The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, freshman Dylan Larkin already leads the team in assists and is tied for sec- ond overall in team scoring. Seventeen-year-old defenseman Zach Werenski skates with Michigan in his freshman season due to his drive to compete at a higher level. Originally slated to spend this year of development with the U.S. Na- tional Team Development program, Werenski dedicated himself to finish- ing his high school degree require- ments a year early by spending his summer completing course work. The early year of experience and exposure at a high-level university hockey program like Michigan will enhance Werenski's chances of being drafted highly in next June's 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He is a consen- sus top-10 first round pick, rated as high as No. 5 overall by International Scouting Services (ISS). Examining why these high-level prospects chose college hockey and Michigan in particular, how they view their on- and off-ice develop- ment, how they approach their se- lection in the NHL Entry Draft and what recommendations they'd give a young hockey player approach- ing the college stage of development gives insight into the development of a professional hockey career through college hockey. Nieves never was in doubt that col- lege hockey and Michigan provided the path he wanted to follow. "Picking Michigan was an easy decision," Nieves said. "You see the guys that come out of here, the [Mike] Cammalleris, the [Max] Pacio- rettys, the [Kevin] Porters, the [Matt] Hunwicks. It's really easy to come to a program like this. Red [Beren- son] has built it from the bottom up. All the way down the line, [assistant coach] Billy [Powers] and [assistant coach Brian] Wiseman, all those guys push us to do our best every day. "Any college in general, you're playing against bigger, stronger, faster teams, and especially so at Michigan. We're usually a pretty young team, so we're playing against bigger, older guys. It's a challenge. We always get the other teams' best games." After a positional switch, Nieves hopes he has found the key to further improvement in his offensive output. "Confidence has been my No. 1 key," he continued. "Last year was a tough year for me and I didn't have a lot of confidence. This year feels different. I was moved to wing [from center] and I know Coach [Berenson] wants me to take the puck to the net aggressively. "I have been and it's been working out for me. Playing with guys like JT and [sophomore forward Max] Shuart has definitely made my job easier." Of his draft selection back in June 2012, Nieves said: "It was awesome. New York is one of my favorite cities. So, I was really lucky to get drafted by [the Rangers]. "I got good vibes from all the meetings. It was definitely a surreal experience." Nieves noted that playing on the college level has helped him be a well-rounded person. "Going to college means you defi-