Re: University of Michigan, 2017-2018, a new era starts
https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2018/03/26_Adding-to-the-Legend.php
Adding to the Legend
With Berenson Watching, Pearson Leads Michigan to Frozen Four
WORCESTER, Mass. — Tony Calderone never wanted to leave the ice. It wasn't quite the mountaintop. It was pretty close, though.
His team, Michigan, advanced to the Frozen Four for the 25th time in program history just moments prior, defeating Boston University, 6-3, at DCU Center Sunday afternoon. But after a few dozen hugs and screams and photos, it was time to head back to the locker room.
Time to begin the long trip back to Ann Arbor before next week's trip to St. Paul and Michigan's first Frozen Four since 2011. The Frozen Four that year was also held in St. Paul.
There were any number of people Calderone wanted to see when he got off the ice. Friends, family, former teammates and everyone else excited that Michigan is one of just four teams in the country with another game — maybe two — to play this season.
But there was one person Calderone hoped he'd see first. One person he saw almost every day for his first three years at Michigan. A man that became the face of one of college hockey's most successful programs in his 33-year career as Michigan's head coach.
"As soon as I got off the ice, I saw coach Berenson," Calderone said as a grin overtook his face.
The familiar face came with a less typical sentiment.
"He just smiled and said 'great weekend, Tony.' That was really awesome to hear from him. He doesn't say much. You know when he compliments you, he means it. Playing for him, you learn he doesn't give too many compliments. He doesn't throw them around too easily."
Berenson retired as Michigan's head coach after the 2016-17 season. He left behind a gifted group of players, including Calderone who scored Michigan's second goal in Sunday's win.
Talent aside, Michigan struggled in Berenson's final year. The fourth winningest coach in Division I men's hockey history hadn't quite enjoyed the same level of success over the last half decade as it did prior to that. There was only one conference championship and a single NCAA tournament appearance to show for Berenson's final five years. This after a stretch of 22 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, 10 regular-season championships, nine postseason titles, 11 Frozen Fours and two national championships.
A number of factors changed Michigan's fate, but, as Berenson said just a few days after the 2016-17 season ended, "it was the right time" for him to move on.
When he did, it didn't take him long to identify his choice for his successor.
"Mel Pearson was the first name," Berenson said on Sunday. "There were a few on the list because there are a lot of qualified coaches, but Mel was always at the top for me."
Pearson served as an assistant coach at Michigan for 22 years, becoming Berenson's top lieutenant in 1999. He departed following the 2010-11 season to return to Michigan Tech, his alma mater, as its head coach. The two remained spoke frequently during Pearson's years at MTU.
The pair used its relationship to bring the Wolverines to Houghton in 2014; it was Michigan's first visit to MacInnes Ice Arena. The games produced Michigan Tech's largest crowd in 35 years and the first non-conference sweep of Michigan since losing to Rensselaer in January of 1985.
"We talked weekly," Pearson said. "Just to ask him how did he handle something or for advice on any topic I just wanted some perspective on. He was great. He's always been great for me. He was always willing to talk. He came up to Michigan Tech to play us. We hadn't played them outside of the (Great Lakes Invitational) for a long time. Michigan Tech was and is an important part of my life. He did that, and it was important for the Tech program."
Berenson knew prying Pearson out of Houghton wouldn't be easy, even for one of college hockey's premier positions.
There, however, was no one else Berenson could see in the role at that point.
"He cares about our program," Berenson said. "He wasn't in a position where he was necessarily looking to leave Michigan Tech. But he was certainly the name I thought of first."
Berenson was correct. Pearson didn't have any plans to leave Michigan Tech, a program he brought back from irrelevance and led to a pair of NCAA tournaments. Pearson flirted with the idea of a return to Michigan in his head occasionally. He left Ann Arbor in 2011 with a faint hope that one day he could return. When the opportunity presented itself, Pearson knew he had to accept.
He phoned Berenson at first, however. He needed to know something.
