When then-captain and Ann Arbor native Andrew Copp bolted for the NHL a year early, Red Berenson was noticeably frustrated. But at the same time, the Michigan coach was never worried about his team’s future leadership.
That’s because JT Compher is returning to Michigan for his junior season. And this past week, Berenson made what appeared to be an easy decision, naming Compher, an alternate captain last season, the captain of the 2015-16 hockey team.
For Berenson, the decision to give Compher the ‘C’ is one that is likely to pay dividends because, simply, it’s the right decision.
And luckily for the team, Compher shouldn’t take long to adjust to the role. After all, he has been the captain of every team he has been a part of.
He captained the Northbrook Bluehawks junior hockey team for as long as he could remember, a team with great success. He then captained Triple-A Team Illinois before eventually becoming the captain of the U.S. National Team Development Program. Now, he can add Michigan to the list and maybe, just maybe, he’ll wear the ‘C’ for the Buffalo Sabres a few years down the line.
It’s no secret that Michigan has struggled in recent years. The Wolverines have failed to make the NCAA Tournament the past three years, after playing in the postseason for the 22 years prior. Compher has been on two of those teams and that has left a bitter taste in the fierce competitor’s mouth.
Compher hates losing more than just about anyone, and he’ll go to great lengths to ensure it won’t happen.
In October, he told the Daily a story about how he fought his best friend after losing a game of Madden … when they were in elementary school. Better yet, this was a regular occurrence.
“As a mom, you’re thinking, ‘Oh my god, it’s just a game, it’s just a game,’ ” said Valerie Compher, JT’s mom. “But to them, nothing was just a game. Especially JT.”
Compher told the story about how angry he got when he struck out playing house league baseball.
“It was a scary sight,” Compher said, while laughing.
Added Northbrook Bluehawk teammate and childhood friend of Compher, Max Gerber: “We would get into wrestling matches over goals while playing shinny hockey because of JT’s competitiveness.”
Now, he’s hoping he won’t have to tell any more stories like these. Because if he will, he’ll know his team failed under his leadership. Compher echoed a quote from Henry Ford, who once said, “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
In Compher’s words: “It’s a great opportunity to step in and make a difference.”
Compher knows he can infuse his hyper-competitive values into a team that badly needs a spark. And if his practice antics from his first two seasons are any indication, it won’t take long for the newcomers, and veterans alike, to figure out Compher’s way.
“There are plenty of times we get into it,” said junior forward Tyler Motte, whose been a teammate of Compher’s the past four seasons. “He’ll slash ya, he’ll chirp ya, he’ll run ya and he’ll do anything to get a reaction. He can be emotional. He tries to control it as much as he can, but it’s who he is.”
Compher, admittedly, had an up and down sophomore year. He shuffled positions, often times looked lost, but got it together by the end of the season, finishing with a respectable 24 points.
But Compher is smart enough to know that on-ice production is only one variable of the larger equation — especially considering that Michigan’s top-ranked offense a year ago wasn’t enough to propel them to the tournament.
So one of Compher’s main goals, a smart one at that, is to stress fine-tuning his game off of the ice. That, he said, will help rid of the many “Oh no,” and “We wish we could have that back” moments.
Anyone who watched this team in 2014-15 knows that there were plenty.
To understand Compher’s motives, just turn on the Stanley Cup Final where arguably the game’s greatest captain is playing: Chicago’s Jonathan Toews.
Toews recently told the media: “Every year, you’re pushing yourself to be a better player. You realize the game doesn’t just happen on the ice.”
Compher took note of that and plans to stress that to the team. So sorry, Michiganders, but Compher intently following a Blackhawk could help this team. Motte said the workouts have already changed, and that there has been a greater attention to detail that Compher has made a point of emphasis.
Another takeaway Compher has learned from Toews is his ability to make friendships with every teammate. Though you can’t judge a friendship on the ice, it makes a larger impact than you think.
“Obviously you need to have every guy on his game and having good relationships with a lot of guys,” Compher said. “It makes it easy to care about them as hockey players, to express to them how I’m feeling and how we can be better.”
Added Motte: “He’s close with everyone on this team, and I think that close-knit relationship he has with everyone can bring the team closer together and those are the types of teams that can make late pushes.”
Compher is excited for his new role. He has been there before and understands the honor that comes with the gig. Berenson made the right choice. Well, because it wasn’t a hard one.
Compher had to cut our interview short due to a intramural softball game with his teammates.
“Are you the leader of that team, too?” I asked.
He laughed.
“It’s more fun when you win the game.”