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Brandon Naurato on ‘taking the next step’ with the 2024-25 Wolverines.
Brandon Naurato on ‘taking the next step’ with the 2024-25 Wolverines.
The University of Michigan’s quest for a fourth straight appearance in the Frozen Four begins with the 2024-25 opener against Minnesota State at Yost Arena in Ann Arbor on Oct. 4.
The Wolverines lead all NCAA schools with 28 Frozen Fours, including 10 straight appearances and six straight national championships under coach Vic Heyliger from 1948-57.
Michigan’s current coach, Brandon Naurato, said the Frozen Four is always a long-term goal but the furthest thing from their minds right now.
“I think they know how hard it is, especially the returners,” Naurato said at Michigan’s preseason media day on Tuesday. “It’s not a given. We can talk about taking that next step and getting over that hump but we’ve got to find ways to do what we did to earn that opportunity to get back to that spot.
“You can talk about that maybe in your initial meeting but we’re just trying to get together as a group and find our identity as much as we can before the first game. We’ll see where we’re at and constantly make adjustments.”
Michigan’s lineup will be without the three top graduating scorers from last year: Gavin Brindley (25 goals, 53 points), Rutger McGroarty (16 goals, 52 points) and Dylan Duke (26 goals, 49 points).
The team’s fourth leading scorer, T.J. Hughes (19 goals, 48 points), said they’re expecting an offensive boost from freshman center Michael Hage, a first-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens this year.
“I’ve skated with him (Hage) a couple of times during the summer in Burlington,” Hughes said. “He’s a great player, great person. What comes to mind is his deceptiveness and his smooth skating.
Jacob Truscott, T.J. Hughes talk about NHL first-round pick Michael Hage.
Jacob Truscott, T.J. Hughes talk about NHL first-round pick Michael Hage.
“Obviously, he has a bunch of other great talents but those are two that stick out for me. I think he’s going to play a big role on our team this year.”
Michigan was ranked third in the Big Ten preseason coaches poll and seventh overall in the NCAA in the USCHO Division 1 poll behind defending champion Denver, Boston College, Boston University, Michigan State, North Dakota and Minnesota. Michigan State’s media day is Wednesday in East Lansing.
Trotz teaching Stanley Cup lessons
Barry Trotz won a Stanley Cup as a coach and is showing no patience for a rebuild toward some kind of fuzzy, optimistic future.
Winning now isn’t easy. The man who coached the Washington Capitals to the Cup in 2018 spent his second offseason as Nashville’s general manager making the NHL’s biggest free agency splash to position the Predators as contenders once again. As the third-winningest coach in NHL history and the only active GM of a team he once coached, Trotz knows only too well the challenges of making the playoffs first.
“I just want us to be a threat,” Trotz said.
The franchise Trotz coached for its first 15 seasons finally reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2017 while he was coaching the Capitals. The Predators followed up by winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2018. Yet they haven’t won a series since losing Game 7 in the second round to Winnipeg in 2018.
Nashville will face the Red Wings twice in the first five games this year, Oct. 12 at Little Caesars Arena and then the following Saturday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
“Everybody’s talking about expectations,” Trotz said. “Let’s just win a round … So let’s just win a round.”
The Predators reached the postseason in Trotz’s first year as general manager, the franchise’s ninth berth in 10 seasons tying Tampa Bay and Washington for the most playoff appearances in that span.
After dipping to 27th in the NHL in points on Thanksgiving, Nashville made a run with a franchise-record 18-game point streak, the league’s longest since Colorado in 2021-22. The Predators outscored opponents 74-33 during that streak.
Then in the first round, the Predators lost to Vancouver in six games.
Trotz looked at the lack of scoring beyond forward Filip Forsberg and captain Roman Josi. He saw a team that killed penalties well but was among the worst on the power play, scoring only two goals on 22 man advantages. Then the former coach turned GM got busy.
Trotz returned defenseman Ryan McDonagh to Tampa Bay in May, clearing a $6.75 million cap hit off the books to create room. He kept Juuse Saros with an eight-year deal worth just under $62 million, locking up a goalie that just finished fifth in Vezina Trophy voting through the 2032-33 season.
Then came July 1, a day some Predators said felt like “Christmas morning.”
Trotz stunned the league by signing Stanley Cup champion forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault. Stamkos left Tampa Bay after 16 seasons, two Cup titles and two other trips to the final for a four-year, $32 million deal with Nashville. Marchessault, the playoff MVP as Vegas won its first championship in June 2023, called Stamkos to say he was joining him in Music City with his own five-year deal for $27.5 million.
