Recruiting: Bode Wilde commits to Michigan

By @MichaelCaples –

A big recruiting win for Mel Pearson, to be sure.

Tonight, Birmingham native Bode Wilde announced he has verbally committed to the University of Michigan.

Wilde, a defenseman with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, is considered a potential first-round pick in next summer’s NHL Draft. The defenseman was ranked No. 10 overall on Bob McKenzie’s latest rankings for the 2018 selection process.

He told MiHockey he’s excited for the opportunity to continue playing in Michigan; the dual citizen ended up in Metro Detroit for pee wees and bantams before one year in Chicago before joining the NTDP.

“Michigan youth hockey is where I found my identity as a player and it’s the reason I am where I am today,” Wilde said. “U of M is where my heart is and I think it’s fitting that this be where I continue my hockey career and start the next chapter of my life.”

Wilde, who was previously committed to Harvard, said he was ready to play in Ann Arbor after chatting with the program’s new bench boss in Pearson.

“After meeting Coach Pearson, along with the rest of the coaching staff, and getting a chance to see what kind of things Michigan has to offer academically, it became clear that this really is the place for me,” Wilde said.

Wilde, who will be skating in the All-American Prospects Game in Buffalo next week, is also a second-round pick of the Saginaw Spirit.

Here is MiHockey’s video feature on the 6-foot-2, 195-pound NTDP blueliner: