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6 C Thursday, October 25, 2007
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Thursday, October 25, 2007
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
PORTER
From page 3C
team, lead this team like he did."
Hensick is confident Porter can
do as much and more than he did
in his senior year.
The Colorado Avalanche pros-
pect also has a response to those
who claim Porter's success was
merely a product of Hensick's
ability.
"You could say my points were
only accumulated because of what
he did on the ice," Hensick said.
"He's probably the best two-way
forward I've ever played with."
With his decision finally set in
stone, Porter returned from Phoe-
nix, took a week off and then set
about proving he could do itcon his
own. It was his time to lead.
Fortunately, that's something
Porter is used to.
"He's been a captain on pretty
much every team he's ever played
on, from Pee-Wees on up," Mike
Porter said.
Kevin isn't a loud or imposing
presence off the ice, but his skill
and work ethic set him apart on
the sheet.
During his sophomore year
at Michigan, Porter was named
the captain of the U.S. National
Under-20 team when it competed
at the IIHF World Championships
in Canada.
But being the captain of this
Michigan team promised to be
Porter's greatest challenge.
With the departure of Johnson,
Cogliano and last year's senior
class, the 2007-08 Wolverines
have 12 freshmen and just two
seniors. s
Despite the monumental task,
Porter has risen to the occasion.
While past recruiting class-
es have often acted as separate
groups, Porter made sure this
year's team wouldn't be four
cliques, but one team.
Porter, Kolarik andotherupper-
classmen spent time with the
freshmen in their dorm, helping to
establish a quick and comfortable
rapport with the newcomers.
"I think that's why he's such a
good leader," Kolarik said. "He's
just a regular guy. Even around
BEN SIMON/Daily
Senior captain Kevin Porter is expected to be "The Guy" for Michigan this season.
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campus. He's not cocky - he's
confident."
From the first day of captain's
practices, Porter made sure every-
one was putting in the hard work
necessary for success.
"We've got to rely on defense
more this year," Porter said.
"We've got to come ready to play
every game. Last year, we didn't
play all 60 minutes every game. It
kind of hurt us in the end."
Even if Porter doesn't put up
individual numbers equal to last
season's, he can still improve his
NHL prospects by leading Michi-
gan in ways that can't be calculat-
ed quantitatively.
"This year is going to be very
important for him to be 'the guy,'
" said Brad Treliving, the assis-
tant general manager of the
Phoenix Coyotes. "It's a different
situation when there are expecta-
tions, responsibility and authority
given."
Trailing 2-0 to Minnesota
going into the second period, it
didn't look like Porter's attitude
or intensity had done much to
change the Wolverines. It looked
like just another season of sur-
prising wins followed by deflat-
ing flops.
Porter could've seen the pat-
tern and resigned himself and
his team to 'that fate. But he
returned to lead, so he went out
to start the second period look-
ing to prove it was the appropri-
ate choice.
Porter skated to center ice,
took the faceoff and spent the
next 45 seconds proving he was
in the right place.
"Being down 2-0, we wanted
to have a big shift, get it in their
zone, get a couple hits and then
get a couple chances," Porter
said after the game.
Michigan did just that.
Although Porter's line didn't
score onthe shiftits energy revi-
talized the Wolverines. Michi-
gan clawed its way back into the
game before falling just short
in a 4-3 loss. It was the closest
game against Minnesota since
Michigan lost 3-2 in overtime in
a 2003 national semifinal game.
In four games thus far, Porter
has three goals and four points,
and, more important, his young
team is off to a 3-1-0 start.
With continued hard work and
solid leadership, Porter hopes to
lead Michigan back where Hen-
sick, Hunwick and company
never could: the Frozen Four. If
he does, he will have led a team
that exceeded expectation like
few before him.
Few would question his deci-,
sion at that point.
leading
on his,
own. terms
Kevin Porter had the chance to
play professional hockey this
year. Even though few believed
he could guide Michigan to the
Frozen Four for the first time
since 2003, Porter is back in Ann
Arbor intending to do just that.
By Nate Sandals | Daily Sports Editor RODRK
A fter 20 minutes, senior captain The forward-looking message was there,
Kevin Porter realized he had seen but the conviction didn't inspire confidence.
this episode. Porter had a lot to consider.
Michigan trailed Minnesota, 2-0, after As soon as the game ended, the early
one period of the Ice Breaker Championship departures began. Porter barely finished
game. talking with reporters outside the locker
As a Wolverine, Porter had never been on room before second-year defenseman Jack
the winning end of the storied rivalry. In Johnson finalized his decision to jump to
those four games, the Wolverines had been the NHL.
outscored 23-8. In the following weeks, Porter's repre-
Sitting in the locker room as the Zambo- sentatives were in contact with the Phoenix
nis circled the ice at the Xcel Energy Center Coyotes, the team that drafted him in the
in St. Paul, a thought might have crossed fifth round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
Porter's mind: He didn't have to be there. "I don't think it was anything serious,"
The choice had been his. Porter said. "Just conversations back and
forth about what might happen.'
