J.P. Hurlbert, the top-ranked 2008-born hockey player in the country, made his pledge to Brandon Naurato and the Michigan hockey program on Friday morning. Hurlbert chose the Wolverines over Wisconsin, a battle that went on for months.
Michigan now holds commitment from three of the top six 2008 prospects in the country: Hurlbert (1), Adam Valentini (4) and Zachary Nyman (6).
Hurlbert announced his commitment on Instagram.
"I am honored and excited to announce my commitment to play hockey at the University of Michigan. I would like to thank my family, teammates, coaches, advisors, Dallas Stars Elite and USA Hockey. Go Blue!!!"
As a 5-foot-10, 160-pound forward, Hurlbert is a point machine. His most impressive AAA season came in 2022, when he scored 195 points in 75 games for the Dallas Stars Elite squad. Impressively, Hurlbert found the back of the net 112 times in those 75 contests, which is good for 1.49 goals and 2.6 points per contest.
In his most recent season with the Dallas Stars Elite team, Hurlbert played in 45 games, scored 40 goals, made 36 assists (for a total of 76 points) and had an astounding +/- of 36.
Hurlbert will spend two more years developing before he joins the Wolverines for the 2026-27 season.
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