Will Whitelaw talks Michigan hockey, his transfer from Wisconsin and more

THN Detroit is proud to introduce a new segment of our coverage, College Corner, with a focus on college hockey programs across the state of Michigan. From the NCAA to ACHA and beyond, we want to tell the stories that make Michigan such a rich hockey state. This week, we begin with a story about recent Michigan men’s hockey transfer Will Whitelaw.

If the cards played out differently, maybe Will Whitelaw would still be a Wisconsin Badger. Or, maybe he wouldn’t be one at all.

Having committed to Tony Granato’s Wisconsin Badgers just a few weeks after his commitment opened, Whitelaw was sold on Granato’s program. But after the Wolverines beat Wisconsin in a hard-fought Big Ten Tournament series to end the 2022-23 season, Granato — a former Red Wings assistant coach — lost his job. The program that Whitelaw committed to was no longer, and he was ready to explore his options to go elsewhere.

Then, he talked to Granato.

“He's the best guy I've ever met. I still talk to him, to this day, pretty consistently,” Whitelaw told The Hockey News. “And I was thinking about it, decommitting and looking over my options and stuff. But at the end of the day, he called all the recruits that were there including myself — I had a long talk with him — and he's like, ‘You should try and see what Wisconsin’s all about.’ He was the main reason why I stayed.”

So, Whitelaw played his freshman year in Madison, skating for first-year Badgers coach Mike Hastings. As much as he loved his teammates — “literally the best people” as Whitelaw emphasized — the program wasn’t a fit like Granato’s would have been. It wasn’t the program he wanted to play for. So, Whitelaw hit the transfer portal, looking for a place where he could develop his skills toward the NHL level while also competing for championships. Now, he’s a Michigan Wolverine through the transfer portal, soon to play for a UM team that he’s practically built for.

Throughout his freshman year in Wisconsin, Whitelaw flashed the skills that made him such a coveted recruit in the first place. His speed put him in a lot of good positions to create scoring threats, and his ability to solve problems on the fly helped him finish. He scored 10 goals and 17 points through 35 games, slotted deeper in the lineup on a Wisconsin team that had a lot of talent around him.

These are abilities that should translate well at Brandon Naurato's Michigan program. Whitelaw fits the archetype of the speedy, skilled forwards that the Wolverines have done so well at developing. It’s a reputation that helped convince Whitelaw to join them.

“They’re really good at developing young players,” Whitelaw said. “I don't think there's a better place for that. Obviously, I'm a younger player who’s skilled and fast, and I just think that they have everything you could possibly want. They’re a team that plays for a national championship every year and that’s something I want to do.”

Whitelaw believes that playing for Michigan will help him develop consistency. As a smaller player at 5-foot-9, he also wants to increase his strength that is vital to overcoming height differentials. And as much as he’s a scorer, Whitelaw also wants to work on his 200-foot game to become a more well-rounded player.

He’s got a lot of evidence to believe playing for the Wolverines will help him. From the past three Wolverine teams, 12 skaters played in at least one NHL game during the 2023-24 season, not to mention future NHL talent developing in the AHL. Take the example of Gavin Brindley, who was drafted in the second round last year to the same Columbus Blue Jackets that picked Whitelaw in the third. With nearly the same build as Whitelaw at 5-foot-9, Brindley scored 89 points in 81 college games before signing his ELC with Columbus and playing in one NHL game to end the season. His college career is proof of what the Michigan system can do for players. Maybe it can do the same for Whitelaw.

Departures like Brindley’s are also why Michigan needed Whitelaw through the transfer portal. He adds another scoring threat that will be needed for a team that lost four of its top six scorers — a whopping 188 points in total — to the pro ranks. Those are big shoes to fill, and Whitelaw will be one of the players tasked with doing so. He can also bank on some help from returning forward Rutger McGroarty, whose 52 points in 36 games were the most per game of any Michigan forward. The Wolverines’ freshman class also includes the USHL’s top two scorers a part of it in Chicago forward Michael Hage and Green Bay forward Matvei Gridin. Michigan is as stacked as ever, at least on paper, and Whitelaw is a part of that.

That talent gives Whitelaw an environment not only to develop, but also to win games. Checking all the right boxes on the championship side of Whitelaw’s priorities, the Wolverines have made three straight Frozen Fours and three straight Big Ten title games, a spot at the top of the pecking order that Whitelaw is accustomed to having won the USHL Clark Cup with Youngstown in 2023. It’s the best of both worlds, where Michigan’s player development is used as a means to win games.

“I think that the coaching staff, obviously Naurato has done a really good job of developing players over the years,” Whitelaw said. “He’s been known for that, and so are the other coaches. And I think that's something that I want and I need to get to the next level, and I think they'll do a great job with that. And obviously, I have the chance to play for a national championship, which is a bonus, and that’s something that’s my goal, too.”

Now, Whitelaw enters a busy summer spent preparing for his sophomore year at a brand new school, as well as the World Junior Summer Showcase where he’ll try to earn a crack at the U.S. World Junior team camp in December.

Whitelaw might have taken an extra pit stop before landing at Michigan, but he wound up at a spot that matches his priorities.

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