Monday, December 19, 2011

Grand Game for Knuble

---

Mike Knuble’s NHL career path has placed the Michigan native on forward lines alongside the likes for Joe Thornton, Peter Forsberg and Alex Ovechkin.

Even after skating with talents like that, some of Knuble’s best memories remain the four years he spent at Michigan, sharing ice time with players like Brendan Morrison and David Oliver.

College Players with 1,000 NHL Games

Knuble will take the ice Tuesday for his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the first former Michigan player to reach that milestone and the 42nd former U.S. college player.

Last week he joined Bernie Corbett on Hockey On Campus to discuss the milestone and reflect on his time at Michigan.

“Anybody who has ever played or been around a Division I program knows the work that is involved in the weight room, on the track, let alone your on-ice sessions,” Knuble told Corbett. “I knew going to Michigan I was going to have a chance to number one, come out with a great education. I think that was an important thing because a pro career was so far down the line. That might be the furthest thing you should be worrying about when you get in to college.”

Knuble saw the Michigan program become a national power during his four years under Red Berenson, and his game blossomed as well. After recording seven goals and 15 points as a freshman he posted three consecutive seasons with more than 25 goals, topping out at 38 his senior year.

Knuble finished his Michigan career with 103 goals, one of 10 Wolverines to eclipse the century mark. As of Tuesday, he’ll be the only one to play 1,000 career NHL games.