"Red was the only guy I needed to talk to," Pearson said. "I wanted to make sure that he felt good about me coming back. I wanted to kind of get his blessing to make sure he was OK with it. It all came together rather quickly. Who else do you need to talk to about Michigan hockey?"
Other coaches in Pearson's position, replacing the kind of coach after which programs name their arenas and rinks, have kept their successors at a distance or defined strict roles for them within the program. Pearson never wanted Berenson anywhere else.
"Sometimes, I think he's too worried about getting in the way," Pearson said.
"I made sure he knew he was always welcome and that he could come on over to my office and talk anytime he wanted. We didn't have any arrangement. It was like having another assistant coach. He'd come over, and we'd just start talking hockey."
Berenson did his best to keep his distance throughout the year. He knew Pearson's players didn't need anything interfering with the effort to get the program back where both men believe it belongs.
The Wolverines won only 13 games last season. Pearson was busy leading Michigan Tech to a WCHA tournament championship.
The reasons for Michigan's sudden drop off were many. However, the biggest reason for the Wolverines problems in 2016-17 can currenly be found in the NHL.
Following the 2015-16 season, the Wolverines lost Kyle Connor, J.T. Compher, Tyler Motte, Michael Dowing and Zach Werenski to NHL contracts. The year before, Dylan Larkin bolted for the Detroit Red Wings after just one season in Ann Arbor. Just one of Michigan's top eight scorers returned for the 2016-17 season.
"When they lost five underclassmen, it hurt the program a great deal," Pearson said. "It's part of the game now. But when Kyle Connor, J.T. Compher and Zach Werenski and the others left, it really hurt the team. They obviously made the right decisions for them. It's impossible to prepare for that. ... It was going to take some time to rebuild the roster a bit."
According to Calderone, Pearson also inherited a group of players motivated by last season's failure.
"That was what made it hurt so bad last year, not succeeding the way we should've," Calderone. "Alumni weekend, we talk to all the former players. They want to know what's wrong, what's going on when Michigan isn't winning games. We kept hearing about a down year. That really got to us. We just said 'we're doing it.' We're Michigan. We get the best players every year. There's no reason we shouldn't be winning."
The start wasn't smooth for the Wolverines, especially in Big Ten play. At the end of November, Michigan was 6-6-2 and 2-5-2 in the Big Ten. Six weeks later, not much had changed. Michigan fell to two games under .500 after a weekend sweep against Notre Dame in South Bend to start the second half. They're 14-4-1 since.
"We had just lost to Notre Dame," Pearson said. "We were swept right after the New Year. ... It put us a couple games under .500. We had played well. We thought we could've won both games, but we go from there to being on the road at Minnesota. ... That Notre Dame series gave us confidence."
As the regular season turned into the postseason, Berenson's assertion that Pearson was the right candidate to reignite and carry the torch he lit years ago proved looked prophetic.
Still, he kept himself at a distance. The private conversations with Pearson and the rest of the coaching staff continued. He'd run into players from time to time. But he stayed largely in the background. Just watching his Wolverines get better and better. It wasn't always easy. On Jan. 5, for example, the rink at Yost Ice Arena, named for one of Michigan's original coaching legends, was named in Berenson's honor. The Wolverines now play on Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena.
"I kept my distance," Berenson said. "I'd be at practice just watching from the stands. I'd talk to the players when I was around. But I think it was important for the players to know it was Mel's team. I went to all the home games. ... It wasn't hard to stay away, but it was important for me to be there when I was asked."
The arrangement was perfect for Calderone and the rest of Michigan players as well. They came to Michigan because of Berenson. Even with a new coach, they know their old coach has earned the right to keep an eye on the program he turned into a powerhouse.
"I saw him all the time," Calderone said. "He's always around. He wasn't on the ice with us or anything, but he's around the practices. I don't think he'll ever leave, and he shouldn't. He's such a legend. He should always be around Michigan."
...
When Pearson reached his grisled, smiling mentor on Sunday night in Worcester, he did more telling than asking.
"I told him," Pearson said, "he's coming to St. Paul. He doesn't have a choice."
, now be gone.
