Everything Brandon Naurato said during his pre-Frozen Four press conference
Q. What are you anticipating out of BC? And how do you think you guys match up?
BRANDON NAURATO: They're the number one team in the country. They won the regular season. They won the playoffs. First off, congrats on all four girls (indiscernible). That's awesome.
They're a good team and we have a ton of respect for them and their staff. With video nowadays they know what we're about and we know what they're about. It just comes down to executing, like Phil talked about.
Just with the momentum swings, even in that Alabama game, we're watching the football team, it's just making the big play at the right time, but you don't know when that time's going to come. You don't know if it's a big or small play, but just stacking all those together and making sure we're on the right side of it.
Q. Phil kind of mentioned how important the break is, especially for a guy like Seamus coming back. But what does Seamus coming back this week do for your team?
BRANDON NAURATO: It's huge. He's one of the leaders in the D core. Super proud of the guys for stepping up when he wasn't around. We're happy to have him back in a lot of different areas.
Q. What has Rutger McGroarty meant to your team? And what have you seen from him this season?
BRANDON NAURATO: Just a leader. One of those guys that brings energy every room that he walks into. Always positive, smiling, makes you smile. And obviously a great player on the ice.
But just Rutger and that sophomore class, but all these guys, just a really good example of good people and what Michigan is all about.
Q. Bringing your team in here, it's a different environment again. Every Frozen Four is a little different. Are there more distractions, the same distractions? How do you keep it simple?
BRANDON NAURATO: I think that's probably one of the biggest things we've talked about that we learned from -- not that it was a negative in the past -- but just that it's easy to get distracted. I don't think, if you ask the guys, that we're just excited to be here in the past. I think they're ready to go.
But this year it's, like, we may look back on it in 5, 10, 15 years and be happy that we went to three Frozen Fours in a row, but we're here to win. And we've got to earn that and we have a lot of work to do and it starts on Thursday.
Q. Do you see any similarities from the team two years ago? I know you weren't head coach then, but you came into Boston with seven first-round picks. Do you see any similarities to the talent that BC brings in with the four first-round picks and the guys that played up for the program?
BRANDON NAURATO: Yeah, big time. There can be nothing going on. And they can have ultra-talented players that can make something happen out of nothing.
I think that's the biggest thing with the momentum shifts; you feel like, oh, this team is outshooting the other time 9-to-1 in this segment. They deserve to score. That's the difference when you have game breakers. You can be getting out-shot or out-played, and they put one in the back of the net and it changes all the momentum.
Q. Again just to talk a little bit about your fan base, your band. I kind of joked in the Maryland Heights about it seemed like between you and Michigan State, your bands are having their own battle, how much does that excite your team and motivate them to go forward?
BRANDON NAURATO: It's huge. I think Michigan in general has the largest alumni network in the world. From the band to the Children of Yost, to just the regular students, the support has been unbelievable. We probably don't appreciate it enough until you're not here and you look back or you watch other programs.
But that's why Michigan is what they're all about is because of the support.
Q. Going back to last offseason when you brought in Marshall Warren, I guess what were you kind of expecting out of him? Now that you've got to coach him for a year, what are your takeaways and what has he been like?
BRANDON NAURATO: Just a leader, a veteran, mature kid. Brings nothing but positive energy in the room. Pushes other people to be the best versions of themselves. I think Marsh had a good first half with Edwards out. He probably took on too much, like a lot of those guys in regards to ice time and trying to take care of the D core.
But he's been outstanding in the second half. And even just simplifying his game, being hard, but just being a leader in the room, on and off the ice, and making plays in big moments. He's been great.
Q. How valuable is the experience that Jake Barczewski brings, being a fifth-year player?
BRANDON NAURATO: He's a four-year starter at Canisius. Obviously played in the tournament and won the playoff championship with them.
I think he's gained a ton of experience this year playing in big events like the Duel in the D and the Big Ten championship on the road, and the NCAA regionals in his hometown.
We believe in Barzo. He's another guy that brings positive energy. And the guys want what's best for him. I think he's going to be outstanding on Thursday night.
Q. So there's a lot of players from the U.S. NTDP program on both sides have. You guys talked about that at all in the locker room, or is it just push that out, do your own thing?
BRANDON NAURATO: I think a lot of these guys have played with and against each other, whether on World Juniors or in junior hockey or at the national program. The top 17-year-olds go there at one point, and BC has a lot of them and we have a lot of them. Just a credit to the recruiting and what that program's built.
Q. Phil mentioned how Coach Moore talked to the team. Is that something you helped set up? Have you talked to him at all about managing going to a championship, a playoff?
BRANDON NAURATO: Yeah, we spent time with him as a staff and we had a really good talk. And then he asked if he could come talk to the players, too. It was quick, simple stuff, but stuff that matters.
If you haven't been here before you wouldn't appreciate his messaging, but it was really good. It's just a business approach. We're here like any other road trip all year. We're not walking around the town, like, just happy to be here. We've got a job to do, and we're ready to do it.
Q. You know, you mentioned the amount of draft picks you guys have and BC has and in general BU and DU as well. How exciting is it for college hockey to really continue to grow and put elite hockey talent on the map? Before it was more let's go play juniors, but now you have some of the best players in the world saying let's go play college hockey.
BRANDON NAURATO: To me, with this Frozen Four and Buium from Denver and the line at BC and Gauthier and what he's doing. Macklin Celebrini is probably going to go No. 1 overall. It's a great time for college hockey. I think it's only going up. I think it's super exciting.
We've been talking to some recruits recently and they're picking like every high-end 15-, 16-year-old between major, junior, it's not even close. We're a little biased.
But it's really impressive what college hockey has done every conference, and I think it's going to keep getting better and better.
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