Brandon Naurato On DuPont, Developing Hage And Michigan's Championship Push

At Michigan, talent is never the difficult part. The difficult part is carrying the expectation that follows it, particularly when a roster is deep enough to make every practice a fight for meaningful minutes.

This season begins with that kind of weight around the program. Nearly every eligible Wolverine returned, while a high-end freshman class arrived knowing nothing would be handed to it. For Michigan hockey head coach Brandon Naurato, the early indication is that his players have not shied away from the expectation. They have leaned into it.

The first month of school, he said, has revealed a group that wants to be coached, pushed and held to a standard that will not allow it to coast on reputation.

"Everybody came back that was eligible to because they want to win and nothing else," Naurato said to RG. "It's the fastest-paced team and the most competitive I've ever seen. The people that are here, came back or were brought in, they're not going to get comfortable. They're going to push me. They're going to dig deeper. They want to be coached and want the information."

That is a promising starting point for a team with national-championship aspirations, but Naurato is careful about how he frames it. Michigan's staff can create the environment and correct the course when needed. It cannot manufacture the daily hunger required to make a gifted group live up to its ceiling.

"It has to come from them," he said. "Our job is to guide and right the ship, whether that's culture or style of play. But it's the players that are driving it. They're not doing it because they want to be the best. We want to make sure that we leave no doubt."

Naurato has watched the returning group set that tone for the newcomers during the first month of school. He sees a team that understands a more demanding reality than simply arriving with an NHL résumé or a lofty draft pedigree. The reward, including power-play and penalty-killing opportunities, will follow performance.

The headliners on Michigan's back end will draw immediate attention. Cam Reid and Landon DuPont arrive with elite reputations, while Henry Mews gets ready to make up for lost time after an injury-riddled freshman season.

But Naurato insists none of them chose Ann Arbor because a role was waiting for them.

"Henry Mews, Cam Reid, Landon DuPont, we're in a really good spot," Naurato said. "We want to win, but we don't guarantee guys are going to be on the power play or penalty kill. Credit to them that they want to compete to be the best versions of themselves. They're betting on themselves. They're not coming here because they know they have ice time waiting for themselves."

For Naurato, that choice says as much about the players as the puck skills that made them high-end prospects, especially the 2027 draft's projected No. 1 pick, Landon DuPont.

"DuPont is not a normal 17-year-old. He's mature beyond his years and his game reflects that maturity on the ice in practice," Naurato said. "He's pushing to be the first overall pick, but he's come in with the same work ethic and drive as any of our other freshmen. He came here knowing full well top special-teams minutes would have to be earned."

In his view, their competitiveness, maturity and willingness to embrace a difficult situation are inseparable from their ability.

"Their compete levels are off the charts," Naurato said. "People think of these high-end prospects as just talents, but it's because of their demeanor and their maturity level at a young age. Their drive to be the best is elite. DuPont and Reid were champions in juniors. They came to Michigan to win."

Michigan has also strengthened the infrastructure around that kind of group. Naurato said the program has built industry-leading resources in the past month and a half, with the aim of bringing its technology and sports-science operation closer to the NHL standard.

"We're competing with ourselves," he said.

Michigan is seen by many outlets like 7signs online sportsbook as the Day 1 #1 team in the NCAA hockey pairwise rankings. 

Michigan's incoming stars will command much of the attention, but Naurato knows the season may ultimately be shaped just as much by the players already in the room. The same ones who watched the program's leaders set the pace and are now being asked to move from supporting roles into central ones.

That includes the experienced NCAA players who do not arrive with the same draft-day buzz but know what winning at this level requires.

The opportunity is there, but the players who watched former captain TJ Hughes carry an enormous load last season will have to seize it themselves.

"All those players that watched TJ, they learned and now it's time for somebody to step up," Naurato said. "So it's not about bringing in a new freshman to carry a load. It's about those guys that were there rising to the occasion."

Carolina Hurricanes prospect Jayden Perron is at the top of that group.