Zach Werenski talks game-winning goals on Mother’s Day, turning pro and why he’s not surprised Berenson came back

 

By @MichaelCaples –

GRAND RAPIDS – Shortly after his game against the Grand Rapids Griffins, Zach Werenski was able to see his mom for Mother’s Day.

He may not have been carrying a bouquet of flowers when he greeted her, but he did come with some news about his game-winning goal.

“I’m going to tell her that one’s for her – it was,” Werenski said shortly after his Lake Erie Monsters recorded a 2-1 victory. “It was cool, just having her be here and get a goal on mother’s day, it’s a good feeling.”

The 18-year-old Grosse Pointe native – a product of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and the Michigan Wolverines – played his first professional hockey game within the Great Lakes State Sunday, skating in front of a collection of family and friends during Game 3 of the Calder Cup playoff series between his Monsters and the Griffins.

“I was pretty excited when I found out we were playing Grand Rapids,” Werenski said. “I was kind of hoping for it, just because I have family that’s so close. My aunt and uncle live on Lake Michigan like 20 minutes from here, so it’s pretty exciting for me.

“I left tickets for ten people, and I’m pretty sure a couple bought more, so it’s always fun when you get to play in front of your family.”

 

The most notable fan in attendance, however, was Werenski’s mother, Kristen. Werenski, who turned pro on March 29 after two years with the Michigan Wolverines, said he wouldn’t be living out his dream without his mom.

“It’s unbelievable,” Werenski said. “I wouldn’t be here without her. She’s done so much for me. She sacrificed so much when I was growing up, and even now, they make all the road trips to Cleveland to all my games, and without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Big thanks to her, and if she reads this – I love you mom.”

Kristen and the rest of the Werenski clan certainly have a good reason to be driving around the Midwest. Zach, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ first-round draft pick in 2015 (eighth overall), made the jump to the professional ranks three days after the Wolverines’ season concluded in the NCAA Tournament.

Jumping right in

His new coaching staff hasn’t been shy about playing him, despite the NCAA All-American being the youngest player on the ice. Werenski played in seven regular-season games with Columbus’ AHL affiliate, recording one goal, a +2 rating and 19 shots on goal.

He has performed even better during his first AHL playoff run; Werenski has racked up three goals and three assists for six points in six games, along with a +3 rating.

“It’s more physical,” Werenski said of adjusting to AHL hockey. “The guys are bigger and stronger. A lot of the guys have played in the NHL, so you have to be aware of that, especially in the playoffs right now. It’s really physical and everyone wants to win, everyone’s blocking shots and sacrificing for the team, so it definitely gets harder to make plays and score goals and stuff like that, but it’s been a good adjustment for me.”

 

Off the ice, he said that he’s struggling to get used to something not usually offered to him – downtime. He’s been busier than most of his peers the last few years, after graduating a year early to enroll at Michigan as a 17-year-old. His first-round selection by the Blue Jackets made for an eventful offseason last year, as well, as did serving as captain for Team USA at the World Junior tournament in January.

“It’s been different,” Werenski said. “There’s a lot more downtime compared to college. In college, you have classes and homework and stuff like that. Here, you just go to the rink, get to work for however long you’re there, and then after that, you’re on your own. I’m trying to pick up a hobby now, maybe go golfing a little more or something like that. It’s definitely been fun though.”

He’s not complaining, of course. Werenski realizes that he’s now officially living out a hockey player’s ultimate dream.

“Sometimes I wish I might have a homework assignment or two to do, because I’m just sitting in my hotel right now,” Werenski said. “When you’re at Michigan, it’s great, but now that you’re out of school, it definitely does feel like the dream is coming true.”

Saying goodbye to Ann Arbor (with a great Red story)

Werenski misses more than just the homework. When asked what he will miss most from his time in Ann Arbor, the 6-foot-2, 209-pound blueliner talked about his friends.

“I think just being around the guys – You’re so close, you go to school with all them, you live with them,” Werenski said. “It’s honestly unbelievable. It was the best two years of my life. Red [Berenson] said that going in, that it would be, and there were no regrets, I went in and it was the best two years that I’ve had so far.”

Speaking of his former head coach, Werenski said he’s not surprised that the legendary bench boss of the Wolverines is returning for another season.

“It’s funny, I told this story to a couple of my close friends and family – when we were playing Notre Dame in the NCAA game, there was a play in the second period where the puck came to me and I chipped it down to our forward in the offensive zone, and I just stood there. In between periods, he came up to me and he goes, ‘next time you get the puck at the blue line, chip it down and go to the middle.” In the third period, I did that and I scored the tying goal. When I looked back on the bench, he was smiling with a, ‘I told you so.’

“He definitely still has it and he knows what he’s talking about, and I knew at that point he was coming back. So that’s a pretty cool story that I’ll always remember with him.”

 

Werenski said he was disappointed with how his sophomore season came to a close with the Wolverines. After beating Notre Dame in the first game of the NCAA Regional Tournament in Cincinnati, Michigan fell to eventual national championship North Dakota, 5-2, in the regional final. The Big Ten’s defenseman of the year was a dominant force from the blue line in both games, rushing up the ice more than usual to generate numerous scoring opportunities for the Wolverines.

“I just wanted to win,” Werenski said. “I just wanted to give my team the best chance to win, and I feel like when I rush the puck, it creates a lot of offense. If we can get a fourth guy up in the play, it’s always great. I don’t think I let it take away from my defense too much in that tournament. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get the outcome that we wanted, but it was one experience I’ll never forget.”

When the season concluded, however, Werenski wanted to make a quick decision about his future. He said that he avoided thinking about it during the 2015-16 season with the Wolverines, but acted quickly soon after.

“I mean, you don’t like to think ahead when you get somewhere, you just want to focus on right now,” Werenski said. “When I was at Michigan, that’s all I did, I just focused on the moment. Once World Juniors, I came back, thought about it a little bit, but I wanted to win a national championship. When that’s over with, you kind of have to make, well you don’t have to but for me I kind of wanted to make a decision quick, whether I was going to stay or go, and after talking about it for 24 hours, I just felt like my mind was ready to leave, and I felt like I was ready to go play pro hockey.”

Larkin’s contribution

The jump was made easier by the confidence boost Werenski received by watching one of his best friends excel at the next level. Dylan Larkin’s exceptional rookie season with the Detroit Red Wings convinced Werenski he could do something similar to that of his longtime teammate. Their paths are similar – Belle Tire, NTDP and Michigan before a playoff run in the AHL – and Werenski even watched Larkin play in a playoff game in Van Andel Arena around this time last year.

“I was actually thinking about that today before the game, how I came to watch him exactly a year ago play in the Calder Cup, and now I’m here,” Werenski said. “It was special to watch him and watch what he did. I got a lot of confidence from that, just knowing that I played with him, just knowing that he did so well. He’s a great player and someone who is very hard to emulate. What he did is unbelievable, but just the fact that he stepped in as a young kid and did what he did, it gives other young kids confidence.”

And what did his longtime teammate say to him, in terms of advice for the next level of hockey?

“Just go out there and play your game. It’s going to be different playing against older guys like that, and you’ll respect them, but you have to go play your game as well. You have to play hard and finish your checks and things like that, and not take a backseat to anyone. Be friendly, be a good guy, be a good teammate, but go and play.”