TRAVERSE CITY -- With a little luck, hockey fans in the Traverse City area could be seeing Will Weber real soon.
Weber, selected by Columbus in the second round of the NHL draft last summer straight out of Gaylord High School, is currently playing for the Chicago Steel in the United States Hockey League but could make an appearance in TC as soon as next fall.
The Blue Jackets are looking into whether Weber can play with the team during the annual NHL Prospects Tournament that precedes Detroit Red Wings training camp without losing his college eligibility.
Weber's meteoric rise from high school player to nationally-known prospect was chosen as No. 7 on the Record-Eagle's top 10 sports stories of the year.
Weber said he will play only one year in Chicago before heading to play for No. 1-ranked Miami University, where a full scholarship awaits.
"It was an unreal experience," Weber said earlier this week of his selection in the draft. "I don't even know if it's hit me yet."
Whether or not that has hit, Weber has been a hit with the Steel. While Chicago is just average record-wise, Weber is standing out.
Less than a year out of high school and with no previous experience playing midget or juniors, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound blueliner is fifth in the league in goals and 18th in scoring among defensemen.
Weber leads Chicago's defensemen in goals with four.
"It was kind of a big jump; it took about a month to get used to the speed," he said.
He has 10 points in 24 games and leads the team with 93 penalty minutes -- by 30 -- and is second in the league by three. He had 36 penalty minutes in a three-game span to attribute for much of his total.
"The refs have my number now," he joked, "so I have to keep it down."
Weber is on Chicago's top defensive pairing with potential first-round pick Max Nicastro and said he has played over 40 minutes in some games because of skating on the power-play unit.
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