Season Review: 2023-24 Michigan Ice Hockey

• Captain: Jacob Truscott
• Alternate Captains: Gavin Brindley, Dylan Duke, Ethan Edwards, Philippe Lapointe, Rutger McGroarty, Marshall Warren
• Record: 23-15-3; 11-11-2 Big Ten Conference
• Big Ten Tournament: 2nd Place
• NCAA: Semifinals

The University of Michigan ice hockey team earned its third consecutive Frozen Four appearance after winning the NCAA Midwest Regional, knocking off North Dakota and Michigan State. The Wolverines made their third straight appearance in the Big Ten Tournament Championship, sweeping Notre Dame at home before topping Minnesota on the road. After a loss to the Spartans in the tournament title game, the Wolverines exacted revenge to end Sparty's season in the NCAA Tournament and send Michigan to a record 28th Frozen Four appearance.

Team Highlights

• The Wolverine reached the program's 28th Frozen Four in 2024, dispatching North Dakota and Michigan State to win the NCAA Midwest Regional. It was sweet revenge for Michigan, who had a week before lost to MSU in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, its fourth straight loss to Sparty. The Wolverines' run came to an end in the semifinals against top-seeded Boston College in Saint Paul, Minn.

• Michigan boasted the top power play in the nation, converting on 33.6 percent (50-for-149). During the season, Michigan scored six power-play goals in a single game, the first time since 1996.

• The sophomore class produced 297 total points during the season, more points than 36 entire NCAA Division I teams, and was responsible for 63.3 percent of the Michigan offense.

• This year's team featured six point-per-game players -- Gavin Brindley (1.33 ppg), Rutger McGroarty (1.44 ppg), Dylan Duke (1.20 ppg), T.J. Hughes (1.17 ppg), Seamus Casey (1.13 ppg) and Frank Nazar III (1.00 ppg) -- something no Michigan team has done in the modern era. For reference, the 2006-07 team had five.

• The Wolverines averaged 4.12 goals per game, ranking third nationally in scoring offense. The Maize and Blue had 169 goals in 41 games.

Individual Highlights

• Frank Nazar III went viral with his "Michigan 2.0" goal in the NCAA Regional final against MSU, a between the legs backhanded pass to teammate Gavin Brindley to make it 4-2 Michigan. Nazar and Brindley along with Dylan Duke, Marshall Warren and Jake Barczewski were named All-Region.

• Brindley was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, becoming the second Wolverine to earn the honor (Kyle Connor '16). He also captured the Big Ten scoring crown with 29 points in 24 games.

• Michigan accounted for half of the Big Ten's first all-conference teams with forwards Brindley and Rutger McGroarty being joined by Casey. In total, seven Wolverines were honored as All-Big Ten honorees.

• McGroarty was twice named the National Player of the Month during the season, in October and January.

• Brindley and Casey were named first team All-Americans with McGroarty capturing second-team honors. The trio are the 102nd, 103rd and 104th All-Americans in program history.

• Duke was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Midwest Regional after a five-point weekend. He scored four goals and one assist to reach 100 career points during the weekend against the No. 4- and No. 5-ranked teams in the nation.

• In January, four Wolverines won gold medals at the IIHF World Junior Championship. Team captain McGroarty, along with Brindley, Casey and Nazar collectively totaled 33 points. Nazar set the record for most assists in a single tournament by Wolverine in World Juniors history with eight and McGroarty surpassing Andy Hilbert for most assists in a World Junior career with 10.

• At the conclusion of the season, seven players signed NHL contracts with two making their debuts (Nazar with the Chicago Blackhawks and Brindley with the Columbus Blue Jackets). They become the 115th and 116th Wolverines to make their NHL debuts.

Honors and Awards

Gavin
Brindley

Seamus
Casey

Dylan
Duke

T.J.
Hughes

Rutger
McGroarty

Frank
Nazar III

NCAA
Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player: Dylan Duke
All-Region Team: Dylan Duke, Gavin Brindley, Frank Nazar III, Marshall Warren, Jake Barczewski

HCA
National Player of the Week: Rutger McGroarty (Nov. 1, Feb. 6)

AHCA/CCM
All-America (First Team): Gavin Brindley, Seamus Casey
All-America (Second Team): Rutger McGroarty

Big Ten Conference
Player of the Year: Gavin Brindley
All-Big Ten (First Team): Gavin Brindley, Rutger McGroarty, Seamus Casey
All-Big Ten (Second Team): Dylan Duke
All-Big Ten (Honorable Mention): T.J. Hughes, Frank Nazar III
All-Freshman Team: Garrett Schifsky
Sportsmanship Award: Jacob Truscott
All-Tournament Team: Gavin Brindley, Seamus Casey, Rutger McGroarty

Big Ten Stars of the Week
First Star: Rutger McGroarty (Oct. 10, Jan. 23), Gavin Brindley (Jan. 16), Frank Nazar III (Jan. 30), Jake Barczewski (Feb. 27)
Second Star: Jake Barczewski (Oct. 24, Nov. 28), T.J. Hughes (Oct. 31)
Third Star: Jake Barczewski (Feb. 5)

Academic All-Big Ten
Seamus Casey, So., LSA Undeclared, Ft. Myers, Fla.
Kienan Draper, So., Sport Management, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Dylan Duke, Jr., Sport Management, Strongsville, Ohio
Tyler Duke, So., LSA Undeclared, Strongsville, Ohio
Ethan Edwards, Jr., Sport Management, St. Albert, Alberta
Josh Eernisse, So., Sport Management, Eagan, Minn.
Mark Estapa, Jr., Business Administration, St. Clair, Mich.
Luca Fantilli, So., Sport Management, Nobleton, Ontario
Jackson Hallum, So., Business Administration, Eagan, Minn.
Steven Holtz, Sr., Mechanical Engineering, White Lake, Mich.
T.J. Hughes, So., Sport Management, Hamilton, Ontario
Philippe Lapointe, Sr., Sport Management, Novi, Mich.
Rutger McGroarty, So., LSA Undeclared, Lincoln, Neb.
Frank Nazar III, So., LSA Undeclared, Mount Clemens, Mich.
Jacob Truscott, Sr., Applied Exercise Science, Port Huron, Mich.