether it's scoring goals, or blocking shots or being reliable defensively I want to help this team be the best it can be and realize our goals later in the year." ❑ DECEMBER 2012 THE WOLVERINE 73