# 2020–21 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey season

The 2020–21 Michigan Wolverines men's hockey team was the Wolverines' 99th season. They represented the University of Michigan in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season. The team was coached by Mel Pearson, in his fourth year as head coach, and played their home games at Yost Ice Arena. The Wolverines received an at-large bid to the 2021 NCAA Tournament, however, they were removed from the tournament due to positive COVID-19 test results within the program.

## Previous season

During the 2019–20 ice hockey season, Michigan went 18–14–4, including 11–10–3–2 in Big Ten play in a shortened season that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Season

As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the entire college ice hockey season was delayed. Because the NCAA had previously announced that all winter sports athletes would retain whatever eligibility they possessed through at least the following year, none of North Dakota's players would lose a season of play. However, the NCAA also approved a change in its transfer regulations that would allow players to transfer and play immediately rather than having to sit out a season, as the rules previously required.

## Departures

| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
| Jacob Hayhurst | Forward | Canada | Graduation (signed with Greenville Swamp Rabbits) |
| Hayden Lavigne | Goaltender | Canada | Graduation (signed with Birmingham Bulls) |
| Will Lockwood | Forward | United States | Graduation (signed with Vancouver Canucks) |
| Griffin Luce | Defenseman | United States | Graduation (signed with Rapid City Rush) |
| Luke Martin | Defenseman | United States | Graduation (signed with Greenville Swamp Rabbits) |
| Emil Öhrvall | Forward | Sweden | Transferred to Sacred Heart |
| Jack Olmstead | Forward | United States | Transferred to Miami |
| Nick Pastujov | Forward | United States | Graduation (signed with Kansas City Mavericks) |
| Jake Slaker | Forward | United States | Graduation (signed with Greenville Swamp Rabbits) |
| Shane Switzer | Defenseman | United States | Graduation (signed with Tulsa Oilers) |
| Adam Winborg | Forward | Sweden | Graduation (signed with Segeltorps IF) |

## Recruiting

| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
| Matty Beniers | Forward | United States | 17 | Hingham, MA |
| Thomas Bordeleau | Forward | United States | 18 | Houston, TX; Selected 38th overall in 2020 |
| Brendan Brisson | Forward | United States | 18 | Manhattan Beach, CA; Selected 29th overall in 2020 |
| Josh Groll | Forward | United States | 19 | San Diego, CA |
| Steve Holtz | Defenseman | United States | 21 | White Lake, MI |
| Kent Johnson | Forward | Canada | 17 | Port Moody, BC |
| Philippe Lapointe | Forward | United States | 20 | Hinsdale, IL |
| Erik Portillo | Goaltender | Sweden | 20 | Göteborg, SWE; Selected 67th overall in 2019 |
| Owen Power | Defenseman | Canada | 17 | Mississauga, ON |
| Jacob Truscott | Defenseman | United States | 18 | Fort Gratiot, MI; Selected 144th overall in 2020 |

## Roster

As of September 1, 2020

## Coaching staff

| Name | Position coached | Seasons at Michigan |
| Mel Pearson | Head Coach | 4th |
| Bill Muckalt | Associate head coach | 4th |
| Kris Mayotte | Assistant Coach | 2nd |
| Matt Hunwick | Volunteer Assistant Coach | 2nd |
| Steve Shields | Program Assistant | 3rd |
| Rick Bancroft | Director of Hockey Operations | 3rd |
| Joe Maher | Head Strength and Conditioning Coach | 8th |
| Reference: ||||

