University of Minnesota Athletics
2006-07 Minnesota Men's Hockey Season Outlook
10/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
The 2006-07 edition of Golden Gopher hockey will, once again, feature an explosive lineup with exceptional depth throughout the roster. Under eighth-year Head Coach Don Lucia, the defending WCHA Champions will boast 15 NHL Draft Picks, including four first-rounders (Erik Johnson, Blake Wheeler, Kyle Osposo, David Fischer), an All-WCHA Second Team defenseman (Alex Goligoski), a USHL Player of the Year (Mike Howe), a USHL Rookie of the Year (Okposo), one Minnesota Mr. Hockey (Fischer), four Minnesota Mr. Hockey Finalists (R.J. Anderson, Fischer, Alex Goligoski, Ben Gordon) and four U.S. National Junior Team members (Jeff Frazee, Goligoski, Johnson, Wheeler). Minnesota returns 46 percent of its points and 45 percent of its goals from the 2005-06 campaign. The Maroon and Gold's top returning scorer will be Alex Goligoski who ranked fifth in the nation in scoring among defensemen with 11 goals and 28 assists for 39 points. Ben Gordon (12-17--29), Ryan Stoa (10-15--25) and Blake Wheeler (9-14--23) represent Minnesota's other returning players with 20-plus points from a season ago.
FORWARDS
The Golden Gophers bid farewell to some of the nation’s best forwards after the 2005-06 season, but Minnesota once again boasts one of the top corps of forwards in all of college hockey. Three 20-point Golden Gophers return at forward in junior Ben Gordon (12-17--29) and sophomores Ryan Stoa (10-15--25) and Blake Wheeler (9-14--23). Junior Mike Howe is the team’s top returning goal scorer after a 13-goal 2005-06 season, while 2004-05 leading scorer, senior Tyler Hirsch, returns to the lineup. Donning the Maroon and Gold for the first time this season are six top freshmen forwards in Jay Barriball, Mike Carman, Ryan Flynn, Tony Lucia, Jim O’Brien and 2006 NHL Draft first-round pick Kyle Okposo.
“We lost some special players to graduation and the pros, but we’re really excited about the depth of our forwards this season," Lucia said. "We’ll have a good combination of skill, speed and size. If our returning players take the next step, our scoring should not lose a beat this season.”
Left Wing
A good mix of speed, skill, offense and defense exists at the left wing position this season. Ben Gordon returns as Minnesota’s top returning scorer among forwards and brings a wealth of offensive talent to the left side. The junior had a breakout sophomore season with 12 goals and 17 assists, and will look to use his playmaking abilities to lead the team in offensive categories. Junior Mike Howe enters the season as the top retuning goal scorer after a 13-goal 2005-06 campaign and looks to light the lamp even more this year. Junior Tom Pohl will also serve on the left wing, giving the Golden Gophers a forward willing to play any role for the team. Freshman Ryan Flynn will be Minnesota’s power forward from the left side, while fellow rookie Tony Lucia will give the Maroon and Gold a talented playmaker with outstanding hockey sense. Another power forward, Ryan Stoa will also see time at left wing after a rookie season in which he played all 41 games.
Center
The Golden Gophers will be debuting a new corps of centermen this season in an effort to replace Gino Guyer, Ryan Potulny and Phil Kessel. The lone returning center, junior Evan Kaufmann, gives Minnesota a hard-working player with goal scoring, playmaking and defensive abilities. Moving to center this season after rookie years on the wing will be sophomores Ryan Stoa and Blake Wheeler. Stoa possesses the size, speed and skill set to have a breakout season in 2006-07. Right at home in front of the net or down low battling for pucks, Stoa enters the year as Minnesota’s third-leading returning scorer after posting solid totals of 10-15--25 in his freshman season. Wheeler looks to move to center this season after scoring nine goals and 14 assists in his rookie year. A skilled forward with good size, Wheeler is an effective forechecker and solid playmaker. Joining Kaufmann, Stoa and Wheeler at center will be freshmen Mike Carman and Jim O’Brien. Both products of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Carman gives Minnesota a center with a physical game and impressive speed, while O’Brien brings strong skating and deceptive speed to the mix.
Right Wing
The right wing position is loaded with offense, grit, work ethic and versatility for the 2006-07 campaign. One of the team’s top playmakers returns to the lineup this season in senior Tyler Hirsch. Minnesota’s top scorer in 2004-05, Hirsch possesses outstanding offensive skill with great hands and a solid shot. Junior Mike Howe gives the team a pure goal scorer who looks to gain a measure of consistency this season. Also returning at right wing is sophomore Justin Bostrom, a 13-point scorer from a year ago who brings a boost of energy to the ice every shift. Joining the Golden Gophers as freshmen at right wing this season are two power forwards (Kyle Okposo and Ryan Flynn) and a shifty playmaker (Jay Barriball). A 2006 NHL Draft first-round pick, Okposo is a powerful skater with excellent hockey sense, while Flynn brings good size and competitiveness from the U.S. National Team Development Program. Also expected to see time on the right side is junior Evan Kaufmann.
DEFENSEMEN
The Golden Gophers lost three defensemen to graduation, but the 2006-07 corps of Minnesota blueliners may be the strongest and deepest in recent memory. Minnesota returns its top defenseman in Alex Goligoski and welcome back steady performers Mike Vannelli and Derek Peltier. Filling out the blue line will be elite freshmen Erik Johnson and David Fischer. The Maroon and Gold blueline is stacked with offensive skill, the hallmark of UM defensemen, as well as outstanding defensive talent throughout the D corps.
“For the first time in several seasons, our defensemen may be the strength of the team," Lucia said. "Our D have the combination of size, speed and skill that is important to stay successful in the WCHA. The key for our blueline will be to stay healthy.”
Left Defense
Minnesota’s left defensemen bring a good mix of offense and defense to the ice with juniors Alex Goligoski and Derek Peltier, and freshman Brian Schack. Goligoski, a member of the All-WCHA Second Team last season, enters the year as the team’s top returning blueliner and scorer. He brings the Golden Gophers assets in puck-handling, playmaking and creativity. Peltier has proved to be one of Minnesota’s most consistent players during his career as evidenced by his career plus-minus rating of +29. Peltier understands his roles on both ends of the ice and has the ability to jump in on the rush and contribute points. Joining the Maroon and Gold as a freshman defenseman on the left side this season is Brian Schack. Possessing a nice combination of size and mobility, Schack will give Minnesota some important depth on the blueline in 2006-07.
Right Defense
Offensive defensemen and stand-up blueliners are at the right defense position for the Maroon and Gold in 2006-07. Senior captain Mike Vannelli, a 17-point scorer last season, gives the Golden Gophers a quick skater and good passer from the right side. Vannelli looks to become more of a physical presence, in addition to contributing more on the offensive end of the ice this season. Returning to the blueline this season is sophomore R.J. Anderson, a talented player who brings a good mix of offense and defense. Anderson successfuly made the transition from high school to college hockey last season and will look to increase his production in 2006-07. Joining the Maroon and Gold at the blueline this season are two first-round NHL Draft picks in Erik Johnson and David Fischer. Johnson comes to Minnesota as the first player in the 44 years of the NHL Draft to play college hockey after being selected No. 1 overall. A strong skater with top-end skills at both ends of the ice, Johnson will look to make a major impact in his rookie season. Fischer joins the Golden Gophers after a stellar career at Apple Valley High School. Possessing strong offensive and defensive skills, Fischer will help solidify the blueline corps from the right side.
GOALIES & SPECIAL TEAMS
Minnesota is in good hands in the goaltending department as second-round NHL Draft pick Jeff Frazee returns with three-year starter Kellen Briggs to form one of the top netminding tandems in the nation. The coaching staff expects to rotate the two goaltenders during the season to position the Golden Gophers for a run at the 2007 NCAA Championship. The Maroon and Gold special team units will have a new look this season as several players will be asked to step in and contribute in man-advantage situations. Minnesota returns eight players who had a power-play point last season, led by Alex Goligoski and Derek Peltier. The UM penalty kill is also in good hands with the return of top shorthanded performers Mike Howe and Ryan Stoa.
