Following its fourth player departed for the NHL from the Michigan hockey team roster, the Wolverines picked up a fourth player in the transfer portal.
Former Colorado College forward Evan Werner announced via Instagram that he will be transferring to Michigan for his sophomore season. In his freshman season as a Tiger, Werner tallied 19 points on 6 goals and 13 assists, proving himself to be a powerful presence for Colorado College’s forward lines.
The Tigers were a strong team this past season, ranking 15th prior to the NCAA Tournament. But ultimately, they did not make the playoffs due to automatic bids for RIT and Michigan Tech. Werner clinched two goals in Colorado College’s losses to Denver — the ultimate NCAA Champion — and also found the back of the net against a worthy opponent in North Dakota.
Prior to his tenure as a Tiger, Werner bounced around juniors teams. In his final juniors season, he started out playing for the Youngstown Phantoms — alongside Wolverine transfer William Whitelaw — but ultimately landed a spot on the Tri-City Storm roster. While in Nebraska, Werner amassed 31 points in 37 games.
Werner’s prior connection with Whitelaw, with both of them coming in as sophomore transfers, will be crucial to building chemistry on the new roster. Additionally, Werner’s ability to score against competitive teams will make him a worthy asset to the 2024-25 Michigan roster, and potentially a player to turn to in clutch moments.