The Predators GM was not finished. He also signed defenseman Brady Skjei for $49 million over seven years and got Scott Wedgewood for $3 million over two seasons to back up Saros.
Josi said those moves are proof that Trotz meant it when he said he doesn’t want to rebuild or just make the playoffs. The Predators’ play last season gave Trotz confidence to gamble. Josi, now 34, knows his new teammates’ experience will help.
“I definitely believe those moves will help us to be a better team and get closer to that goal for sure,” Josi said. “I mean, Stammer and Marchy both won Stanley Cups. They know how to win and Skjei has been amazing his whole career.”
Forsberg may be the biggest benefactor of all of Trotz’s moves. He set the franchise record with 48 goals and had a career-high with 46 assists and 94 points last season. He tied for second in the NHL with a career-best 11 game-winning goals. Against Vancouver, Forsberg was held to two goals and six points.
“It certainly gives us options,” Forsberg said of the line combinations available to coach Andrew Brunette.
After working with Nashville’s first general manager David Poile, the winningest and longest-tenured GM in the NHL before he retired in 2023, Trotz has the Predators stocked with draft picks with lots of talent in the farm system even with trading young goalie Yaroslav Askarov to San Jose after the Russian demanded a trade.
Now it’s time to work, with the season opener coming up Oct. 10 against Dallas, and see if the additions Trotz called “serial winners” can bring that winning edge to the Predators.
“I think we’re in a good spot, but it’s fantasy hockey until we drop the puck and play for real,” Trotz said.
Dahlin’s continues to grow as Sabres leader
Rasmus Dahlin was so determined to not spend another lengthy offseason working out alone in his native Sweden that the Buffalo defenseman invited his teammates to attend an informal weeklong minicamp and bonding session near the Swiss Alps in July.
“Usually, I never see anyone during the summer,” Dahlin recalled. “So it was good to meet my teammates when it’s no pressure, no games involved. Just hang out.”
They skated and ate together. Boated on Lake Geneva. And they golfed – poorly, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen joked.
Most importantly, the eight Sabres in attendance – six Europeans, with defensemen Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson traveling from North America – enjoyed an opportunity to connect amid the wondrous scenery of Lausanne without the distractions that arise once the season opens.
“You really got to know the real person, not the in-season person, which is different,” Dahlin said.
Of significance, the get-together represented the latest step in Dahlin’s evolution as the Sabres’ leader, coupled with the seventh-year player’s urgency to end what’s become an NHL-record 13-year playoff drought.
“He took charge right away,” forward JJ Peterka said of how Dahlin booked the ice, gym, hotel rooms and organized post-practice outings. “I think Ras really took the next step and took the whole team under his wing.”
Buffalo enters the season planning to name a new captain after the title was left vacant once Kyle Okposo was traded to Florida in March.
Dahlin, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft and now the longest-tenured member of the roster, is considered the favorite to fill the role, though there’s no timetable for when the announcement will be made.
The Sabres opened training camp on Wednesday under a tight schedule. They played two preseason games in Buffalo before traveling to Europe, where they will play an exhibition game against German pro team Red Bull in Munich on Friday. They then head to the Czech Republic to open the season playing two games against New Jersey in Prague on Oct. 4-5.
Dahlin, addressing Buffalo reporters for the first time since camp opened, said he hasn’t given the captaincy much thought. He sustained a mid-body injury early into his first practice and rejoined the team for practice on Tuesday.
Whether or not Dahlin is named captain, what’s not in question is his growing influence among teammates.
“For Ras to be able to do that, show how big of a leader he is, and he’s not doing it for show, he’s doing it because he wants to help guys,” said Alex Tuch, who was unable to partake in Dahlin’s camp due to family reasons. “It’s easy to follow a guy like that with so much compete and battle in him. It’s incredible. It make everyone’s else’s life around him easier.”
Utah beats practice facility timeline
Bill Armstrong stood in the Utah Hockey Club locker room at a temporary practice facility as players came and went from a space that didn’t exist not that long ago.
The quick transformation to meet NHL standards is difficult even for the team’s general manager to grasp, and it’s a testament to the commitment management has made since acquiring the then-Arizona Coyotes in April.
New owners Ryan and Ashley Smith could’ve scraped something together to get by while a permanent practice facility is being constructed. But even with a tight timeline, they opted to go all-in, even on a building the club probably won’t use for even a year.
“It’s been as much as I could’ve asked for as a player,” defenseman Sean Durzi said. “They put up a facility for one season for us – and it’s world class – in five months. If that doesn’t scream commitment and all-in and everything that they want us to succeed, I don’t know what does.”
