"It is pretty surreal coming back here and just really cool to see the atmosphere from a little bit different perspective," Blankenburg said. "It's been really good to see the guys and the staff, so I'm just happy to be here."
Over their time at Michigan, the two made a lot of memories, especially on the ice at Yost. For Blankenburg, what stands out is personal. Going into Blankenburg's freshman year, his grandfather Richard was not in the best of health, but his family was able to get him seats on the glass in the corner of the rink. During warmups, Blankenberg would go over to the corner and give his grandfather a knuckle touch on the glass.
His grandfather unfortunately passed away after his freshman year, but Blankenburg continued to do the tradition for the rest of his four-year career at Michigan.
"I was able to remember him before the game," Blankenburg said. "He was a die-hard Michigan fan so that will always hold a special place in my heart. I actually still have the seats and I donate them so other people can use them and whatnot, so that's pretty cool."
There was also plenty of on-ice success for the Wolverines, who won the Big Ten championship a season ago and advanced to the Frozen Four. "I would say my favorite was probably winning the Big Ten championship," Johnson said. "Other than that, pretty much the everyday, it kind of just blends together, but it was all so much fun."
For the two Blue Jackets youngsters, Michigan will always be a special place, especially Yost Ice Arena.