Wednesday, July 13, 2022 — 7
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Frank Nazar III selected by Chicago in NHL Draft

COLE MARTIN
Daily Sports Writer

It didn’t take long for the Michigan 
hockey team to showcase its elite 
talent in the 2022 NHL Draft, 
particularly among its incoming 
recruits for the 2022-23 season.
Selected 
by 
the 
Chicago 
Blackhawks at 13th overall, Frank 
Nazar III came off the board first. 
He was a highly touted forward for 
the US National Team Development 
Program last season and projects to 
be a key center for the Wolverines 
next season.
In his last season with the 
Americans, 
Nazar 
put 
up 
an 
impressive 70 points in just 56 games. 
Nazar was also a part of Team USA 
at this spring’s U18 World Junior 
Championship, where he tallied nine 
points in six games and helped it 
secure a silver medal.
The most impressive attribute of 
Nazar’s game is his skating, which 
he uses to help out on defense and 
break out in transition quickly. Nazar 
looks to play a balanced, two-way 
game, modeling his playstyle after 
NHL stars Brayden Point and Patrice 
Bergeron, who are among the best 
players on both sides of the ice in 
today’s game.

Nazar will be a major focus of 
Chicago’s future, but first he will 
take his talents to Ann Arbor. He 
will help fill in an immediate void 
left after top center Matty Beniers 
signed with the Seattle Kraken, in 
addition to the loss of other centers 
in San Jose Sharks signee Thomas 
Bordeleau, Boston Bruins prospect 
Johnny Beecher and senior Garrett 
Van Wyhe. In mending those holes, 
Michigan will have to lean on 
Nazar’s talents at center.
And Nazar seems ready to do 
that right away.
While playing in an exhibition 
game on Feb. 2 against the 
Wolverines, 
Nazar 
flourished 
during his time on the ice, scoring 
two goals. Nazar even had the 
chance at a hat trick but passed the 
puck up to his teammate to attempt 
to clinch a USNTDP victory. 
“I figured I would have a better 
chance than just the breakaway,” 
Nazar said after the game. “I heard 
him screaming and I was like ‘I’ll 
get him involved in the play.’ I 
wasn’t really thinking too much 
(about a) hat trick … (A team win) 
is the one and only (important) 
outcome for me.”
And for both Michigan and 
the Blackhawks, a team-oriented 
center is exactly what they need.
The Chicago Blackhawks selected Frank Nazar III at 13th overall in Thursday’s first round of the NHL Draft.

Bryce Clay returning to Michigan for fifth year

After a dynamic 2022 campaign 
from 
the 
Wolverine 
offense, 
Michigan’s young core will receive 
a boost of veteran experience this 
upcoming season.
On Tuesday, fifth-year attackman 
Bryce Clay announced that he will 
return to Michigan for his final 
season on the team.
After tearing his ACL at the 
beginning of this past season during 
a practice in November 2021 — which 
kept him on the sidelines for the 
entirety of his senior season — Clay 
received an NCAA medical redshirt, 
giving him another year of collegiate 
eligibility which he will exercise, 
returning to the Wolverines. 
The sniping attackman started 
for three years and thrived under 
Michigan 
coach 
Kevin 
Conry’s 
offensive scheme, starting 10 of 12 
games played in 2021 and tallying 27 

total points with 23 goals during that 
stretch. Clay’s consistent finishing 
compliments 
his 
knack 
for the nitty-
gritty — a rare 
duality amongst 
attackmen. 
His five caused 
turnovers 
and 
22 
secured 
ground 
balls 
were 
first 
amongst 
Michigan 
attackmen two 
seasons ago in 
2021.
Clay 
will 
rejoin 
an 
attack 
group 
full of budding 
talent. He will 
recognize some 
familiar 
faces, 
and meet a fresh 
few along the 

way as he prepares for the upcoming 
2023 campaign with a team that will 
look different from when he last 
stepped on the field. 
Michigan is coming off one of its 
most offensively prolific seasons in 
program history thanks, in 
part, to an energized youth 
movement. Now, Clay must 
find where he fits into 
the Wolverines’ offense. 
After strong seasons from 
attackmen Josh Zawada, 
Michael Boehm and Ryan 
Cohen, Clay will have to 
carve out a new spot.
Despite the crowded 
field, 
Clay 
will 
play 
an 
important 
role 
in 
Michigan’s 
upcoming 
season. The attackman will 
look to continue building 
upon 
his 
playmaking 
in conjunction with his 
already dangerous scoring 
abilities in order to help 
lead 
an 
exceptionally 
young program towards 
a run at the Big Ten 
Championships 
and 
beyond. 

ICE HOCKEY

LACROSSE

JOHN TONDORA
Daily Sports Writer

GABBY CERITANO/Daily

ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily

