Werenski captained the red, white and blue with pride at the world juniors. His next mission: returning the Wolverines to glory
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Winter Solider - Feb. 15, 2016 - Vol. 69, Issue 12 - Ryan Kennedy
LOOK UNDER THE EQUIPMENT of the average hockey team and you might find a T-shirt customized with a special motivational slogan. For the world junior bronze medallists from the United States, the motto was printed on the sides of a triangle surrounded by a circle: Obligation, Courage, Justice. The captain of that squad was Columbus Blue Jackets first-rounder Zach Werenski, and the words meant a lot to him. “Those three words are what USA Hockey is built on,” he said. “You have an obligation to your family, friends and country when you wear that jersey. You go out and play with courage. And with justice, you want to go out and do the right thing at all times. Those are the three legs to the stool, as we call them. Without one of them, it’s not going to stand up.”
Werenski certainly stood up for his country in Helsinki. Not only was he the captain, but the all-around blueliner was also named the tournament’s top defenseman, thanks in part to his nine points in seven games (tied for first among D-men with Finland’s Olli Juolevi). “He’s a steadying influence,” said U.S. coach Ron Wilson. “He moves the puck very well, he shoots the puck incredibly hard, and he’s a solid performer back there.”
Wilson backed up his compliments by giving Werenski ample ice time. He and partner Brandon Carlo, a Boston Bruins second-rounder, logged a ton of it (perhaps too much in the semifinal loss to Russia). Nevertheless, Werenski had the sort of tournament you could expect from one of the NCAA’s top defensemen.
Now in his second year with the University of Michigan, Werenski has been the top-scoring blueliner in the Big Ten conference, despite missing games for the world juniors. He was also lightning for the Wolverines as a freshman, though this season has been a bit more chill. Werenski entered university at 17 and had to cram to finish high school in time for his freshman year in Ann Arbor, completing classes just days before the semester began. So this offseason was a little different. “I didn’t even think about school over the summer,” he said. “I was pretty focused on hockey. It was a ton of fun. There were so many great experiences, and I’m so grateful for all of them. But yeah, school-wise I checked out. Once the semester ended, I was gone.”
Now he’s back, and the mission is clear: get Michigan back into the national championship tournament after an uncharacteristic dry spell of three years. The Wolverines had a great first half, and if Captain America can keep his WJC momentum going, that shouldn’t be a problem.
ZACH WERENSKI
POS Defense AGE 18 HT 6-2 WT 209 lbs DRAFTED Columbus, 8th overall in 2015
Other Potential Games For The United States at 2026 Olympics
- February 18: Quarterfinal, 3:10 p.m. - Sweden or Latvia
- February 20: Semifinal, 3:10 p.m.
- February 21: Bronze Medal Game, 2:10 p.m.
- February 22: Gold Medal Game, 8:10 a.m.
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