10
Thursday, July 13, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS
Thirteen Wolverines
attend NHL camps
From June 25 to July 12, 13
members of the Michigan hockey
team attended 11 different NHL
Development Camps.
The
camps
are
typically
week-long
events
intended
to simulate an actual NHL
training camp for prospects,
allowing them to gain valuable
experience
for
a
potential
professional
career
in
the
future.
Defenseman
Luke
Martin and goaltender Jack
LaFontaine both participated
in the Carolina Hurricanes’
development
camp.
Martin,
drafted 52nd overall by the
Hurricanes in this year’s NHL
Draft, led the Wolverines last
season with 76 blocked shots
and
a
plus-2
rating
while
appearing in all 35 games as a
freshman.
LaFontaine, also a freshman
last season and drafted by
the Hurricanes 75th overall
in 2016, was part of a three-
man rotation at goaltender
for
Michigan,
tallying
a
1-7-1 record and a .911 save
percentage.
The Philadelphia Flyers also
had two Wolverines at their
development camp — forwards
Cooper Marody and Brendan
Warren. Marody, a sixth-round
pick of the Flyers in 2015,
played in just 18 games as a
sophomore after missing the
first half of the season with a
suspension, but still finished
fifth on the team with 15
points.
Warren, whose draft rights
were traded to Philadelphia
from
the
Arizona
Coyotes
during the NHL Draft on June
24, was one of three players to
appear in all 35 of Michigan’s
games in 2017, totalling three
goals and seven assists.
Sophomore
forward
Nick
Pastujov
and
his
younger
brother, Michael, were both
invited
to
development
camps, as well — Nick with
the New York Islanders and
Michael with the Detroit Red
Wings. Michael, a product of
the
United
States
National
Development Team Program,
will suit up for the Wolverines
as a freshman forward next
season.
Incoming center Josh Norris,
a teammate of Pastujov’s on the
National
Development
Team,
attended camp with the San Jose
Sharks, who selected him 17th
overall in the NHL Draft. Norris
was second on the USNDTP
in scoring last season with 26
points in 25 contests.
Forward Will Lockwood, who
was named Michigan’s Most
Valuable Player as a freshman
in 2017, attended the Vancouver
Canucks’
development
camp
after a season in which he tallied
eight goals and 12 assists. The
Canucks
selected
Lockwood
64th overall in the 2015 NHL
Draft.
Rising junior Joseph Cecconi
took part in camp with the Dallas
Stars. Cecconi, the recipient of
the Vic Heyliger award as the
Wolverines’ most outstanding
defender, scored eight points
this season on one goal and seven
assists.
Michigan’s leader in points
this
season,
forward
Jake
Slaker,
attended
the
first-
ever
development
camp
of
the Vegas Golden Knights, an
expansion team set to begin
play this season. In his first
year in Ann Arbor, Slaker
scored seven points and added
14 assists.
Goaltender Hayden Lavigne
competed with fellow freshman
LaFontaine for playing time
in the crease this past season,
going 6-6-1 with an average of
2.92 goals allowed per game.
Lavigne attended camp with
the
Ottawa
Senators
this
summer.
Defenseman Nicholas Boka
attended the Minnesota Wild’s
development camp last week. As
a sophomore in 2016-2017, Boka
competed in 34 games, recording
four points.
The New York Rangers invited
defenseman
Griffin
Luce
to
their camp. During his freshman
season, Luce scored one goal and
two assists in 27 games for the
Wolverines.
JACOB SHAMES
Summer Managing Sports Editor
ICE HOCKEY
RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily
Defenseman Luke Martin attended the Carolina Hurricanes’ development camp after they drafted him 52nd overall this summer.
Pearson welcomes three additions
to first recruiting class at Michigan
The Michigan hockey team
has rounded out new head coach
Mel Pearson’s first incoming
class with two transfers and
one additional commitment, the
program announced Tuesday.
Forwards
Alex
Roos
and
Luke Morgan will transfer into
the
program
from
Colorado
College and Lake Superior State,
respectively.
Forward
Jack
Becker signed his letter of intent
after three years with the Sioux
Falls Stampede of the United
States Hockey League.
The trio will add attacking
prowess to a program that
frequently lacked it in the
final few seasons under former
head coach Red Berenson. The
Wolverines’ Corsi percentage in
2017 — a metric used to measure
shot
attempt
differential
at
even strength — was the third
worst in college hockey at 42.8
percent.
Pearson’s
Michigan
Tech team finished fourth, at
56.5 percent.
With five incoming forwards
ready
to
replace
the
three
graduating senior forwards —
including Alex Kile, the team-
leader in shots — Michigan has
beefed up its depth up front.
Becker has the track record at
a high level to suggest he may be
able to help out. The 20-year-old
notched 28 points — including 16
goals — last season in 49 games
in the USHL.
Under
Pearson,
Michigan
Tech showed fervent interest
in Becker leading up to his
commitment to the Huskies in
January. Becker’s father, Russ,
played for Michigan Tech in
the 1980s, when Pearson was
an assistant coach there. With
Pearson moving to Michigan,
Becker followed suit, inking his
letter of intent to Pearson and
the Wolverines.
Roos played three seasons
at Colorado College, totaling
15 goals and 13 assists in 105
games, though he saw his playing
time decrease as his career
progressed. Roos did not play for
the Tigers last season, instead
stepping away from the program
to focus on his economics degree.
Roos, 22, will have one year of
eligibility left.
Morgan, 19, helped lead Lake
Superior State with 22 points
in his freshman season. He also
spent a season with the Cedar
Rapids
RoughRiders
of
the
USHL, where he notched 25
points in 60 games. While Roos
(a graduate transfer) and Becker
(a commitment) will be eligible
to play right away, Morgan will
be forced to sit a year, heeding
the NCAA’s established transfer
rules.
While it would be ambitious
to expect Roos or Becker to
be slotted into the top six
forward slots right away — those
will likely belong to a mix of
established players such as senior
Tony
Calderone,
sophomore
Will Lockwood, junior Cooper
Marody and talented freshmen
like Josh Norris and Michael
Pastujov — the newcomers will
bring valuable attacking depth as
Pearson attempts to rejuvenate a
struggling program.
Transfers Roos and Morgan and incoming freshman
Becker are expected to provide talent, depth on front line
MAX MARCOVITCH
Daily Sports Writer