## Standings

2020–21 Big Ten ice hockey Standingsvte :
| | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record |
| | GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | 3/SW | PTS | PT% | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA |
| #8 Wisconsin † | 24 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 52 | .722 | 92 | 52 | 31 | 20 | 10 | 1 | 118 | 80 |
| #7 Minnesota * | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | .727 | 69 | 44 | 31 | 24 | 7 | 0 | 117 | 64 |
| #9 Michigan | 20 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 32 | .550 | 69 | 45 | 26 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 91 | 51 |
| #17 Notre Dame | 24 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 41 | .542 | 65 | 53 | 29 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 84 | 78 |
| Penn State | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 20 | .389 | 48 | 68 | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 65 | 81 |
| Ohio State | 22 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | .273 | 39 | 82 | 27 | 7 | 19 | 1 | 53 | 101 |
| Michigan State | 22 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 | .250 | 32 | 70 | 27 | 7 | 18 | 2 | 40 | 77 |
| Championship: March 16, 2021 † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll |||||||||||||||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date | Time | Opponent$^#$ | Rank$^#$ | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record |
| Regular season ||||||||||
| November 14 | 3:00 PM | #15 Arizona State* | #12 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Mann | W 8–1 | 80 | 1–0 |
| November 15 | 7:00 PM | #15 Arizona State* | #12 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN | Mann | W 3–0 | 72 | 2–0 |
| November 19 | 6:00 PM | at #14 Wisconsin | #6 | Kohl Center • Madison, WI | FSD | Mann | W 5–2 | 0 | 3–0 (1–0) |
| November 20 | 6:00 PM | at #14 Wisconsin | #6 | Kohl Center • Madison, WI | FSD | Mann | W 2–1 $^{OT}$ | 0 | 4–0 (2–0) |
| November 27 | 7:00 PM | Notre Dame | #4 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN+ | Mann | L 2–3 | 0 | 4–1 (2–1) |
| November 28 | 7:00 PM | Notre Dame | #4 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN+ | Mann | L 1–2 | 0 | 4–2 (2–2) |
| December 2 | 6:00 PM | at Penn State | #7 | Pegula Ice Arena • State College, PA | | Mann | W 3–1 | 153 | 5–2 (3–2) |
| December 3 | 6:00 PM | at Penn State | #7 | Pegula Ice Arena • State College, PA | BTN+ | Mann | L 5–9 | 166 | 5–3 (3–3) |
| December 8 | 8:00 PM | #4 Minnesota | #5 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN | Mann | L 1–3 | 0 | 5–4 (3–4) |
| December 9 | 6:30 PM | #4 Minnesota | #5 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN | Mann | L 0–4 | 0 | 5–5 (3–5) |
| January 8 | 7:00 PM | Michigan State | #8 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | BTN+ | Mann | W 9–0 | 80 | 6–5 (4–5) |
| January 9 | 4:30 PM | at Michigan State | #8 | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, MI (Rivalry) | | Mann | L 2–3 | 100 | 6–6 (4–6) |
| January 15 | 7:00 PM | Ohio State | #9 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Portillo | W 4–2 | 69 | 7–6 (5–6) |
| January 16 | 7:00 PM | Ohio State | #9 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN | Mann | W 5–0 | 70 | 8–6 (6–6) |
| January 21 | 6:30 PM | at #16 Notre Dame | #8 | Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN (Rivalry) | | Portillo | W 5–1 | 136 | 9–6 (7–6) |
| January 22 | 6:30 PM | at #16 Notre Dame | #8 | Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN (Rivalry) | NBCSN | Mann | W 3–1 | 138 | 10–6 (8–6) |
| February 3 | 7:00 PM | Penn State | #7 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | | | | | – |
| February 4 | 7:00 PM | Penn State | #7 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | | | | | – |
| February 9 | 7:00 PM | Michigan State | #8 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry) | | | | | – |
| February 13 | 2:00 PM | #7 Wisconsin | #8 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN | Portillo | W 5–1 | 93 | 11–6 (9–6) |
| February 14 | 5:00 PM | #7 Wisconsin | #8 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Mann | L 2–3 | 98 | 11–7 (9–7) |
| February 19 | 5:30 PM | at Ohio State | #7 | Value City Arena • Columbus, OH | BTN+ | Portillo | L 2–3 | 0 | 11–8 (9–8) |
| February 20 | 5:30 PM | at Ohio State | #7 | Value City Arena • Columbus, OH | BTN+ | Mann | W 6–0 | 0 | 12–8 (10–8) |
| February 26 | 7:00 PM | Arizona State | #7 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Portillo | W 4–1 | 61 | 13–8 (10–8) |
| February 27 | 7:00 PM | Arizona State | #7 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN+ | Mann | T 1–1 | 71 | 13–8–1 (10–8) |
| March 5 | 8:00 PM | at #3 Minnesota | #7 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN (Rivalry) | FSD | Mann | W 5–2 | 0 | 14–8–1 (11–8) |
| March 6 | 5:00 PM | at #3 Minnesota | #7 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN (Rivalry) | BTN | Mann | L 2–4 | 0 | 14–9–1 (11–9) |
| March 10 | TBA | at Michigan State | | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, MI (Rivalry) | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Big Ten Tournament ||||||||||
| March 14 | 8:30 PM | vs. Ohio State | #6 | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, IN (Quarterfinals) | BTN | Mann | W 4–0 | 119 | 15–9–1 |
| March 15 | 8:30 PM | vs. #4 Minnesota | #7 | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, IN (Semifinals) | BTN | Mann | L 2–3 $^{OT}$ | 123 | 15–10–1 |
| NCAA Tournament ||||||||||
| March 26 | 4:00 PM | vs. #9 Minnesota Duluth | #8 | Scheels Arena • Fargo, ND (Regional semifinals) | ESPNU | Cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols | Cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols | Cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols | Cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. Source: ||||||||||

## Rankings

| Poll | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 (Final) |
| USCHO.com | 12 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | — | 9 |
| USA Today | 12 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
USCHO did not release a poll in week 20.

## Awards and honors

| Player | Award |
| Thomas Bordeleau | Tim Taylor Award |
| Cameron York | AHCA West First Team All-American |
| Cameron York | Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year |
| Thomas Bordeleau | Big Ten Freshman of the Year |
| Cameron York | Big Ten First Team |
| Thomas Bordeleau | Big Ten Second Team |
| Strauss Mann | Big Ten Second Team |
| Owen Power | Big Ten Second Team |
| Matty Beniers | Big Ten Freshman Team |
| Thomas Bordeleau | Big Ten Freshman Team |
| Kent Johnson | Big Ten Freshman Team |
| Owen Power | Big Ten Freshman Team |

## Players drafted into the NHL

Michigan had four players selected in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Brendan Brisson was drafted in the first-round, becoming the 25th first-round NHL Draft selection for Michigan, which leads all NCAA teams. Michigan had three players drafted in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Owen Power became the first Wolverine to be drafted first overall.
| Year | Round | Pick | Player | NHL team |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | Owen Power | Buffalo Sabres |
| 2021 | 1 | 2 | Matty Beniers | Seattle Kraken |
| 2021 | 1 | 5 | Kent Johnson | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| 2020 | 1 | 29 | Brendan Brisson | Vegas Golden Knights |
| 2020 | 2 | 38 | Thomas Bordeleau | San Jose Sharks |
| 2020 | 4 | 120 | Ethan Edwards | New Jersey Devils |
| 2020 | 5 | 144 | Jacob Truscott | Vancouver Canucks |