Seamus Casey is Trusted Wherever He Plays | PROSPECT WATCH

The Michigan Breakfast Club is a little smaller these days.

In years past, the Breakfast Club had a full table of Michigan Wolverine players drafted by the New Jersey Devils gathering a couple times a year with development coach Eric Weinrich, to touch base and check in. 

At one time it was a table with Luke Hughes, Seamus Casey, and Ethan Edwards, all dining with Weinrich (Luke chose the spot), but now only Casey and Edwards remain. But that's a good thing, says the 20-year-old Casey, because it means one by one the players are moving on to the next phase of their playing careers. And as much fun as those early morning breakfasts have been, graduating from that table is everyone's goal in the end, Casey included.  

He could even be next.

To achieve long-term, sustainable success as a professional hockey player, it's all about taking things step-by-step. Seamus Casey is doing just that. In his sophomore season at Michigan, Casey is taking on a more prominent role and seeing his overall game benefit.

"It's a welcome challenge," Casey shared, "You know, you want to play more, you want to be on the ice the whole game. So, it's just been a ton of fun."

Whatever the on-ice situation, Casey knows his number can be called on, and relied upon.

"I'm playing more on the powerplay, and the biggest thing is (being) more of the penalty kill," he added, "I've taken on a lot of strides in that. I didn't play on the penalty kill that much last year, maybe towards the end of the year I started to get on, and now I'm playing pretty much every kill. So it's a lot of fun."

Getting penalty kill minutes has been big for Casey.

"The penalty kill is just like the epitome of defense, so whenever I get to go out there with that unit of four and potentially, especially in college hockey, the special teams can really make or break the game. We have been taking quite a bit of penalties, so our kills are getting a lot better. There's just something about shutting down another team's powerplay, it's really satisfying. It can be more satisfying than being on the powerplay at times."

Special teams are such pivotal moments in a game, it's a place where when you're called on, it's because the coaching staff, in Michigan's case it's head coach Brandon Naurato, have the trust in the player to be a difference maker. That trust seems to fuel Casey's innate desire to get better with each shift.

"Having the coaches trust you to go out there and, getting to block a shot or disrupt a play, you know getting the puck out, it's exciting, It's a really good challenge all the time. I love playing the penalty kill," Seamus added. His added minutes on the penalty kill also benefit his 5-on-5 game.

"Everything in special teams is just more focused on like the puck," he said, "So when it comes back to 5-on-5, you're able to jump into those plays a little easier now, because guys have to make those plays quicker. So it kind of slows down for you 5-on-5."

Trust is an interweaving theme during the conversation with Casey. Whether it's from his Michigan coaches, or with Team USA at the World Juniors, and even the glimpses he's had keeping an eye on the New Jersey Devils. Every moment of significance is about earning trust.

He had it from his USA Hockey coaches at the 2024 World Juniors in Sweden this past January. A year prior, Casey had also made the World Junior roster, but he never suited up for a game, acting as a reserve defenseman. A year later, he was a critical role in securing a gold medal for the Americans.

"I still had to be ready and I understood my role," Casey said of not playing in the 2023 tournament, "I was happy to be there but it's tough to sit and watch, you want to get out there, obviously. So I knew the next year I wanted to, I don't want to say chip on my shoulder, I understood what was going on the first year, but I definitely wanted to get in there and be one of the top guys. I wanted to play as best I can."

In the Gold Medal game, Casey played 18:45, in the tournament, he played in six games, missing one due to illness. Against Latvia, the Americans pulled out a decisive 7-2 victory with The Daily Faceoff's Senior Prospect Analyst Steven Ellis having this to say of Casey's performance:

Casey had three assists in the lopsided affair while also making himself a pain in the behind to try and get past. We know Casey can generate chances, but he’s one heck of physical defender, too.

Every bit of Casey's development has been trending upwards as he grows into his own as a defenseman. Right he's solely focused on helping bring the Wolverines into the NCAA year-end tournament and hopefully completing some unfinished business from 2023, having lost in the semi-final of the Frozen Four as the No. 2 ranked team. Michigan are currently fifth in the Big Ten standings, with a 7-7-2 record. Casey awknowledged that the beginning of the year presented some adversity, but the foucus now is to make a push to climb the rankings.

With his focus on the here-and-now, there are times, especially with pal Luke Hughes playing in New Jersey, where he does check in on the organization and to a large extent, he's excited by how the organization appears to trust in young defensemen. Look no further than Hughes and 19-year-old Simon Nemec.

"They're obviously incredible players," Casey says of the two youngest defenders on the Devils roster, "They definitely deserve it. So that's exciting to watch them. But obviously there's situations, I don't think it's as common as it maybe used to be back in the day, but where teams aren't giving some of these young guys many chances early. So yeah, to be with an organization where it's kind of like the next guy up mentality, it's exciting to be part of."

In the meantime, he will gladly continue to wait his turn, and make an impact where ever he is. There are still plenty of steps to take to get to the NHL, but when he does get his opportunity, you can be sure he's the type of driven individual who will take it and run.

His goal, unsurprisingly, is when his time arrives to "just prove myself" and hopefully get an opportunity to stick around.

Plus, he says, he'll need to stick around, as Luke does owe The Breakfast Club a couple of meals.