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“It’s been a little bit smoother than I expected,” Lockwood said of his seamless transition to college hockey, in a phone interview after a midweek practice.

“It’s all about consistency. It’s important to have a chip on your shoulder, but I take pride in being humble off the ice. I think a lot of hockey guys would agree that you have a totally different personality on and off the ice.

“I play with the mindset that I’m not friends with anyone on the ice (on the other team), and I’m just working with my teammates to do whatever needs to be done to get a win.”

Lockwood admits he’s had some growing pains adjusting to campus life and striking the balance needed between his studies and his puck pursuits. But he says he’s having the time of his life — and he may be the only one in the Canucks’ organization able to make that claim these days.

Photo by Daryl Marshke/University of Michigan Athletics / PNG

A speedster, the Bloomfield Hills, Mich., native has already worked his way on to Michigan’s top line under legendary head coach Red Berenson, who’s clearly seen enough from his rookie recruit to trust him in all situations.

“Fortunately enough, I’ve been given a lot of opportunities and I think I’ve done a good job of taking advantage of that,” Lockwood said. “But you can’t take anything for granted. So I just have to keep working and playing hard to stay on the power play and the penalty kill.

“I think my speed is one of my best attributes, and I use that to the best of my ability. I try to be smart about the way I use it, and that gives me a really big advantage.”