Michigan Hockey loses Evan Werner, Cameron Korpi to transfer portal

Transfer portal season is among us.

Despite how you feel about college sports essentially having a yearly free agency for all athletes, the reality is head coaches have to deal with more annual roster turnover than ever before.

Michigan’s most recent departures include forward Evan Werner and goaltender Cameron Korpi. The news comes from Mike McMahon of College Hockey Insider:

Michigan goalie Cameron Korpi enters the transfer portal.

— Mike McMahon (@MikeMcMahonCHN) April 3, 2025

Michigan (F) Evan Werner (22pts as a sophomore) is the latest addition to the transfer portal.

— Mike McMahon (@MikeMcMahonCHN) April 3, 2025

This comes just one day after the news that forwards William Whitelaw and Tanner Rowe were also hitting the transfer portal.

Werner, a sophomore who played a single year in Ann Arbor, was a valuable right-handed winger who could play on any forward line. He has the hands and skill to skate with top centers T.J. Hughes and Michael Hage, but can also play a grittier, grind-it-out style on the third line.

He had a sneakily terrific campaign, recording 11 goals and 11 assists, good for third on the team with 22 points. However, not that plus/minus is the holy grail of statistics, but Werner was last on the team with a -12.

Werner is a tough but absorbable loss given the Wolverines’ steady influx of offensive talent and point producers.

Korpi is going to be a tougher pill to swallow. The freshman split time with graduate Logan Stein this season and was probably Michigan’s best option in net. He went 7-6-1 with a 3.08 GAA and a .904 save percentage. Right when Korpi appeared set to take the reins, he suffered a concussion, which derailed his season.

It felt like with Stein gone, Korpi would have a real crack at around 25 starts as a sophomore. It’s difficult to get playing time for any freshman at any school, but to be the Wolverines’ goaltender so early on is quite an achievement. He had it all lined up to control the position for years, but that won’t be happening in Ann Arbor.

Now, head coach Brandon Naurato will need to reevaluate the position and move forward with another plan.

The Wolverines should still have an excellent team in 2025-26 and will make up for portal and graduation losses with a mix of young players and veterans. However, if their roster keeps deteriorating, Naurato may be in a mad scramble to piece together a lineup.

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