Ok, he's not switching his commitment from Minnesota to Michigan. He has committed to play for the NTDP next season. Hoeffel turned down the opportunity to play for the U17 team last summer, instead opting to play for Hill-Murray, one of the best high school teams in Minnesota.
It's obviously a nice gain for the NTDP program, but should really hurt Hill-Murray. Aside from losing a number of good seniors, Hill will also lose defenseman Nick Pryor, who would have played a bigger role on the team next season, and potentially forward Nick Larson, and goalie Joe Phillippi.
While Hoeffel loses his final chance at a state high school championship, moving on to Ann Arbor is probably best for his hockey career. He'll play against a lot of Division I teams next season, which should make him more ready to contribute to the Gophers as a freshmen.
It's obviously a nice gain for the NTDP program, but should really hurt Hill-Murray. Aside from losing a number of good seniors, Hill will also lose defenseman Nick Pryor, who would have played a bigger role on the team next season, and potentially forward Nick Larson, and goalie Joe Phillippi.
While Hoeffel loses his final chance at a state high school championship, moving on to Ann Arbor is probably best for his hockey career. He'll play against a lot of Division I teams next season, which should make him more ready to contribute to the Gophers as a freshmen.