Goaltender
Goaltending is a key ingredient to any successful postseason run and Minnesota is in the enviable position of having two top-notch netminders to share time in the nets again this season. Senior three-year starter Kellen Briggs, a compact, butterfly-style netminder with a level-headed attitude, ranks first in shutouts (11), second in goals-against average (2.54) and third in save percentage (.903) in Minnesota’s career record book. With 17 wins this season, he would become Minnesota’s all-time winningest goaltender. Sophomore Jeff Frazee returns to the Maroon and Gold after a rookie year of seasoning. He posted solid numbers with a 2.36 goals-against percentage and .910 save percentage last year, but expects to take a big step during his second campaign. An athletic goaltender with good size (6-0, 191), Frazee can cover a lot of ground, while using his flexibility to his advantage. Providing additional depth to the goaltending corps is junior Brent Solei, a compact and acrobatic netminder who is yet to see playing time in a regular season game.
Power Play
A dangerous power play in 2005-06 gets some retooling for the 2006-07 season as Minnesota lost four of its top five scorers in man advantage situations to graduation or the pros. Alex Goligoski leads the returning power play talent after scoring 17 points (4-13--17), followed by Derek Peltier (1-8--9), Ben Gordon (1-6--7) and Blake Wheeler (3-4--7). Tyler Hirsch led the 2004-05 team with 26 points (3-23--26) in man advantage situations and will look to pick up where he left off this season. Goligoski, Mike Howe and Mike Vannelli represent Minnesota’s top returning power-play goal scorers after each lighting the lamp four times last season. Also expected to see power-play time is sophomore Ryan Stoa, and a host of freshmen, led by Kyle Okposo, Erik Johnson and David Fischer.
Penalty Kill
The Golden Gopher penalty killing unit features players with strong abilities at both ends of the ice. Minnesota posted a WCHA second-best 85.2 killing percentage last season and will look to increase that rate in 2006-07. Four Golden Gophers with shorthanded points in 2005-06 – Derek Peltier (2a), Mike Howe (1g), Ryan Stoa (1g) and Alex Goligoski (1a) – return this season. The coaching staff also expects to see juniors Evan Kaufmann, Ben Gordon and Tom Pohl, sophomore Justin Bostrom and several freshmen provide the Maroon and Gold with valuable penalty killing time this season.
The 2006-07 Golden Gophers
• 14 NHL DRAFT PICKS: R.J. Anderson, Jay Barriball, Mike Carman, David Fischer, Ryan Flynn, Jeff Frazee, Alex Goligoski, Erik Johnson, Tony Lucia, Kyle Okposo, Derek Peltier, Ryan Stoa, Mike Vannelli, Blake Wheeler
- Four first-round selections (David Fischer, Erik Johnson, Kyle Okposo, Blake Wheeler)
- Three second-round selections (Alex Goligoski, Ryan Stoa, Jeff Frazee)
• ONE All-WCHA SecondTeam Defenseman: Alex Goligoski
• One Minnesota Mr. Hockey: David Fischer
• Five Minnesota Mr. Hockey Finalists: R.J. Anderson, Jay Barriball, David Fischer, Alex Goligoski, Ben Gordon
• One USHL Player of the Year: Mike Howe
• One USHL Rookie of the Year/USHL All-Rookie Team Forward: Kyle Okposo
• Four All-USHL Team Members: Mike Howe, Kyle Okposo, Derek Peltier, Mike Vannelli
• Seven USHL All-Stars: Kellen Briggs, Mike Howe, Kyle Okposo, Tony Lucia, Tom Pohl, Mike Vannelli, Blake Wheeler
• One NAHL Most Valuable Player: Brent Solei
• Six U.S. National Team Development Program Members: Mike Carman, Ryan Flynn, Jeff Frazee, Erik Johnson, Jim O’Brien, Ryan Stoa
• Four U.S. National Junior Team Members: Jeff Frazee, Alex Goligoski, Erik Johnson, Blake Wheeler
• Career NCAA Hockey Experience
- 937 career games played
- 138 career goals
- 282 career assists
- 420 career points
- 10 NCAA Frozen Four games played
• One Player with an NCAA Championship Ring: Tyler Hirsch
