KALAMAZOO, MI - Mike McKee came to the Western Michigan hockey program as a giant project, both figuratively and literally.



The 6-foot-5, 250-pound sophomore joined the Broncos as a tough guy with fists as big as a face and a knack for physical play.



WMU coach Andy Murray labelled McKee, a 2012 Detroit Red Wings draft pick, as a four-year project. Making that project a bit tougher was the plan to transition McKee from defenseman to forward.



There was skepticism that McKee would be able to keep his gloves on and become a productive player in Murray's pro-style system, but the Newmarket, Ontario native is proving those people wrong as he has played in all but one game this season and has been a regular on the Broncos' grinding fourth line.





Mike McKee

McKee has aspirations to one day play in the NHL and he's come to understand what he has to do to reach those goals.



"I just want to be a grinder," he said of how he wants to be perceived by the NHL eyes looking at him. "I want to be the guy that works hard and can be counted on. He's not going to have 50 points. Who knows if he'll have any, but he's going to block shots and win his battles."



His plan is simple and that's exactly the kind of game Murray said McKee will have to play to make it in the pro game.



"He's learning that toughness had to be able to play," said Murray, who spent 10 years as a head coach in the NHL. "That's the phrase they use in the NHL. You can have toughness, but you have to be able to play. You can't just get by just on toughness. If you're just tough you're not going to get a contract. He's learning how to work a little harder. He works hard off the ice, but I think as a tough guy he would kind of pace himself, but now he's going all out all the time.



"He's going to be expected to be a puck transporter and a guy that can take the puck to the net and he has to shoot it. He's not going to take the place of a Pavel Datsyuk. He can't try to be Pavel Datsyuk. He has to be Mike McKee and that's a hard-nosed guy that gets the puck to the net. A guy that he should go back and look at video tapes of is Darren McCarty. He has to be tough, but he has to be able to play."



McCarty was a hard-nosed forward from Ontario that spent about 12 seasons with the Red Wings in the 1990s and 2000s. He was known mostly as an enforcer, but was able to contribute offensively also.



McKee racked up 529 penalty minutes in two seasons in junior hockey with the Lincoln Stars. He spent 54 minutes in the box in 21 games last season and he's at 49 minutes entering the Broncos' series at Nebraska-Omaha this week.



The hard-nosed forward can still deliver crushing hits, but helping him become more productive on the ice is the transformation of his body. He said he still weighs around 245 pounds, but compared to when he arrived in Kalamazoo he looks leaner and according to Murray it's helped his explosiveness and his strength on the puck.



McKee has two points on the season and both have come in his last two games with a goal against Miami on Jan. 31 and an assist against the RedHawks on Saturday - His assist was a reward for creating a turnover on the forecheck, which led to a goal by linemate Josh Pitt.



Those are the types of plays McKee has come to embrace.



"I don't base my game off how many goals or assists I get, but anytime you can contribute like that it helps," he said. "I play straight up and down the ice and I work hard in the corners and hold on to pucks. That's about it."



McKee admitted his transition from defenseman to forward is still a work in progress, but as the success increases so does his confidence. He has 25 shots on goal, which for a grinding fourth-liner isn't a bad number, and he is starting to look smoother and more comfortable being around the net.



"If it looks smoother, then it looks smoother," he said with a laugh. "I think confidence is a big thing. I'm trying to hold on to pucks a little more and throw them to the net because you never know what can happen."

WMU HOCKEY AT NEBRASKA-OMAHA

When:8:30 p.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday

Where: Omaha, Nebraska

Records: WMU 11-11-4 (4-8-4-3, 7th NCHC); UNO (16-7-3, 10-5-1-1, 1st NCHC)

Series: UNO leads 17-9-6 all-time

Last meeting: UNO won 5-2, 3-0 in Kalamazoo on Oct. 17-18.

Radio: WZOX-FM (96.5)

Online: NCHC.tv

Email David Drew at ddrew1@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.