Werenski achieves goal of making Team USA

If you think Zach Werenski looked good this October and November, the reason is because of what happened in July and August.

“This summer, he might have been the hardest working guy I’ve ever been in the gym with,” offseason workout partner and CBJ teammate Adam Fantilli said. “Absolute animal. He was dragging me in for a sixth day a week, only doing Sunday off and then taking me in on Saturdays. On the ice, he was working as hard as he can every single time.

“He came in looking unreal. He killed the testing. He looked great. It’s translating into his game. He’s in the conversation for the Norris right now, so he’s playing amazing.”

As Fantilli noted, the results have been beyond impressive. Werenski hasn’t just been one of the best defensemen in the NHL, he’s been one of the top players in the league through the first two months of the season.

And while Werenski often doesn’t dwell on personal honors, preferring to focus on team success, the two-time NHL All-Star did check a major milestone off his list when he was named tonight to Team USA for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

He has often talked about how much he enjoys representing his country in top-level international competitions, and now he’ll be wearing the Red, White and Blue against the best players in the world as part of the tournament being put on by the NHL and NHLPA.

“It’s definitely something that was one of my goals coming into the year,” Werenski said. “It’s the first (best on best international hockey) has happened since I’ve been in the league. Guys have been itching for it. It’s great for the league. It’s great for hockey. I think whenever you can have best on best in any sport, it’s good for viewership. It’s good to grow the game. I think that part of it is awesome.

“As players, you want to play best on best at some point, and we finally get an opportunity here these next couple of years.”

As Werenski noted, it’s been a dry spell when it comes to the best in the world matching up against one another in their country’s colors. NHL players did not participate in the Winter Olympics each of the past two cycles, with an eye on returning in 2026, and the last big international event was the 2016 World Cup before Werenski made his NHL debut.

A two-time participant in the World Junior Championships in his teenage years, Werenski has twice suited up for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships, but many of the top players in the game are unable to take part because it takes place at the same time as the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

So you can see why Werenski was so interested in making the roster for the squad, and he’s proved his worth this season with a bevy of accomplishments. The Detroit-area native sits first among NHL players in ice time per game (26:06), is tied for sixth in the league in shots on goal (90) and is one of the leaders among defensemen in goals (eight, tied for first) and points (26, third).

Before Tuesday night’s shutout loss at Calgary, Werenski had an eight-game point streak in which he became just the third player in team history and first defensemen with 16 points in such a span.

On top of that, he’s earned high praise from the Blue Jackets coaching staff for his defensive abilities throughout the campaign.

“I think everybody sees the special things,” head coach Dean Evason said. “You miss the little things. You miss the box outs. You miss the little pucks moving quickly. On the defensive end, we see on the video on a consistent basis that he’s doing all of those things.

“We see him rushing up the ice and getting involved. We see him scoring an overtime goal. Those are all wonderful, but he is such a well-rounded player. I think you miss his defensive greatness, if you will, because it gets overshadowed by his offensive greatness.”

And it all started this summer. Werenski has always been a physical freak, more floating around the ice than skating on it, but now in his ninth season in the NHL, he knew he had to reach another level to be capable of playing the way he wants at all times. It’s worked, as not only does Werenski lead the league in ice time, he’s able to keep his game at a high level no matter the situation.

“In years past, I’ve done a good job in terms of being ready for camp, but I feel like i wasn’t as far along as I could have been,” Werenski said. “Now I feel like I've done everything I could. I feel really good. My wind is good. My legs feel good, and I think the results are showing because I’m not as tired during games, in back-to-backs and whatnot. It allows me to play that 200-foot game and not even think about it.”

The work put in during the summer has put him in a position to be among the league’s best, and the recognition from Team USA is the latest sign of Werenski’s standing in the NHL. For Blue Jackets assistant coach Steve McCarthy, who has coached Werenski the past four seasons, the honors are deserved given the level he’s played at this season.

“It really is incredible,” McCarthy said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be around Z since I was still playing when he came into Cleveland from college, and I’ve been able to watch him grow and work with him. I’ve seen him play some really good hockey, but he has taken it to another level. He’s a student of the game, and he’s really mastered his craft. Now we’re seeing what he can do.”