06/24/2007

Making a blueline to the top

Scouts don't underestimate Gaylord's Weber

BY DENNIS CHASE

dchase@record-eagle.com

Weber

See related story

• Weber drafted in 2nd round

TRAVERSE CITY — Will Weber says he often underestimates himself.

At the start of the school year, Weber was thinking his hockey days might be over after his senior season on the Gaylord High School hockey team.

"I knew I was going to have my best year, but I didn't know what was going to happen,” he said. "I didn't know if I was going to be good enough to play hockey after high school.

"Honestly, before the season I thought I was just going to go to college (and not play hockey). Then as the season went on I thought, 'I can't just stop playing hockey.' I thought about going to Traverse City and trying out for the (North Stars) to see if I could make it there.

"Then everything exploded.”

In early February, Weber's life began to change.

"I started getting calls from every level of hockey — from juniors to college to the NHL,” he said.

Weber's dominating season on the ice — a season that earned him the Record-Eagle's Male Athlete of the Year — started to draw the attention of scouts and coaches across the country. Almost overnight he went from an unknown to a hot prospect.

College scholarship offers started flowing in. The Chicago Steel picked him No. 1 overall in the United States Hockey League draft. On Saturday, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected him in the second round in the National Hockey League draft.

"I didn't really expect this,” said the 6-foot-4, 205-pound defenseman. "I feel blessed. I'm very thankful for everything.”

Weber, a 3.57 student, was in Columbus, Ohio, for Saturday's draft.

He was in Chicago last weekend for the Steel's tryout camp. Weber plans to play one year for the Steel before attending Miami of Ohio.

"It's a huge jump from high school to college hockey,” he said. "The USHL is an amazing league and it will make the transition to college a lot easier. I didn't want to step in as a freshman and not do anything, just sit the bench. Hopefully, the year in Chicago will help out.”

In Chicago, Weber will get a chance to work with coach Steve Paopst, a defenseman in his playing days.

"He'll be a great teacher,” Weber said. "I'm just really excited to learn as much as I can and get as good as I can before I go to Miami.”

Weber selected Miami over NCAA champion Michigan State and Cornell, where his father and uncle played.

"All the schools were close,” he said. "But in the end Miami was the place for me. The biggest thing for me was their philosophy and coaches. Their philosophy, in my words, is hard works pays off. They're really intense about that. In talking with the coaches I could tell they were genuine about what they were trying to get done there. The head coach (Rico Blasi) has really turned the program around. It's starting to take off. I'm going to Miami at the right time. They're going to have a shot at doing some good things there.”

Miami, which recently built a $34 million hockey facility, has played in the NCAA tournament three of the last four years. The Red Hawks won the CCHA in 2005-2006, earning the school's first No. 1 national ranking during the season.

Weber played four years of varsity hockey at Gaylord, passing up opportunities to play juniors.

"It was amazing,” he said. "I loved every second of it. My freshman year we went to the state finals and I'll never forget that. Even though we lost, it was a great feeling to compete for a state championship for your school.

"All four years we had good seasons. For only cutting three or four players off the team every year we did pretty well. The fan support was amazing. And my teammates, I loved them all. It was a great experience.”

Former Traverse City West coach Anthony Palumbo, now coach and general manager of the North Stars, saw Weber play numerous times.

"He's a physically gifted player,” he said. "He's one of the most physically talented players I've seen in the state of Michigan since I've been coaching. There were games when he was virtually a man among boys.

"He a competitor, he plays hard and he has good intangibles to go with his natural abilities. He has a bright future.”

Cody Inglis, an assistant coach with the Bay Area Reps, agreed.

"He's the most dominating high school player I've seen,” Inglis said. "Last year he was good. This year he was great.”

Weber, who also played soccer in the fall, is a physical defenseman who plays aggressively, can move the puck, skate well and score.

That's not to say he doesn't have a lot to learn, though.

"As far as weaknesses, everything is my weakness,” he said. "I need to work on everything.”

Weber grew up in a hockey family. His father, who died tragically in an airplane crash, was a major influence.

"My dad, before we had our rink in Gaylord, would take me and my sister to Cheboygan to skate at their rink,” Weber said. "One of the reasons we have the (Otsego County) Sportsplex here is because my dad wanted a place for me and my sister to skate. He helped get everybody together and start the fund-raising to build the rink. Without him doing that, I wouldn't be where I am right now.”

And that's on the fast track.

"He's riding a pretty good wave,” Palumbo said.