KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The National Collegiate Hockey Conference has sent more than 90 players into the NHL, its schools have a combined 22 NCAA national championships and been crowned five of the past seven titlists. While a good portion of the postseason and NHL accolades have traditionally come from North Dakota (nine NCAA championships) and Denver (eight), the conference’s most prolific offense over the past few years has been Western Michigan.
 
Since the start of the 2021-22 campaign, the Broncos are one of only two NCHC teams to rank in the top 10 nationally in scoring each year (Denver is the other). Individually, the nation’s top goal scorer has called Kalamazoo their home for the past two years. Ethen Frank’s 26 tallies topped all NCAA skaters two years ago and Jason Polin’s 30 set an NCHC single-season record and paced the country last season.
 
The 12th-ranked Broncos have continued their dynamic ways this season with yet another new face sitting atop their stat sheet in junior forward Dylan Wendt. After spending his first two seasons earning his stripes and adding more responsibilities to his role on the team, Wendt is enjoying a breakout 2023-24 campaign with 21 goals and 37 points. His goal total is tied for seventh nationally and only one behind Denver’s Jack Devine and Minnesota Duluth’s Ben Steeves for the NCHC lead.
 
“When I got the job the first time under Jeff Blashill it was really about how can we take the good and make it great,” Western Michigan head coach Pat Ferschweiler said. “It was the same thing when I returned (under Andy Murray). We want players that love to come to the rink every day and Dylan is one of them. He has had two great summers of work in a row that allowed him to be successful. He always had the hands and the head to do what he’s doing and now we’re seeing it.”
 
As is commonplace for rookies, ice time was at a premium when Wendt first arrived in Kalamazoo. The Grand Haven, Mich. native suited up in 34 of 39 games as a freshman for a roster that ultimately won its first NCAA Tournament game in program history to reach the regional final. While logging valuable defensive minutes in a bottom-six role, Wendt finished the year with three points on a goal and two assists. His lone tally of the year was a memorable one as he scored in a 5-2 road victory against in-state rival and No. 1 Michigan.
 
Year two in Kalamazoo saw Wendt make strides in his game. After putting up just five points in the first 16 games and being held scoreless in November, he posted 17 points in his final 23 games to finish the year with 22 points (8 goals, 14 assists) to help the Broncos make their second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. His teammates noticed his leap forward when they voted him WMU’s Most Improved Player.
 
“The staff preaches repeatability and consistency in doing the right thing,” Wendt said. “In my first two years, it was mainly about trusting the process and seeing those guys doing their thing, but knowing my time would come. It is a big change seeing less ice time than juniors at the beginning, but you have to keep the right mindset and stay committed to getting better every day and learning from the veterans ahead of you.”
 
After getting a bench-side seat to two high-flying forwards in Frank and Polin during his first two seasons, Wendt took center stage right off the opening puck drop this year when he posted five points in a 6-4 season-opening win over Ferris State. He scored at least one goal in four of WMU’s first five games as the Broncos began the season an unblemished 4-0-1.
 
A three-game losing streak left the Broncos at 1-3 in NCHC play heading into a crucial series at Colorado College, when Ferschweiler juggled the line combinations to put Wendt and senior Luke Grainger together with standout freshman Alex Bump. The trio found instant chemistry in the Nov. 17 series opener as each scored a goal and combined for seven of nine points in a 3-1 win. The Broncos completed the series sweep by a 4-0 score the next night with Wendt posting his second-straight three-point game to finish the weekend with three goals and three assists.
 
“Ever since we got put together we’ve been clicking. We’re three different players who complement each other well,” said Grainger, the team captain. “When Alex came on the line, it gave us a left-handed shot to help create some open space. We communicate well and stay on each other to make different plays and get better each game. Alex uses his size in the corners and sees the ice well and he can score as well. Dylan has a great hockey IQ that he uses. For me, I try to make plays on the rush and get open as much as I can.”
 
The Broncos’ sweep in Colorado Springs got them back on track. Western promptly won seven in a row and 10 of 11 to move to 14-4-1 on the season. Wendt’s offense keyed WMU’s tear as he put up points in all 10 of its wins and totaled 10 goals and 18 points during that stretch.
 
In the 22 games that Wendt, Grainger and Bump have played together, the Broncos have gone 14-8-0. The trio has amassed a combined 81 points over this run with Wendt’s 15 goals topping the line.
 
“Dylan only needs one chance to put the puck in the net. He’s a pure goal scorer,” Bump said. “He can score in different ways and it’s impressive to watch and be a part of. It’s cool to see how far we’ve come since that first weekend we played together against CC. Being around each other has built the chemistry and we know where each other are on the ice now.”
 
Beyond his gaudy scoring line, Wendt’s importance to the Broncos’ success is best summarized in one stat. Western Michigan is 17-4-1 when Wendt records a point and only 1-7 when he is held off the scoresheet.
 
While Wendt had the chance to learn the ropes by seeing the habits of both Frank and Polin as they won individual scoring titles, the junior forward is also forging his own identity as the next in a line of prolific scorers to don the Brown and Gold.
 
“You see players like Ethen and Jason doing so well, you want to emulate them,” Wendt said. “Both of them were among the hardest workers on the ice. That’s the biggest takeaway I got from them is to keep doing the work and putting in the reps. I learned from Ethen about his one-timers and working on getting as fast as he was. Jason had such great puck protection skills and hockey IQ, so I took a lot of nuances of the game from him.
 
“I always wanted to learn more about the game when I stepped onto the ice. You’re never too good to learn. You look at the top players and they are always getting better. I embrace the growth mindset and still pick up things from my teammates that I like incorporating into my game.”
 
“His competitiveness stands out,” Ferschweiler added. “At Western, we talk about how hard it is to score and that you have to work for your offense. We keep relating when you work and move your feet, you’ll have success on the offensive end. That’s what Dylan does to get his offense.”
 
The regular season is down to four games remaining. Western Michigan is vying for a home NCHC playoff series and jostling with Colorado College for fourth place in the league standings. WMU also sits 12th in the PairWise Rankings as it looks to secure its third-straight NCAA Tournament berth for the first time in program history. Wendt and Western return to the ice on Friday night when it opens a critical weekend series at No. 3 North Dakota for a nationally televised tilt on CBS Sports Network that begins at 8 p.m. ET.