Michigan hockey coach Brandon Naurato dipped into the transfer portal for the third time this offseason, this time picking up a player from within the Big Ten.
Former Wisconsin forward William Whitelaw announced on Instagram that he is transferring to the Wolverines ahead of his sophomore season. Whitelaw spent his first collegiate year with the Badgers, proving himself as a capable mainstay for the forward corps. In 37 games, he scored 10 goals along with seven assists.
Whitelaw was part of a stellar season for Wisconsin that marked a dramatic turnaround from last place in the Big Ten a season ago to second place this year. However, the Badgers’ Big Ten Tournament hopes were dashed in the first round by Ohio State, and they lost to Quinnipiac in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to his college career, Whitelaw played for the USHL Youngstown Phantoms, where he developed his speed and dangerous shot. There, he recorded 64 points in 71 games leading up to his draft year.
Joining a Michigan team that lost its two leading scorers in forwards Gavin Brindley and Dylan Duke, along with forward Frank Nazar to the NHL, Whitelaw will look to make an immediate impact. A third-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023, he will eventually join Brindley and the multitude of other Wolverines now playing in Columbus. But for the foreseeable future, his future is set in Ann Arbor.