On Monday, a month-long break in between regular season games officially turned into an opportunity to compete for a world junior championship for four members of the No. 14 Michigan hockey team.
Sophomore defenseman Seamus Casey and sophomore forwards Frank Nazar III, Rutger McGroarty and Gavin Brindley were selected to the preliminary roster for Team USA.
They will attend training camp next week in Plymouth, Michigan, to compete for a spot on the final roster and the opportunity to represent their country at the World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Brindley and McGroarty played for Team USA last year, and Casey also made the final roster but didn’t end up playing a single minute in the tournament.
Former Wolverine Adam Fantilli — now playing in the NHL for the Columbus Blue Jackets — represented Canada last year.
After an underwhelming team finish for the United States, and a surprising lack of production by Fantilli, all three got another chance to finish strong at Michigan and returned with a fire lit underneath them.
“I thought Brinds, Adam and Rutger came back and their second halves were unreal,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said Nov. 28. “I think Adam was motivated by his situation. I think Brinds was motivated, meaning like he had a good World Junior, same with Rutger. So they came back with some confidence.”
Brindley, Fantilli and McGroarty catalyzed the Wolverines’ second-half tear, leading them to an 8-4-2 record to finish the regular season as well as a Big Ten Championship and Frozen Four berth.
This year, Michigan once again hopes that its star players can come back from World Juniors and lead it to a successful second half — a necessary feat after an uninspiring 8-7-3 start to the season.
Casey is expected to have a much increased role as a blue-line presence with valuable offensive upside, and Nazar will have his first opportunity to participate after he was sidelined with injury at this time last season.
McGroarty’s status for World Juniors is in question after he sustained an injury in a win over Penn State on Nov. 17.
He will likely have the opportunity to test out his abilities in camp and see if he is able to compete for a roster spot.
For the eventual Wolverines who play in Sweden, they will compete with and against some of the best talent their age in the world.
With a gauntlet of a Big Ten schedule remaining for Michigan in the second half of the season, that experience playing in high stakes games against stiff competition could be invaluable.
“I think that experience is great,” Naurato said. “It’s the best players in the world under 20, and they can take a lot from it. I just hope they come back healthy.”
That’s the drawback to sending some of your top players off to play more hockey games, of course:
there’s always the risk they get hurt and can’t finish out their Michigan season, let alone attack it with newfound vigor.
The Wolverines hope that the four players come back — from Plymouth or Sweden — with improved skills and confidence, but most of all their health.
If they come back with those three things, they have the opportunity to give Michigan a deja vu moment and trigger a strong second half to keep postseason hopes alive.