Michigan
Michigan hockey first-round pick traded to Penguins, expected to turn pro
Michigan’s 2024-25 roster took a major hit Thursday.
Forward Rutger McGroarty, who finished ninth in the country with 52 points last season, had his rights traded from the Winnipeg Jets to the Pittsburgh Penguins. According to multiple outlets, first reported by The Athletic, he is expected to sign his entry-level pro contract, foregoing his final two years of NCAA eligibility. The Jets are acquiring forward Brayden Yager, the No. 14 overall pick in 2023, in a swap of two top NHL prospects.
McGroarty, the No. 14 overall pick in 2022, reportedly had requested a trade this offseason after he and Winnipeg disagreed on his future with the organization. Two other Michigan early-round picks – Frank Nazar and Gavin Brindley, signed their entry-level deals with the Chicago Blackhawks, and Columbus Blue Jackets, respectively, after Michigan’s season ended in a national semifinal in April.
Both played in NHL games at the end of the year for teams that didn’t make the playoffs, but the Jets finished second in the Central Division and had one of the deepest forward groups in the league, limiting a potential pathway for McGroarty to enter the lineup.
In April, Michigan announced McGroarty was returning for his junior season, but many NHL experts mentioned the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder as a potential trade candidate.
A trade around the draft in June wouldn’t have been surprising, but a move this late in the offseason is unusual. McGroarty was expected to be a leader for a Wolverines team that lost four of its top six scorers from last year. In two years with the Wolverines, he recorded 32 goals and 57 assists in 75 games, playing a major role in the team reaching the Frozen Four both years.
Former Michigan running back and assistant coach Mike Hart is getting a promotion on Chris Creighton’s staff at Eastern Michigan.
The school announced Monday that Hart is being elevated to assistant head coach and will oversee the receivers in 2026. Michigan’s all-time leading rusher spent last season as an offensive analyst for the Eagles.
“Coach Hart is a winner,” Creighton said in a news release. “He has the ‘It’ factor. He selflessly helped us this year as an offensive analyst and made a positive impact. We know that he will be a major addition as assistant head coach and wide receivers coach.”
Hart has 14 years of college coaching experience, including a three-year stint as Michigan’s running backs coach from 2021-23. He served as interim head coach for one game during the Wolverines’ 2023 national championship season when Jim Harbaugh was suspended.
Under Hart, Michigan’s running backs thrived. Blake Corum rushed for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons and was a third-round pick by the Rams in 2024. The Wolverines won the Big Ten all three years Hart was on staff, but they did not renew his contract after the 2023 campaign.
The 39-year-old began his coaching career at EMU in 2011 and also has had stints at Western Michigan (2014-15), Syracuse (2016) and Indiana (2017-2020).
As a player at Michigan, Hart was a two-time Doak Walker Award finalist and finished fifth in the 2006 Heisman Trophy voting. Last season, EMU finished 4-8 but was No. 2 in the Mid-American Conference in passing yards per game.
“I am excited to be a part of Eastern Michigan football,” Hart said in a release. “Coach Creighton is one of the best leaders of men I have ever been around, and I look forward to learning and being a part of his program. EMU football and the Ypsilanti community have always held a special place in my heart, and I am excited to help the team reach our goals for the 2026 season.”
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Michigan Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 4, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Daily 3 numbers from Jan. 4 drawing
Midday: 5-3-9
Evening: 3-2-4
Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily 4 numbers from Jan. 4 drawing
Midday: 0-9-9-1
Evening: 2-0-5-4
Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 4 drawing
03-08-13-38-47, Lucky Ball: 02
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Poker Lotto numbers from Jan. 4 drawing
KD-3D-3H-7H-2S
Check Poker Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from Jan. 4 drawing
05-09-13-18-27
02-06-16-18-34
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily Keno numbers from Jan. 4 drawing
06-08-10-16-21-24-25-29-36-44-47-52-54-55-58-63-65-66-76-77-78-79
Check Daily Keno payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Michigan Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes up to $99,999.99, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Michigan Lottery’s Regional Offices.