The reality quickly set in. Michigan's Porter downplays the discussions now,
season ended with an 8-5 loss to North but after a spectacular junior season, it was
Dakota in the first round of the NCAA Tour- easy to see why Phoenix expressed interest
nament. in signing him early.
Minutes after that game, the fate of the Po'rter had a breakout season playing
2007-08 Michigan hockey season lay in talongside Hensick and Rohlfs. His 58 points
Porter's lap. were the third most in the country.
Many of Porter's best friends - seniors But the doubters came-quickly. Can Por-
T.J. Hensick, Matt Hunwick, Jason Dest, ter do it without Hensick? Was his success
Tim Cook and David Rohlfs - were gradu- just a product of his teammates' ability?,
ating. They comprised the first group of
Michigan seniors never to reach a Frozen April went by quietly for the Michigan
Four since the class of 1991. hockey team. The roster appeared to be set
There was a hint of fear in Porter's eyes for the upcoming season.
as he reflected on the disappointment with At the season-ending banquet, Michigan
reporters. coach Red Berenson named Porter the team
"I feel so bad for (the seniors),"Porter captain. If Porter hadn't gotten the message
said. "It's a bad thing, and, hopefully, we before, there was no denying it now.-It was
can make it (to the Frozen Four) next year. his team.
We've got a bunch of good guys coming in. Then on May 2, Andrew Cogliano, who
We've got to get them to buy in right away, had been named an alternate captain at the
and I think we have a great chance of mak- banquet, signed with the Edmonton Oilers.
ing it." "I think it did hurt when Cogliano left,"
said Mike Porter, Kevin's oldest brother.
"They thought they were going to be in this
together."
Cogliano was one of Michigan's top offen-
sive talents and was projected to be Porter's
center on the top line.
Porter said Cogliano's departure didn't
factor in his decision to remain at Michigan
or sign with the Coyotes. But it would have
been hard to blame him if, at that point, Por-
ter signed a contract and packed his bags,
saying he wanted to leave on a high note.
"All along, I thoughthe was goingto sign,"
said senior alternate captain Chad.Kolarik,
Porter's lone classmate. "That might have
been the best move for him, but I totally
respect that he's back here, and he wants to
win the National Championship as a cap-
tain. Everyone follows his lead because of
that. Everyone respects that he really could
be in the NHL right now."
In July, Porter and Kolarik, also a Coy-
otes draft pick, went to Phoenix for the
team's prospect camp. It was a change to
show off his talents and meet one of the
world's greatest hockey players, Coyotes'
head coach Wayne Gretzky.
Porter was in Phoenix for a week, and it
was there he announced his intentions to
return to Michigan for his senior year.
Though Porter downplays the chances
he would have left early for the professional
ranks, many were relieved to hear him offi-
cially declare his position.
"I know Phoenix wanted him to leave,"
Berenson said. "I think Kevin made a wise
decision in not leaving."
There were a number of factors that went
into that decision, Porter said. He didn't
stress any, but two stood out when he talked
about his thought process this summer. The
first was getting a degree.
"Hockey has been a big part," Porter said.
"But also graduating and getting a degree
from here was a big part of why I came."
Porter's family also noted the importance
of academics in his decision to return.
Mike, who played at Michigan State,
knows how tempting pro hockey can be to
elite college players, but stressed the choice
wasn't as straightforward as the NHL vs.
Michigan.
"It's not, 'I want to play in Phoenix or at
Michigan,' " Mike said. "It's Michigan or
pro hockey."
In other words, there's no guarantee of
playing in the NHL right away.
Hensick was another reason Porter decid-
ed to come back for his senior season.
Like Porter, Hensick could have signed a
pro contract after his junior year, and many
expected he would. But the Hobey Baker
hopeful came back for his final season to
win a National Title and get his degree.
It proved to be a good choice. Heijsick was
a force in college hockey, leading the nation
in scoring and was named an All-American.
"I think Kevin was influenced by T.J.
(Hensick) coming back and Rohlfs and
watching them have huge years," Berenson
said. "You can see that's only going to help
them in their pro careers."
Said Porter: "Just seeing him come back
and just pretty much dominate college hock-
ey was a big influence. It's something I'd
like to do: Come back, be the captain of this
See PORTER, Page 6C
9