Will Horcoff picked up a new hobby around Christmas.

The guitar.

The big power forward at Michigan caught the six-string bug from his teammates.

“We have this big speaker in our house,” Horcoff said. “It’s kind of like a concert speaker, so it’s got all the (audio jacks) in the back that you can plug in. I was like, ‘Why not?’ Because there’s a couple guys on the team … who all play guitar. But they play acoustic, so I got an electric one. I’ve just been learning.

“I can play some Van Halen, ‘Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love.’ Some Metallica, too, when I have a lot of adrenaline.”

(Father Shawn Horcoff, a former NHL forward, has requested the Red Hot Chili Peppers on occasion.)

Horcoff’s shredding had to take a break this spring, however, when he underwent surgery to repair an injured right shoulder that impacted his sophomore season.

That recovery is ongoing, and as a result, Horcoff was held off the ice for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ prospect development camp in Cranberry this past week.

Speaking with media on Tuesday, Horcoff, one of the organization’s top prospects, estimated he was nine weeks removed from surgery and reported his recovery was “going super well.”

“I hurt it pretty bad in December, right before Christmas break,” Horcoff said. “Then, kind of was able to play through it in the second half (of the season). It bothered me a little bit, but I just kind of knew that once the season was over, I’d probably have to get it done (surgery).”

Horcoff was productive overall last season, generating 39 points (25 goals, 14 assists) in 40 games.

But much of that output was created before the injury. In his first 20 games of the season, he had 27 points (18 goals, nine assists).

Will Horcoff from Nick Moldenhauer and it’s 2-0 BLUE!

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— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) November 29, 2025

After skating for the United States in the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior Championship tournament in late December and early January, Horcoff was limited to 11 points (six goals, five assists) in his final 20 games of the season at the NCAA level.

Horcoff, a first-round draft pick (No. 24 overall) in 2025, declined to cite the ailment as the cause of his dwindling production.

“Obviously, my shoulder affected me a little bit,” Horcoff said. “But I would not say at all that’s the reason why I had that second half. It’s part of the game. You’re not going to score a lot every single night, every game all season. It’s just part of the game. I used that time in the second half (of the season) to really focus on other aspects of the game, likely defensively. I just thought I really improved leading up to the playoffs to play more of a 200-foot game.”

Penguins management largely likes what he offers, but there is certainly room for improvement.

“He can find the net,” Penguins director of player development Tom Kostopoulos said. “He’s a big guy who likes to score. Had a lot of chemistry with his linemates. Took off there. At times, he lost his rhythm a little bit. But that’s something he knows, he understands and he’s working on. Just to build that consistency and just be able to play. And if the puck’s not going into the net, to have a ‘B’ game.

“It’s all the things that he’s building in his game and working on. He’s a very intelligent kid and player. We’re excited about him.”

Even at 6-foot-5, Horcoff appears to still be growing.

“From freshman year to now, probably 13 pounds,” Horcoff said when asked about adding muscle. “I went into school like 193, 192 (pounds). And I’m probably 205, 207 (pounds) now. The secret there is just eating. Drinking shakes. And, obviously, going through the surgery process and not skating, that helped a bit.

“Use that time to get stronger in the weight room and get some weight there.”

The left-handed Horcoff is slated to return to Michigan for the 2026-27 season. One of the blue-blood programs of college hockey, Michigan has national championship aspirations seemingly every season.

In 2025-26, Michigan’s roster was dotted with 13 players who had been drafted by NHL teams, including Horcoff.

“I just go out there and they just make me better,” Horcoff said of his teammates. “Especially Michael Hage, T.J. Hughes, those two, anytime you’re out there, it’s easy to produce when those guys are on the ice.”

Hage was a first-round draft pick (No. 21 overall) of the Montreal Canadiens, and Hughes was undrafted but signed with the Colorado Avalanche this past spring as a coveted college free agent.

It’s not quite clear when the Penguins or Horcoff would like him to turn professional. But coming off a significant surgery, Horcoff is tuned in on having a resurgent junior season with Michigan.

“For my development, it’s the best decision,” Horcoff said. “A lot of the guys on that Michigan team are going back as well. We have something to prove. Obviously, coming up short last year, we’re super hungry for a national championship.”