ST. LOUIS — The statistics show Alex Bump to be an offensive catalyst for Western Michigan University.
However, the Philadelphia Flyers forward prospect has shown he can bring a lot more to the ice.
Bump’s commitment to being a defensive stalwart was on display again in a 3-2 double-overtime win against the University of Denver in the semifinals of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center on Thursday.
Bump, selected by the Flyers in the fifth round (No. 133) at the 2022 NHL Draft, leads Western Michigan (33-7-1) in goals (24) and points (47) in 41 games as a sophomore. He didn’t hit the score sheet Thursday, but he still made an impact on both sides of the puck.
He had a game-high nine shots on goal and was a plus-1 with a blocked shot. He had a chance to win it at 8:40 of overtime but he shot a bouncing puck near the top of the crease wide of the net.
“I felt great. I was getting the chances, they just weren’t going in,” Bump said. “I’m creating, just not get the results I want. But they’ll come.”
But what stood out for Western Michigan coach Pat Ferschweiler more than anything was Bump’s commitment to defending, which he has done all season, and his ability to defend hard against Denver’s top players.
“Everybody looks for Alex with the puck, but we saw the same thing,” Ferschweiler said of Bump’s commitment to defending. “His growth without the puck over the last few years has been his biggest growth. He’s always had deception, playmaking ability, the ability to really make people miss. But what he’s added in the last few years, which I think has made him an absolute elite player, is his compete, and it’s every single day. In fact, he’ll only go against Tim Washe when it’s 1-on-1 drills in practice. He picks out our biggest, strongest, hardest guy to go against. That’s part of his maturation process and what’s going to make him a National Hockey Leaguer.”
Teammate Matteo Costantini, a Buffalo Sabres forward prospect, said Bump’s all-around value has been important during Western Michigan’s run to the Frozen Four.
“He’s a huge piece in this puzzle on this team, and he’s a leader for a reason, as a sophomore, and a lot of guys look up to him,” Costantini said.
Los Angeles Kings goalie prospect Hampton Slukynsky is not surprised by his teammate’s commitment to defending. Western Michigan has allowed four goals in its three NCAA Tournament games, and will roll with that as a strength as they play Boston University with a chance to win the school’s first NCAA men’s hockey championship Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN2).
Boston University defeated Penn State 3-1 in the second national semifinal Thursday.
Western Michigan outshot Denver 47-22 for the game and held a 32-8 advantage through two periods.
“I thought we were on it defensively all day,” Slukynsky said. “I don’t know how many shots they had [through] the second, but it didn’t feel like too many. Sometimes it’s tough to stay in there, but I’m just trying to stay mentally dialed [in] and be ready for when those shots come.”
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