The temporary facility at the Utah Olympic Oval, where many winter Olympians train, was the most pressing and perhaps most difficult undertaking. It was not, however, the only one as the club raced against time after NHL owners approved the franchise’s move on April 18 to get everything ready by the Oct. 8 season opener against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Among the items on the to-do list were an initial renovation of Delta Center, moving players, coaches and front-office personnel from the Phoenix area and breaking ground on a permanent training facility so that it could be completed in time for the 2025-26 season.
Personnel from the NBA’s Utah Jazz, also owned by the Smiths, assisted in those efforts. Jazz business relationships in the Salt Lake City area also eased the transition.
The temporary facility was the most urgent priority because players spend far more time there than at the arena. Having the Utah Olympic Oval also helped because much of what was needed was already in place.
But not everything. The locker room, coaches’ offices, video room and players lounge needed to be created.
“We don’t have the space at the Oval that we’re going to have at a permanent facility,” said Jazz President Jim Olson, who also heads facility projects for Smith Entertainment Group. “So we had to tighten up the spaces. It was important to us that it just wasn’t a makeshift facility, but the players could really feel good there and feel like it gave them what they needed to be able to achieve what their goals are, and that’s to be a great hockey team.”
Any hockey team, a great one or not, needs an acceptable place to play, and Delta Center wasn’t NHL-ready when the Coyotes were purchased. The 33-year-old arena was built for the Jazz, undergoing a $125 million renovation in 2017.
To get the building prepared for the season opener, locker rooms, coaches’ offices and an area for the training staff were needed. Olson said it was important that players have a direct pathway to the ice, especially crucial when an injury occurs so the athlete can quickly return to the locker room.
The broadcast team, game operations and media also needed working areas.
And the fans needed to be able to watch the game without obstructions – at least most nights. Capacity for this season is 11,131, with seats with obstructed views added for select games. Future arena renovations will add to the capacity and what officials hope is an improved game experience.
“To get the sightlines where we need, it’ll be a significant renovation of the entire bowl – upper bowl, lower bowl, everything,” Olson said. “Because it’s taking all of our efforts to get ready for this season, we’ve only looked at that at a very high level. But after we know everything’s working well this year, we’ll start more of our focus on the future.”
Skyler Brind’Amour plays first NHL game
Skyler Brind’Amour is looking to make a good impression on the Hurricanes, and his father, coach Rod Brind’Amour.
The younger Brind’Amour played in his first NHL game with his father behind the bench in Carolina’s 2-1 preseason victory at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.
“Once the game started, it was just playing hockey,” he said. “I had a lot of fun playing. It’s always cool to put on the NHL sweater, especially one from your hometown.”
Rod Brind’Amour said he didn’t really think about coaching his son during the game but called it a special moment to look back at.
“In the heat of it, he’s trying to prove himself, and we’re just trying to get through a day here,” Rod Brind’Amour said. “But is was nice … a nice moment.”
Carolina signed Skyler Brind’Amour to a professional tryout deal on Wednesday after the 25-year-old center played 54 games last season in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers.
He played on Quinnipiac University’s 2022-23 national championship team that won the title at Amalie Arena, the site of Tuesday’s game.
“I was there, too,” Rod Brind’Amour said. “That was probably a better moment to share than this one, I’ll tell you that.”
“Definitely love this building,” Skyler Brind’Amour added. “It’s been good to us so far”
Skylar Brind’Amour was born in Raleigh and played his youth hockey in the area where his father has had an iconic career as a player and a coach.
The elder Brind’Amour was traded to Carolina in January 2000 from Philadelphia and stayed until he retired in 2010. He spent seven seasons as an assistant coach before taking over in 2018.
“He’s trying to round out a little bit,” Rod Brind’Amour said. “He’s still just trying to find his way, so this a good opportunity for him.”
Skylar Brind’Amour played 18 shifts that totaled 14:10.
He won 500 faceoffs as a faceoff specialist at Quinnipiac. After struggling in the first period Tuesday, he won all six faceoffs during the second to end at 50% (7 of 14).
“I’m sure he’ll have a couple of clips for me at the end because I lost few in a row,” Skyler Brind’Amour said. “Obviously it’s a different level, faceoffs out here against those stronger NHL guys. It’s good learning experience.”
Rod Brind’Amour has one of the top faceoff marks for the Hurricanes with a faceoff win percentage of 59.3.
Skyler Brind’Amour played against Carolina in a preseason game last year with the Florida Panthers.
