Mailbag question: Michigan Hockey problems

GBMW,

Thanks for covering Michigan hockey.

My question is with how the team is now playing, does the news of sophomore forward Robbie Czarnik quitting the team and signing with the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) hurt the program now and in the future?

Another question, and the bad news keeps on rolling. Michigan didn’t get a LOI from the top goaltending recruit Jack Campbell, who had made a verbal commitment to Michigan. How does this impact the future of the Michigan program since he looks to be signing with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL.

As if the season hasn’t gone bad enough, now this good news on top of it.

Go Blue!
Sam R.

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Thanks for the question Sam.

I don’t think that anyone covering Michigan hockey is completely surprised that a player (or two) is leaving the program. The chemistry just hasn’t been right on the ice, and the results have reflected a great deal of angst in the locker room.

Czarnik came into the program as a highly sought after blue chip prospect from the USNDTP. The expectations for him to produce as a top offensive playmaker started with the National Program and continued the minute he took the ice for Michigan last season. Unfortunately, he didn’t produce for Michigan and was quite frustrated all season. Coach Berenson has always looked to his senior leadership to foster an environment in which freshmen and sophomores can grow into the expectations of the program. That was no different last season as Michigan had a bevy of leaders.

This season, though, it seems our upper class leadership is not getting it done. My perception is there is individual talent that needs to focus on team goals, and players must be led in that direction. It’s projection, but maybe Robbie felt that the pressure of being thrust into a leadership role as a sophomore, on and off the ice, was too much for him.

It was pretty telling three weeks ago when the team imploded against Miami, taking uncharacteristic poor penalties, including a few of the cheap variety. Red minced no words in stating that, and I paraphrase, “we don’t play that way” and that “they acted like spoiled brats”. The signs were there that the team was acting in private like everything but a team and the coaches would have to reinforce the stated direction of the program. So, Czarnik may be a victim of that reinforcement, as he would rather not have the expectations on his shoulders, nor deal with the pressures of schoolwork and other forces whispering in his ear about his pro future. We can only wish him good luck at Plymouth, and hope that he finds his hockey joy again. He was quoted as saying that even if the team were 10-2, he would feel the same way. He just was not happy, and has not been happy since he arrived. And as a result Czarnik has decided to end his career at Michigan.

So, how does this hurt the program? Well in the immediate future this limits our forward depth considerably. Czarnik is a big, strong speedy forward that has terrific tools, even if the potential didn’t materialize on the scoresheet as much as we wanted it to. The fact is, the potential was there, unlike the guys that will now step in. Probably the team will use a rotation of Freshman Lindsay Sparks, or Senior Anthony Ciraulo. Berenson may also pull up Senior Chris Summers from the defense and reinsert either freshman Lee Moffie or junior Scooter Vaughn back on the blueline. Either way, it leaves little room for sickness or injury. What it does do is reward the guys that stay with the program and give them the welcomed opportunity to step up.

Long term, the above scenario also hurts the program, in that Michigan will have to backfill another scholarship and rebuild a spot with little experience, even if Czarnik’s spot is filled by an existing Freshman or an incoming Freshman in 2010. Which now leads me to your next question regarding Jack Campbell.

Campbell is THE premier U-18 goaltending prospect, playing for the USNDTP. He is a savvy kid with a ton of talent. Unfortunately for Michigan, Campbell was so impressive that he was sold on the notion that he could accelerate his path to the NHL by skipping out on his commitment to Michigan. I am certain that both the Windsor Spitfires and NHL scouts have been giving him the sweet oil in his ear about playing in the OHL for a season and then he would be ready for the NHL. He is quoted as saying that his goal is to be in the NHL in a year or two, and that it wouldn’t be fair to Michigan to commit to a four-year program and only stay one season, thereby leaving UM in a bad situation. Similarly, he went on to say that this is his best option for speeding up his development for the NHL and that his decision was not easy and that he feels awful, but he is grateful to Michigan for the opportunity.

Well, I don’t buy into the twizzle he was given by the NHL, but I do find his explanation sincere at least. The timing really stinks, though, because it now puts Michigan into a position where they will either have to, with all due respect to our current back-up goaltenders, sign a kid to back up Hogan for next season (with hopes of starting in two years) or scramble to find another kid that may be able to jump in and compete with Hogan next year. There really are not that many top ranked goaltenders waiting for offers at this point.

I’ll keep you informed on any developments.

Thank you for your question and for following GBMW.

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Written by Yostmeister

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