Michigan Wolverines: 3 things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving

Reason #3: The Michigan Wolverines hockey team will compete for a national championship in their 2020-21 season.

While conferences across the country have gotten creative to come up with innovative ways to get a 2020-21 season underway, Michigan Athletics and the Big Ten conference worked together on the way to get their hockey teams on the ice.

That being said, the Michigan Wolverines hockey team has looked incredibly strong off the get-go, looking as if they will compete for a national championship come springtime of 2021. The Wolverines are off to a 4-0 start, outscoring opponents 18-4 in the early season.

The roster is young, freshman-driven. Players like Matty Beniers and Thomas Bordeleau, who were products of the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP), have been tearing it up and really helping the Wolverines find ways to finish on top on the scoreboard.

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Forward Kent Johnson, a standout from the BCHL, has also been finding ways to get the puck in the back of the net during his freshman campaign.

The majority of the Wolverines’ talent comes from freshman and sophomores, which could be deadly for years to come.

Even if 2020-21 isn’t the year and they fall short, this talent will make for a lethal team for the next few seasons.

Beyond the freshman forwards, the Wolverines have a freshman defenseman, Owen Power, who is draft-eligible in 2021.

He is not the only draft-eligible player on the roster, but he is likely to go in the top grouping of picks according to some of the early rankings.

Even the Detroit Red Wings should be keeping tabs on Power as the Wolverines look to continue their tear through their season. Especially if the organization has the potential for a high draft pick once again after their 2020-21 season.

It may be early, but the Wolverines look incredibly good, and this could be an incredible chance for them to make a push for a national championship in 2020-21. With Junior goaltender Strauss Mann playing exceptionally well right now, things could line up just right for the Wolverines.

Coach Mel Pearson is in his fourth season as the bench boss of the Wolverines, and he could have one heck of an opportunity in front of him with the talent he has at hand. The Wolverines have six games left on their schedule (sort of), and they will look to head into mid-December in a good spot; and being 4-0 off the rip is a great start.

More games will be announced later, but the Wolverines will likely continue their Big Ten-only schedule (plus Arizona State University), which could be a blessing and a curse. Regardless of what the remainder of their schedule looks like when it is announced, it is fair to assume the Wolverines are going to be a national championship threat.

Fans can be thankful for the Wolverines’ hot start, hoping that they can get things going and end up with a shot at a national championship next Spring.

Happy Thanksgiving!