On the Sheet: Brandon Naurato

Jeff Marek sits down inside the University of Michigan Wolverines locker room at Yost Ice Arena with head coach Brandon Naurato for a wide-ranging conversation on culture, development, and why this season’s group has emerged as the No. 1 team in the nation. Naurato breaks down what the “Michigan experience” truly means, how leadership from captain TJ Hughes and the upperclassmen set the tone, and why people and habits matter as much as skill. The conversation dives deep into Michigan’s NHL pipeline, recruiting philosophy, and how the program develops players like Michael Hage, Malcolm Spence, Ivan Ivanov, and Jack Ivankovic for long-term professional success. Naurato also discusses the evolving college hockey landscape with CHL eligibility, mentorship from legendary coach Red Berenson, alumni involvement at Yost, and why he believes this is the best team he has ever coached. An essential watch for college hockey fans, NHL prospect watchers, and anyone interested in how elite programs are built the right way. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 01:10 – What the “Michigan experience” really means 01:30 – Leadership, culture, and captain TJ Hughes 03:10 – Coaching under the shadow of Red Berenson 04:15 – The recruiting pitch: Michigan to the NHL 05:40 – Developing pros vs. college systems 06:50 – Letting players fail to help them grow 08:36 – Alumni impact: Larkin, Johnson, Werenski & more 08:56 – CHL players entering college hockey 10:53 – Michael Hage’s NHL ceiling 11:52 – Malcolm Spence’s impact and energy 16:16 – Goaltending and Jack Ivankovic’s importance 18:48 – Michigan as the No. 1 team in the country 20:15 – College hockey’s momentum and exposure 23:40 – Recruiting challenges and negative recruiting 28:37 – Underrated player spotlight: Josh Earnest 31:56 – “This is the best team I’ve ever coached” Reach out to [email protected] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us! If you liked this, check out: 🚨 OTT - Coming in Hot Sens | https://www.youtube.com/c/thewallyandmethotshow 🚨 TOR - LeafsNation | https://www.youtube.com/@theleafsnation401 🚨 EDM - OilersNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom 🚨 VAN - CanucksArmy | https://www.youtube.com/@Canucks_Army 🚨 CGY - FlamesNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Flames_Nation 🚨 Daily Faceoff Fantasy & Betting | www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasyandBetting ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Connect with us on ⬇️ Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/daily_faceoff 💻 Website: https://www.dailyfaceoff.com 🐦 Follow on twitter: https://x.com/DailyFaceoff 💻 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailyfaceoff Daily Faceoff Merch: https://nationgear.ca/collections/daily-faceoff #MichiganHockey #GoBlue #NCAAHockey #CollegeHockey #BigTenHockey #BrandonNaurato #JeffMarek #YostIceArena #MichiganWolverines #NHLProspects #HockeyDevelopment #CollegeToPro #HockeyCulture #DailyFaceoff #TheSheet