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Noah and his Ark had nothing on late 2018-19 hockey season Michigan hockey commit followers.

Wolverine fans were able to do some future star-gazing, celebrating the exploits of four pairs of Michigan-committed players and one lone sniper, from five different destinations across North America.

It should be noted that the Michigan commits discussed below will improve the Michigan product on the ice, but rival Big Ten teams are recruiting strongly as well. The Big Ten has a strong future on the ice.

Fabled Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep in Minnesota was the 2018-19 home of a duo of forwards slated to hit Ann Arbor in the fall of 2020. Brendan Brisson and Mackie Samoskevich put up big offensive numbers this season at Shattuck before each moved on to finish the season in the United States Hockey League (USHL), their likely home for the 2019-20 season.

Brisson, a 5-10, 175-pound forward and son of famed super-agent Pat Brisson, recorded 38 goals and 50 assists for Shattuck in 51 games before a late-season move to Green Bay of the USHL, where he scored a goal in six contests. Brisson is a heady player with an offensive game that has improved steadily this season.

Samoskevich, a little lighter than Brisson at 5-10 and 165 pounds, uses quickness and strong skating to fuel his offensive game. In 47 games at Shattuck, Samoskevich bagged 34 goals and added 37 assists before logging an assist in his one-game, late-season stint at Chicago (USHL).

After steady but unspectacular stints in the NAHL, Nick Granowicz had a breakout offensive season after a move to the BCHL Merritt Centennials in 2018-19. The 6-1, 185-pound right wing earned second-team BCHL All-Star honors for his 32 goals and 27 assists in 58 games. Improved skating and strength earned him kudos as a two-way power forward with the ability to score. Granowicz is slated to join Michigan this fall.

Another breakout performer, the 5-11, 165-pound Kent Johnson put his high-speed skills to good use as one of the youngest skater in the BCHL. Johnson created highlight-reel plays with his electric offensive aptitude for former Wolverine Jeff Tambellini, now the head coach at Trail (BCHL). Johnson’s 20 goals and 26 assists in 57 games earned him BCHL All-Rookie Team status. Johnson is aiming for a 2020 arrival in Ann Arbor.

Currently in intense preparation for the IIHF World U18 Championships, to be held in late April in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, Cam York and John Beecher continue to play key roles for the U-18 national team before moving on to Michigan this fall.

York, a 5-11, 170-pound left defenseman and the heir apparent to Quinn Hughes running Michigan’s power play, recently became the leading defenseman point producer in NTDP history after setting the single-game points record earlier in the season. Unlike Hughes’ puck possession style, York is a premium passer and skater, with the ability to supply plenty of offense when called upon.

A 6-2, 200-pound, all-around forward, Beecher has the size and skating/puck handling skills to impact the Michigan program immediately.

Even though their time at Yost Ice Arena wearing maize and blue is still significantly in the distance, this pair of future Wolverine defensemen will both affect Mel Pearson’s Wolverines positively on their arrival. Playing for rivals in the HPHL, Hunter Brzustewicz with Honeybaked and Seamus Casey with Compuware, they bring very high and surprising levels of skill at such a young age.

Brzustewicz is one of the most advanced defensive prodigies this observer has seen at such a young age. Two steps ahead of both his teammates and opponents, Brzustewicz sees the ice and takes advantage of opportunities with both skating and passing skills. His smoothness often belies the effectiveness of his play. It’s a long time till the fall of 2021, but Brzustewicz is a difference-maker.

Casey lulls one into a false sense of security with pedestrian-appearing interest before releasing high-paced, top-notch skills suddenly. When the puck hits his stick, his pace of play explodes. Playing both forward and defense, Casey has a top-end complete game when at full speed.

Emil Ohrvall hopes to become the heir apparent to Carl Hagelin’s Swedish presence near the top of Michigan’s scoring stats. After an unimpressive freshman year at RPI in 2017-18, the 5-11, 165-pound Ohrvall opted to return to Waterloo (USHL) to re-capture some of his offensive mojo.

Like Brisson and Samoskevich, as a graduate of the Shattuck St. Mary’s prep program, Ohrvall has put forward an offensively dominant USHL season in 2018-19, scoring 31 goals and adding 32 assists for Waterloo, the fourth-highest goal output in the league, earning him the seventh-overall position on the scoresheet in the USHL. Ohrvall is a solid playmaker, but it’s his potent wrist shot that serves as his calling card as an effective sniper.

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