Michigan hockey team seeks offensive boost from former defenseman Scooter Vaughan

When the University of Michigan hockey team plays its home opener Thursday, fans will see a new face up front for the Wolverines.

Scooter Vaughan, a junior defenseman-turned-forward, will team up with Louie Caporusso and David Wohlberg on one of the Wolverines’ top scoring lines.

Vaughan, a healthy scratch in the season opener against Alaska, has been searching for a permanent role on a team that is jammed at defense and stacked with talented forwards. Prior to this season, Vaughan’s only experience at forward came in March during the CCHA tournament.

With a surplus of defensemen, though, Michigan coach Red Berenson moved Vaughan to forward. Berenson said before the season he didn’t know how much playing time Vaughan would see at his new position.

“He’s shown he’s a capable defenseman,” Berenson said last month. “But with our depth on defense now, we can afford to move him up front. Now, up front, he’s a question mark.”

Vaughan played some in Michigan’s second game, a 6-2 win over Alaska-Anchorage. But with junior right-winger Ben Winnett nursing a sore groin, Vaughan likely will get his best chance to prove himself Thursday against Niagara.

“He definitely showed some energy and speed and hustle, and I thought he made a good impact in the (Alaska-Anchorage) game,” Berenson said. “When Winnett got hurt, we had to put someone in that spot, so we’re giving him a look.”

Vaughan has known all along he’d have to battle for ice time.

“I’ve gotta work hard and show that I deserve to be out there,” Vaughan said. “I feel like I can bring a lot of energy to this team and hopefully be a presence around the net. I’m a physical, fast forward that can help out.”

Caporusso, whose line has struggled early, said Vaughan has provided a spark in practice.

“I think he’s brought a lot of speed to our line, and a lot of ability to cycle the puck,” Caporusso said.

As Michigan searches for offensive production, Vaughan could go a long way toward permanently inking his name onto the line chart with a strong performance Thursday.

“We really don’t know a lot about Scooter’s potential at forward, because he’s always played defense,” Berenson said. “So, we’re having a look, and right now, he’s fitting in pretty well with Caporusso and Wohlberg.”

James Briggs covers Michigan hockey for AnnArbor.com. Contact him at 734.623.2557 or jamesbriggs@annarbor.com, or follow him on Twitter at @jamesebriggs.