DuPont had six points (two goals, four assists) in four games in the Memorial Cup, which featured the champions of the three leagues compromising the Canadian Hockey League (WHL, OHL, Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League) and host Kelowna of the WHL.
The Calgary native was granted exceptional status to play in the WHL as an underage player and had 60 points (17 goals, 43 assists) in 64 games as a 15-year-old in 2024-25. He was the first defenseman to earn exceptional status in the WHL and the second player overall, after Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard in 2020.
At Michigan, DuPont will be going up against older, more experienced players but will also part of a stacked roster. Michigan is expected to have up to 17 players who were selected in the NHL Draft, including five who were picked in the first round.
“I think it’s about the development,” DuPont said. “I loved my two years in Everett. I couldn’t have asked to play for a better organization, but I think the NCAA is a bigger, faster game and I think it’s just one step closer to the pro level.
“It never had anything to do with what Everett did, it’s about the competition I’ll be playing against.”
It will be a big season for DuPont, who is also hoping to play for Canada at the 2027 World Junior Championship, to be held in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta from Dec. 26, 2026 to Jan. 5, 2027.
Making the Canadian team would further help his draft stock.
“Obviously it’s a big year, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself and don’t want to look into that too much,” DuPont said. “I just want to try and have fun with the year and try to win a championship for Michigan.”
DuPont is used to high expectations, so he doesn’t believe the weight of the draft will affect him at the NCAA level.
“Ever since hockey players are 10 years old, they play with pressure and I think the past few years I’ve been getting more and more used to that,” he said. “I’m just going to try and play this season and have fun and just try to keep that as outside noise.”
It helps that his father, Micki DuPont, was a professional hockey player. Micki, also a defenseman, played 23 games in the NHL with the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues from 2002-07 before embarking on a successful career in Switzerland and Germany.
DuPont spent a lot of time in Europe with his father growing up and appreciates what it takes to play at the pro level.
“I was in Switzerland for seven years and then Germany for five,” DuPont said. “It was so cool and that’s what really grew my love for the game. Just being around him and being in the locker room and just being around him and watching him play, it was awesome. Being in that atmosphere you grow to love the game, and I’m super grateful and obviously living in Switzerland was super cool, it’s such a beautiful place.”