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'Columbus can't help but take a Michigan man': Fans react to Blue Jackets selecting Adam Fantilli

colin gay, the columbus dispatch
·3 min read
Feb 18, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Brutus Buckeye watches Michigan Wolverines forward Adam Fantilli (19) during third period of the Faceoff on the Lake outdoor NCAA men’s hockey game at FirstEnergy Stadium. Ohio State won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch
Feb 18, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Brutus Buckeye watches Michigan Wolverines forward Adam Fantilli (19) during third period of the Faceoff on the Lake outdoor NCAA men’s hockey game at FirstEnergy Stadium. Ohio State won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

A Michigan man is making his way to Columbus.

With the third overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Michigan center Adam Fantilli, the only player to win the Hobey Baker Award as a freshman — given to the top player in NCAA men's hockey — while also winning gold medals at the world juniors and and men's world championships.

Fantilli is the third freshman to win the Hobey Baker Award joining Jack Eichel and Paul Kariya.

And for former NHL goaltender and current ESPN hockey analyst Brian Boucher, Fantilli is a perfect fit for the Blue Jackets.

"I like Fantilli," Boucher said on the broadcast Wednesday. "What I like about him is he's a little bit quicker than Carlsson right now. He could already be developed. What you see is what you get. He's a young man already. But he can play on the walls; he can get inside; he has a powerful stride. ... He's just going right down the road from Michigan to Columbus. This is a great pick for the Columbus Blue Jackets."

Former NFL goaltender and ESPN hockey analyst Kevin Weekes credited Fantilli as a "big-bodied Hobey Baker winner" who "asserts himself against defensive players."

NHL draft tracker: Connor Bedard goes No. 1; scouting reports for first-round picks

Blue Jackets get Adam Fantilli: Columbus Blue Jackets select center Adam Fantilli third in NHL draft

And Weekes also offered a prediction for the Blue Jackets' newest draft pick.

"This guy, to me, is going to be turning on the cannon a lot," Weekes said.

Here's how Blue Jackets fans and NHL analysts reacted to the team's newest first-round draft pick.

The Blue Jackets were the team Adam Fantilli wanted to go to

And for the Blue Jackets, there was no doubt

'Never been more happy to hear university of Michigan in my life'

One Michigan fan will be watching Blue Jackets hockey this fall

To one analyst, the Blue Jackets have found their 'franchise center'

This fan was shocked Adam Fantilli didn't go at No. 2

'Go Blue (Jackets)'

Get more Columbus Blue Jackets talk on the Cannon Fodder podcast

 cgay@dispatch.com 

@_ColinGay

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Reactions: Adam Fantilli to Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023 NHL draft