Penguins prospect Will Horcoff is enjoying a big season at Michigan

Like any teenager, Will Horcoff is still growing.

And at 6-foot-5 and 201 pounds, the Pittsburgh Penguins forward prospect has the appetite to match his size.

“One thing we love to do at our house is go to Whole Foods and get the steaks going at night,” said Horcoff, currently a sophomore at Michigan. “We usually have dinner after practice at the rink at 6:30 (p.m.). Then we like to have a second dinner at 8:30 or 9 (p.m.). We’ll make a steak. That’s what we like to do around here and it’s really good.”

A fan of the cowboy ribeye cut, the 18-year-old Horcoff has done well this season for the Wolverines.

Through 18 games this season, he leads the NCAA with 18 goals and is in a four-way tie for the overall scoring lead nationwide with 26 points.

“I had a good summer filling in my frame more,” Horcoff said by phone Monday. “The past three years, I grew four or five inches. My body just needed some catching up to do. I did a lot of that this summer. I just feel like more of a complete player out there this season compared to last. I can do what I want with the puck more than I could last year.”

Horcoff did quite a bit with the puck this past weekend in a pair of road games against Harvard.

On Friday, Horcoff sparked a 5-1 win with two goals and an assist.

Will Horcoff from Nick Moldenhauer and it's 2-0 BLUE!

Catch the game on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/qzNJWlvfLL

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) November 29, 2025

One night later, Harvard rebounded from a three-goal deficit to force overtime but Horcoff snuffed any hopes of a successful comeback for the hosts by scoring in overtime, claiming a 4-3 victory.

Horcoff called game! pic.twitter.com/1bMvJTBVhV

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) November 30, 2025

Such exploits aren’t rare for Horcoff. Close to half of his goals this season (six) are game-winning scores. That figure is also tops in the NCAA.

“I don’t want to say live for those moments but I just really enjoy those moments,” Horcoff said. “If we’re tied or down a goal, whenever I’m really (ticked) off at the other team, I’m just really dialed in. I think I do a good job of controlling my emotions and sticking to my plan and playing well in those moments. Not let the moment get the best of you.”

One of Horcoff’s best moments came in June when the Penguins selected him in the first round (No. 24 overall) in the NHL Draft.

He put himself in a position to be drafted that high by having a strong combine. During that showcase, he set a record at the NHL combine for the horizontal jump at 124.8 inches.

Horcoff credited coaches Brian Galivan and Joe Meloni at GVN Performance in Plymouth, Mich., as well as Michigan strength and conditioning coach Joe Maher for his physical progress going into the combine and the draft.

“I think I gained around six or seven pounds this summer,” Horcoff said. “Really working hard in the gym and really focusing on my nutrition. Getting my calories in. That’s a big focus this summer is eating the right way. I gained a lot of success from that.”

Further success for Horcoff came on Monday in the form of being selected for USA Hockey’s preliminary roster for the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior championship tournament, which begins Dec. 26.

Chaz Palla | TribLIve

Penguins forward prospect Will Horcoff skates during a development camp practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry on July 7.

Barring something unforeseen, it’s a safe bet that Horcoff will be one of the 25 players selected for the final roster.

Beyond the obvious pursuit of helping the United States win gold for the third consecutive year, Horcoff sees great value in the tournament with regard to his overall development.

“Just learning to play in big games, Horcoff said. “Every game in that tournament is a big game. Just controlling my emotions. … Playing my power forward role, winning puck battles, being physical and hard to play against. I’m excited to try out because every game in that tournament is big.”

Given how big Horcoff is, it’s easy to assume he’s just a big power forward who grounds and pounds for his offense. And a robust 36 penalty minutes support those suspicions.

But he professes greater nuance or detail in his game.

“I’d say I’m more of a skilled power forward,” Horcoff said. “I think I still play that power forward aspect of getting to the net, playing hard, physical, mean, winning battles. But I also think there’s skill there. I also think I have good hockey sense. I do a good job on the walls in the (defensive) zone and just trying to make plays in the neutral zone as well. And finding open ice in the offensive zone.

“I try to model my game after big guys like (Dallas Stars forward) Mikko Rantanen, I think is a good one. Or maybe like a (Ottawa Senators forward) Brady Tkachuk.”

Horcoff had plenty of NHLers to emulate as a kid, including his father, Shawn Horcoff, who spent 15 years and 1,008 games in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks.

(Shawn Horcoff’s only hat trick of his NHL career came with the Oilers during a 3-1 road win against the Penguins at the Mellon Arena that prompted coach Michel Therrien’s infamous “soft” rant on Jan. 10, 2006.)

On this day in 2006, Michel Therrien gave us one of the most memorable and oft-quoted postgame rants of all time. #PGHistory#SOFF #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/pasR7bMbmd

— Pittsburgh Clothing Co. (@PGHClothingCo) January 10, 2025

Following his retirement as a player in 2016, Shawn Horcoff became a member of the Detroit Red Wings’ front office and today, he is an assistant general manager with that franchise.

His guidance is indispensable.

“We have a really good relationship and just love to talk about hockey,” Will Horcoff said. “We talk about it every day. We love watching hockey together. He’s watched every one of my games for the past, probably, eight years. Obviously, he’s lived it. He’s played it and now he works in management. He’s really smart in terms of the sport and I try to take advantage of that. I try to do video with him once a week on the games and talk to him about the games coming up this weekend. Kind of building a plan for my development as well.”

Horcoff’s immediate focus is on the upcoming weekend series against Michigan State, his father’s alma mater.

As for any long-term aspirations, such as when he might turn professional, he is ambiguous about that. But offers a distinct criterion for when that big decision is made.

“That’s more of a thought for the end of the season,” Horcoff said. “One thing I will say, I’m just going to go when I feel like I’m ready. I’ll talk to my parents, my advisors and, of course, the Penguins. When I think I’m ready, I’m going to go. I’m not in a rush to get to the NHL. I’m not in a rush to leave college. But when I think it’s the right opportune moment to leave, I will.”

Note: The Penguins had a scheduled day off Tuesday.