Landon DuPont has stepped into his Michigan season with six assists, 11 shots and a plus-6 rating through five games, but the 17-year-old defenseman is treating his first NCAA campaign as more than a runway to the 2027 NHL Draft. The Calgary native, projected as the top pick, is learning the college game, managing life away from home and finding his footing in a crowded freshman house.
DuPont, listed at 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds, arrived in Ann Arbor after a championship finish with the Everett Silvertips. He produced 73 points, including 18 goals, in 63 Western Hockey League games in 2025-26, then led Everett blue-liners with five goals and 18 assists across 18 playoff games as the club captured its first WHL title.
His season also included a gold medal with Canada at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he wore the captain’s “C.” Now, he is starting a draft-season diary while handling the expectations that come with being viewed as the leading candidate for No. 1 in 2027.
From Calgary to Michigan
Although Calgary remains home, DuPont spent much of his childhood in Europe while his father, Micki, played professional hockey there. For his first decade, winters were spent in Germany and Switzerland before the family returned to Calgary from April through August.
The experience gave DuPont exposure to new languages and cultures, while also feeding his interest in history, particularly Germany and Berlin. Hockey, however, was always the central goal.
“I was never satisfied with where I was, and I’m still not satisfied today,” DuPont said of the mindset that has carried him through each level. “Everyone around you keeps improving and evolving, so you have to push every day and keep climbing the ladder.”
He grew up cheering for the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome, and remembers neighborhood walks that included detours past former Flames defenseman Mark Giordano’s house in hopes of spotting him outside.
His father’s biggest lessons for Landon and older brother Nolan centered on humility and selflessness. DuPont said his father stressed that a playing career is limited, while the way a player treats people away from the rink carries far longer.
Nolan, now with the Okotoks Oilers of the BCHL, remains a major influence. The brothers competed in everything from mini-sticks games to outdoor-rink battles, a background DuPont credits for sharpening his edge. He calls Nolan his best friend.
Exceptional path, championship lesson
DuPont entered the WHL at 15 after being granted exceptional status, becoming only the second player and the first defenseman to receive the designation. Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard was the first player approved under the exception.
Everett gave DuPont a major-junior home and a coach in Steve Hamilton who made the young defenseman comfortable in his role. DuPont said Hamilton’s communication helped him understand both the demands being placed on him and the value he brought to the lineup.
The Silvertips’ championship run also changed the way DuPont views high-pressure games. Earlier in his development, he felt urgency to seize control in the opening period. The playoff experience taught him that a game can turn at any stage and that a team must stay with its structure and effort through all 60 minutes.
Settling into the Wolverines room
The biggest transition at Michigan has not been handling the puck against older opponents. It has been running his own day. Without billets or parents making sure assignments are finished and alarms are set, DuPont has had to take responsibility for his schedule and time management.
His fellow freshmen have made the move easier. DuPont shares living space with J.P. Hurlbert of the Detroit Red Wings, Cam Reid of the Nashville Predators, Jack Nesbitt of the Philadelphia Flyers, Kieren Dervin of the Vancouver Canucks and Brandt Harper.
That group has helped keep the draft-year noise outside the door. They spend time watching shows and going to dinner, giving DuPont room to be a student rather than constantly thinking about hockey or rankings.
Michigan coach Brandon Naurato has encouraged the defenseman to play without fear of mistakes. DuPont describes Naurato as detailed and invested in the person as much as the player, with a message built around pushing players beyond familiar territory and learning by “failing forward.”
DuPont’s early approach has been to absorb information, keep plays simple and choose his spots to take chances. As the season progresses, he expects to grow more assertive offensively and harder to play against in his own end.
After the horn
Yost Arena has quickly made an impression on DuPont. The bands, chants and student section give the building an extra charge, and the smaller NCAA rinks feel even tighter once the game starts.
Daily practices also carry an NHL-level test. Michigan junior forward Michael Hage, a Montreal Canadiens prospect, is among the older and stronger players DuPont faces regularly. Those matchups have pushed the freshman out of his comfort zone and closer to the standard he is chasing.
Off the ice, DuPont’s favorite course is History of Ancient Greek Sport, where he is studying the origins of the Olympic Games. His interest in history dates back to his years living overseas.
As for the attention around the 2027 draft, DuPont sees it as motivation rather than a distraction. He enjoys seeing where friends are listed but understands rankings represent opinions that can shift throughout a season. The pressure of holding the projected No. 1 spot, he said, is fuel to avoid complacency because others are always trying to close the gap.
Michigan is expected to spend Halloween weekend in Columbus, Ohio, for a matchup with Ohio State. DuPont is a fan of the holiday, though his most memorable costume remains a Tom Brady outfit he now admits was not especially convincing.