Michigan-area hockey schedule
(SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER)
Wednesday’s games
▶ Red Wings at Blackhawks, 8
▶ NTDP U17 at Minot, 8:15
Friday’s games
▶ Blackhawks at Red Wings, 7
▶ NTDP U18 at Fargo, 8
▶ NTDP U17 at Shreveport, 6:15
Saturday’s games
▶ Penguins at Red Wings, 7
▶ NTDP U18 at Fargo, 7
▶ NTDP U17 at Minnesota, 6:15
Monday, Sept. 30
▶ Red Wings at Sabres, 7
Tuesday, Oct. 1
▶ Red Wings at Penguins, 7
Thursday, Oct. 3
▶ Maple Leafs at Red Wings, 7
Friday, Oct. 4
▶ Senators at Red Wings, 7
▶ Michigan State at Lake Superior State, 6
▶ Michigan at Minnesota State, 7
▶ Miami (Ohio) at Ferris State, 8
▶ NTDP U18 at Notre Dame, noon
Saturday, Oct. 5
▶ Red Wings at Maple Leafs, 7
▶ Michigan State at Lake Superior State, 4
▶ Michigan at Minnesota State, 6
▶ Northern Michigan at Michigan Tech, 6
▶ Miami (Ohio) at Ferris State, 8
▶ NTDP U18 at Western Michigan, 6
▶ NTDP U17 at MEL All-Stars, 1
Sunday, Oct. 6
▶ NTDP U17 at MEL All-Stars, 10a
Thursday, Oct. 10
▶ Penguins at Red Wings, 7
Friday, Oct. 11
▶ Milwaukee at Grand Rapids, 7
▶ Boston College at Michigan State, 6
▶ Michigan at Arizona State, 3:30
▶ Ferris State at Western Michigan, 7
▶ Northern Michigan at Colorado College, 9
▶ Alaska at Michigan Tech, 7
▶ Lake Superior State at NTDP U18, 7
▶ NTDP U17 at Sioux City, 9
Saturday, Oct. 12
▶ Predators at Red Wings, 7
▶ Grand Rapids at Rockford, 8
▶ Boston College at Michigan State, 6
▶ Michigan at Arizona State, 5
▶ Western Michigan at Ferris State, 7
▶ Northern Michigan at Colorado College, 8
▶ Alaska at Michigan Tech, 6
▶ Robert Morris at NTDP U18, 7
▶ NTDP U17 at Sioux City, 7
Monday, Oct. 14
▶ Red Wings at Rangers, 7
Thursday, Oct. 17
▶ Rangers at Red Wings, 7:30
▶ Bowling Green at Western Michigan, 7
Friday, Oct. 18
▶ Manitoba at Grand Rapids, 7
▶ Windsor at Michigan State, 6
▶ St. Cloud at Michigan, 7
▶ Alaska Anchorage at Northern Michigan, 7
▶ Ferris State at St. Lawrence, TBA
▶ NTDP U18 at Harvard, 7
▶ Muskegon at NTDP U17, 7
Saturday, Oct. 19
▶ Red Wings at Predators, 2
▶ Manitoba at Grand Rapids, 7
▶ St. Cloud at Michigan, 7
▶ York University at Western Michigan, 6
▶ Alaska Anchorage at Northern Michigan, 6
▶ Ferris State at St. Lawrence, TBA
▶ NTDP U18 at Boston College, noon
▶ Muskegon at NTDP U17, 7
Tuesday, Oct. 22
▶ Red Wings at Islanders, 7:45
Thursday, Oct. 24
▶ Devils at Red Wings, 7
Friday, Oct. 25
▶ Grand Rapids at Springfield, 7
▶ Michigan State at Canisius, 7
▶ Arizona State at Northern Michigan, 6
▶ Clarkson at Michigan Tech, 7
▶ Bemidji State at Ferris State, 7
▶ NTDP U18 at Michigan, 7
▶ NTDP U17 at Dubuque, 8
Saturday, Oct. 26
▶ Red Wings at Sabres, 1
▶ Grand Rapids at Lehigh Valley, 7
▶ Michigan State at Canisius, 7
▶ Western Michigan at Boston College, 7
▶ Clarkson at Michigan Tech, 6
▶ Bemidji State at Ferris State, 6
▶ NTDP U18 at Adrian, 3
▶ NTDP U17 at Dubuque, 8
Sunday, Oct. 27
▶ Oilers at Red Wings, 6
▶ Grand Rapids at Lehigh Valley, 3
Wednesday, Oct. 30
▶ Jets at Red Wings, 7:30
▶ Grand Rapids at Hartford, 7
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Publish date : 2024-09-24 16:37:00
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