Michi-gamer: The Pride of the Mitten (Week of Oct. 8)

Welcome to another season of MiHockey’s Michi-gamer, now powered by Bauer Hockey.

We take great pride in our homegrown talent. Whether they grew up in the Mitten or we welcomed them here for college or juniors, they are our own. They represent the best place in the world for hockey.

Every night, we’ll keep an eye on those players, and every morning, we will pick one Michi-gamer of the night – one Michigan player who stood out above the rest.

OCTOBER 12 – JACOB TROUBA

It shouldn’t really come as any surprise that Jacob Trouba’s the first player to crack our Michi-gamer list twice, and we’re not even a week into operation for the new season. The freshman defenseman was one of the lone bright spots for a Wolverines squad that let a 3-0 first-period lead dissolve in their regular-season opener to RIT. In the first period alone, Trouba picked up his first collegiate goal, assist, and penalty – as close to a Gordie Howe hat trick one can get in NCAA hockey without facing a major suspension. Trouba’s goal was one you might be seeing for a while, too; the 6-foot-2, 195-pound defenseman raced into the RIT zone, avoided pursuit, cut behind the Tigers’ goal, and finished off the play with a wraparound goal that will certainly be considered for future highlight-reel video montages.  Trouba did finish minus-one on the night, but both his goal and assist came on the power play, and even Red Berenson said that the goals the Wolverines allowed were “soft ones”.

More MiHockey articles on Trouba:

OCTOBER 11 – ALEX ALEARDI

It wasn’t the best of nights for the Plymouth Whalers – they went on the road only to fall to Owen Sound 4-2. But Farmington Hills native and Whalers forward Alex Aleardi was one of only three Plymouth players to have a ‘plus’ rating at the end of the night, and he helped the Whalers get within striking distance, as well. Aleardi, a Compuware AAA alum, set up Cody Payne for the Whalers’ second goal at the 13:33 mark of the third period, which pulled the visitors within a single goal. The Attack managed to record an empty-netter in the closing seconds, regaining their two-goal lead before the conclusion of the contest. Aleardi has two goals and three assists for the Whalers in six games this season.

More MiHockey articles about Aleardi:

OCTOBER 10 – JACOB TROUBA

In his collegiate debut, it was easy to see why Jacob Trouba was selected ahead of 203 other prospects at this year’s NHL Draft. The Rochester native and NTDP alum played in his first game with the Michigan Wolverines Tuesday night against Windsor, and picked up three assists in the process. Two plays in particular stood out for the freshman defenseman, the first of which being an end-to-end rush while shorthanded, complete with speed and stick work – and a penalty from the opposition to negate their man-advantage. The second was Trouba ending up with the puck behind the Windsor goal, faking the goaltender out, and setting up former and current teammate Andrew Copp for a tap-in goal at the far post. Trouba finished plus-two on the night, along with three shots, and one blocked shot. Red Berenson said that the freshman “is going to live up to expectation.” With a preliminary showing like that, it’s hard to argue the statement.

More MiHockey articles on Trouba:

OCTOBER 9 – SHAWN HUNWICK

Shawn Hunwick is quickly making his presence known in the East Coast Hockey League. The Sterling Heights native and former Wolverines netminder has played an hour and 40 minutes worth of hockey over the last two days, and has .925 save percentage and 2.40 goals-against average to show for it. Hunwick led his new team, the South Carolina Stingrays, to a 5-2 win over Gwinnett on Sunday after stopping 36 shots. Yesterday evening he followed it up with 40 more minutes for the Stingrays, stopping 13 of the 15 shots he saw in a 3-2 win for South Carolina. Hunwick and the Stingrays kick off the season on Oct. 13 when they host Gwinnett. Hunwick is back in the U.S. after his short stint with EC Salzburg in Austria, where he posted a 2.64 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in four games.

More MiHockey articles on Hunwick:

Chad Billins

OCTOBER 8 – CHAD BILLINS

It’s that time of year where players are battling for roster spots. Former Ferris State star and Marysville native Chad Billins signed a contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins over the summer, but there are no guarantees that he will be skating with the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate all season. However, he stated his case to stay with the Griffins last night at Yost Ice Arena. The Michigan native broke a scoreless tie at the 7:57 mark of the second period, burying a loose puck from the slot during a Griffins power play. It was one of four shots that Billins would record on the evening, and he looked comfortable skating at a building he grew familiar with after four years in the CCHA. Here’s to hoping that the Bulldogs’ fan favorite can stick in Grand Rapids.

More MiHockey articles on Billins:

Editor’s note: We’re thrilled to be back with another season of Michi-gamer. We will do our best to continue highlighting Michigan natives and ‘adopted’ players during the season, no matter what happens at the professional level. Visit MiHockeyNow.com every weekday to see who our latest Michi-gamer is, because, after all, hockey never stops.