To claim by mail, complete a ticket receipt form, sign your winning ticket, and send it along with original copies of your government-issued photo ID and Social Security card to the address below. Ensure the names on your ID and Social Security card match exactly. Claims should be mailed to:
Michigan Lottery
Attn: Claim Center
101 E. Hillsdale
P.O. Box 30023
Lansing, MI 48909
For prizes over $100,000, winners must claim their prize in person at the Michigan Lottery Headquarters in Lansing located at 101 E. Hillsdale in downtown Lansing. Each winner must present original versions of a valid government-issued photo ID (typically a driver’s license or state ID) and a Social Security card, ensuring that the names on both documents match exactly. To schedule an appointment, please call the Lottery Player Relations office at 844-887-6836, option 2.
If you prefer to claim in person at one of the Michigan Lottery Regional Offices for prizes under $100,000, appointments are required. Until further notice, please call 1-844-917-6325 to schedule an appointment. Regional office locations are as follows:
- Lansing: 101 E. Hillsdale St. Lansing; Phone: 844-917-6325
- Livonia: 33231 Plymouth Road, Livonia; Phone: 844-917-6325
- Sterling Heights: 34700 Dequindre Road, Sterling Heights; Phone: 844-917-6325
- Detroit: Cadillac Place, 3060 W. Grand Blvd., Suite L-600, Detroit; Phone: 844-917-6325
- Grand Rapids: 3391-B Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids; Phone: 844-917-6325
- Saginaw: Jerome T. Hart State Office Building, 411 E. Genesee Ave., Saginaw; Phone: 844-917-6325
For additional information, downloadable forms, and instructions, visit the Michigan Lottery’s prize claim page.
When are Michigan Lottery drawings held?
- Daily 3 & Daily 4: Midday at 12:59 p.m., Evening at 7:29 p.m.
- Fantasy 5: 7:29 p.m. daily
- Poker Lotto: 7:29 p.m. daily
- Lotto 47: 7:29 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily
- Daily Keno: 7:29 p.m. daily
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Michigan editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Kyle Whittingham’s staff at Michigan is nearly complete. Position coaches have been hired and now the Wolverines are working on their analysts and assistants to help the position coaches. And Michigan fans heard some positive news on Sunday.
Not only did the Wolverines hire a new safeties coach, with a ton of history as a defensive coordinator, but Michigan will retain long-time coach Fred Jackson, according to MGoBlue where he is listed as an analyst.
Michigan transfer portal tracker: Every player coming in and out of the program in 2026
Jackson was Michigan’s running backs coach from 1992-2014 before he left to coach high school football. But in 2022, he was welcomed back to Ann Arbor under Jim Harbaugh and helped coach the position. He assisted Tony Alford, who was also retained to coach running backs, for the past two seasons at Michigan.
With the tutelage from both Jackson and Alford, Michigan’s run game was fantastic this season. Despite injuries to both Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall, Michigan had one of the top rushing attacks in the Big Ten.
The Wolverines averaged over 210 yards per game on the ground. Haynes had six games of over 100 yards on the ground, Marshall had four, and former walk-on Bryson Kuzdzal rushed for 100 yards once this season when both Haynes and Marshall missed.
More on Jackson and his history in Ann Arbor
He has coached five All-Big Ten running backs at Michigan, led by three-time all-conference first team honoree Tyrone Wheatley (1992-94) and two-time performer Mike Hart (2004, 2006). Anthony Thomas (2000) and Chris Perry (2003) were All-Big Ten first team selections and Tshimanga Biakabutuka earned second-team honors in 1995. Thomas and Hart received distinction as Big Ten Freshman of the Year award winners.
Jackson’s running backs have led the league in rushing four times during his tenure and surpassed the 1,000-yard barrier 12 times, including Fitzgerald Toussaint in 2011. Perry (2003) and Hart (2004) became the first teammates to lead the league in rushing in back-to-back seasons since 1982-83, pacing the Big Ten in both overall and conference play.
He also coached two seasons in Ann Arbor as the Wolverines’ offensive coordinator.
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