No regrets for Nehring

It’s been three months since capturing collegiate hockey glory but Winnipeg Jets forward prospect Zach Nehring can’t help but keep smiling.

Particularly when he’s being asked about winning the NCAA men’s Frozen Four championship in April.

“It was a battle all year, but it felt unbelievable in the last few seconds against Boston (University), throwing the gloves in the air,” Nehring said in a one-on-one conversation earlier this week at the Jets’ development camp at Hockey For All Centre.

“I mean, it’s awesome. When you get that far, you want to close it off because you never know if you’re going to get back there. It’s tough. You’ve got to win every game. If you have a fluke game, you’re out. All of the highs and the lows of the season added up into that last game. You want to leave it all out there and have no regrets. That’s what we did.”

Nehring, 19, remembers rattling a shot off the crossbar on his opening shift against Boston and was happy he didn’t have to worry about what might have been.

“I was hoping that wasn’t going to be the determining factor,” said Nehring, whose Western Michigan Broncos secured a 6-2 victory to cap a storybook season. “At the end of the day, you’ve got 15 more shifts to do something about it. Don’t let it ruin the game.”

The right-winger was chosen in the third round (82nd overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft and enjoyed a solid freshman season, finishing sixth in team scoring with 13 goals and 30 points in 42 games.

“I knew I had it in me,” said Nehring. “The year before, it wasn’t my best. I had a bad concussion and dealt with some injuries. That was tough for my confidence and my game.

“I thought it was a huge bounce-back year for me and I really found my game. Just played the way that I wanted to and obviously, I want to keep getting better next season.”

The concussion Nehring dealt with came 10 games into his first season with the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede.

“It was honestly awful,” said Nehring. “I got slashed in the head at the beginning of the year, around October. I didn’t know much, I was bleeding pretty bad in the head, so they took a look at it and took me out of the game. I was walking back to the bus and almost passed out. They had to take me to the ER to make sure I didn’t have a brain bleed.”

Nehring did his best to stay patient during his recovery and the mental toll was real, though he leaned heavily on those around him for support.

“That was a tough two months. I was kind of just in my room every night,” said Nehring. “I didn’t really go to the rink because I couldn’t drive. My sister (Mikkail) lived close to me and she would drive me around. I couldn’t do anything.

“I had a lot of people in my corner that helped me through it. My billets were great, handling it all. Kudos to them and my family and everyone around me at the time. I still had some lingering neck issues and that’s what dragged it out and prolonged the injury. It was hard to tell if it was my concussion or just the neck. You wake up and you feel better and then, the next day, the symptoms are back. It’s a hard thing to manage.”

Nehring didn’t have any lingering issues with his neck or concussion symptoms during his first season of college hockey. The only thing he dealt with was a virus that knocked eight pounds off his frame.

He’s put that weight back on and is excited to return for his sophomore season with the Broncos. He’s grown nearly two inches since his draft year and he’s hoping to be up to 200 pounds by the time the college season arrives.

The next step for Nehring is to continue to evolve into a power forward.

“It’s what I’m hoping for,” he said. “I was never a guy to really hold onto the puck when I got it. I would always look for that pass. Our coach (Pat Ferschweiler) just harped on me at the start of the year to skate with it and then make the play.”

Nehring, who was born in Minot, N.D. but has family roots in Manitoba, isn’t sure what the future will bring beyond this season. Although making the NHL remains the goal, deciding to turn pro may require some more time.

“I’m definitely not one to want to rush my path,” said Nehring, who previously won a championship with Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep. “I want to put on some more size before I make that jump. We’ll see how it goes. I’m definitely going back for one more year. I wouldn’t be surprised if I go back for my junior year. We’ll start with this year and see how that goes before I think too far ahead.”

Jets director of player development Jimmy Roy was encouraged by the progress Nehring made this season, noting the experience of winning a championship will serve him well.

“Another player whose confidence grew throughout the year,” he said. “The coaches there worked with him on a real individual basis with pucks on the wall and getting his feet moving and getting in and making contact and using his size in front of the net. All kinds of really good things that will help make him a really good pro one day.”

Jets’ development camp continues at Hockey For All Centre today and wraps up Friday.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld