{"id":745242,"date":"2026-07-05T21:13:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T21:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/745242\/"},"modified":"2026-07-05T21:13:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T21:13:20","slug":"penguins-forward-prospect-will-horcoff-is-tuned-in-on-a-return-to-michigan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/745242\/","title":{"rendered":"Penguins forward prospect Will Horcoff is tuned in on a return to Michigan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Will Horcoff picked up a new hobby around Christmas.<\/p>\n

The guitar.<\/p>\n

The big power forward at Michigan caught the six-string bug from his teammates.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have this big speaker in our house,\u201d Horcoff said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like a concert speaker, so it\u2019s got all the (audio jacks) in the back that you can plug in. I was like, \u2018Why not?\u2019 Because there\u2019s a couple guys on the team \u2026 who all play guitar. But they play acoustic, so I got an electric one. I\u2019ve just been learning.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can play some Van Halen, \u2018Ain\u2019t Talkin\u2019 \u2018Bout Love.\u2019 Some Metallica, too, when I have a lot of adrenaline.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Father Shawn Horcoff, a former NHL forward, has requested the Red Hot Chili Peppers on occasion.)<\/p>\n

Horcoff\u2019s shredding had to take a break this spring, however, when he underwent surgery to repair an injured right shoulder that impacted his sophomore season.<\/p>\n

That recovery is ongoing, and as a result, Horcoff was held off the ice for the Pittsburgh Penguins\u2019 prospect development camp in Cranberry this past week.<\/p>\n

Speaking with media on Tuesday, Horcoff, one of the organization\u2019s top prospects, estimated he was nine weeks removed from surgery and reported his recovery was \u201cgoing super well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hurt it pretty bad in December, right before Christmas break,\u201d Horcoff said. \u201cThen, 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\u2019d probably have to get it done (surgery).\u201d<\/p>\n

Horcoff was productive overall last season, generating 39 points (25 goals, 14 assists) in 40 games.<\/p>\n

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).<\/p>\n

Will Horcoff from Nick Moldenhauer and it’s 2-0 BLUE!<\/p>\n

Catch the game on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com\/qzNJWlvfLL<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) November 29, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

After skating for the United States in the International Ice Hockey Federation\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cObviously, my shoulder affected me a little bit,\u201d Horcoff said. \u201cBut I would not say at all that\u2019s the reason why I had that second half. It\u2019s part of the game. You\u2019re not going to score a lot every single night, every game all season. It\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Penguins management largely likes what he offers, but there is certainly room for improvement.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can find the net,\u201d Penguins director of player development Tom Kostopoulos said. \u201cHe\u2019s 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\u2019s something he knows, he understands and he\u2019s working on. Just to build that consistency and just be able to play. And if the puck\u2019s not going into the net, to have a \u2018B\u2019 game.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all the things that he\u2019s building in his game and working on. He\u2019s a very intelligent kid and player. We\u2019re excited about him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even at 6-foot-5, Horcoff appears to still be growing.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom freshman year to now, probably 13 pounds,\u201d Horcoff said when asked about adding muscle. \u201cI went into school like 193, 192 (pounds). And I\u2019m 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cUse that time to get stronger in the weight room and get some weight there.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

In 2025-26, Michigan\u2019s roster was dotted with 13 players who had been drafted by NHL teams, including Horcoff.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just go out there and they just make me better,\u201d Horcoff said of his teammates. \u201cEspecially Michael Hage, T.J. Hughes, those two, anytime you\u2019re out there, it\u2019s easy to produce when those guys are on the ice.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor my development, it\u2019s the best decision,\u201d Horcoff said. \u201cA 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\u2019re super hungry for a national championship.\u201d<\/p>\n

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