University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, October 27
Las Vegas, NV
9:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
University of North Dakota
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'U' Heads to Vegas for Hall of Fame Game
10/24/2018 12:47:00 PM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 5 Gopher Hockey program returns to regular-season action this weekend, playing in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game against No. 17 North Dakota on Saturday, Oct. 27 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Puck drop for the nonconference game between two of college hockey's long-standing rivals is set for 7:07 p.m. PT.
Rivalry Renewed
Saturday's U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game marks the 296th meeting between Minnesota and North Dakota with the Gophers holding a 148-131-16 edge in the all-time record. The two teams split a two-game series in Grand Forks last year while Saturday's game will be the 15th neutral site meeting between the rivals (7-7-0). The last neutral site game between the teams came in a 2-1 win for Minnesota in Philadelphia in the 2014 NCAA Frozen Four semifinals. Only two rivalries in college hockey have seen more games played than the Minnesota/North Dakota rivalry (Michigan/Michigan State at 319 games and Colorado College/Denver at 295 games.
Recapping October
Despite playing every weekend so far in the month of October, the Maroon & Gold enter the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game with a 1-0-1 overall record with both regular-season games coming against preseason No. 1 and defending national champion Minnesota Duluth (1-1 overtime tie and 7-4 win). Since then, Minnesota has played back to back exhibition games against the U.S. National Under-18 Team and Trinity Western (both 7-1 victories for the Gophers).
Against the Fighting Hawks
After what amounted to a two-year layoff of the rivalry in 2014-15 and 2015-16, Minnesota and North Dakota have met for a two-game series in each of the last two years (Minnesota is 2-1-1 since rekindling the series). Senior forward Tommy Novak leads all-active Gophers (and is tied with UND's Hayden Shaw for all-active players) with four points (two goals, two assists) in four games within the series. Meanwhile, senior forward Tyler Sheehy and junior forward Rem Pitlick each have three points (1 goal, two assists each) in four career games. Eric Schierhorn has been in net for all four games against the Fighting Hawks with a 2-1-1 record.
Welcome Back, Bob!
After 13 years leading in-state rival St. Cloud State, Bob Motzko was named the head coach of the University of Minnesota on March 27, 2018. A native of Austin, Minn., Motzko built a 276-192-49 record as head coach of the Huskies (277-192-50 overall record) following a four-year stint as assistant coach at Minnesota that saw the Maroon & Gold claim back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003. Motzko has coached 17 All-Americans in his coaching career including Hobey Baker Award winners Jordan Leopold and Drew LeBlanc. In addition to his collegiate coaching, Motzko led the U.S. National Junior Team to back-to-back medals at the IIHF World Junior Championships -- capturing a gold medal in 2017 and a bronze medal in 2018.
Big Ten Preseason Information
Tyler Sheehy and Rem Pitlick represented the Maroon & Gold on the Big Ten Preseason Watch List while the Gophers were predicted to finish fourth in a competitive Big Ten during the 2018-19 campaign. The Big Ten's three Frozen Four participants last year landed poll rankings ahead of the Maroon & Gold with Ohio State projected to finish first, Michigan to finish second and Notre Dame to finish third. Behind the Gophers are Penn State in fifth, Wisconsin in sixth and Michigan State in seventh.
Minnesota Announces Captains for 2018-19
Four senior forwards will serve as leads for the University of Minnesota during the 2018-19 campaign with Tyler Sheehy and Brent Gates Jr. acting as captains for the Maroon & Gold while Jack Ramsey and Darian Romanko will act as assistant captains. Sheehy returns after serving as team captain as a junior last year while Gates, Ramsey and Romanko will wear letters for the first time as seniors. The four skaters continue a long tradition of Gopher Hockey captains dating back to the program's first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Maroon & Gold. Counting the new additions, 170 Gophers have worn a letter at the University of Minnesota in the program's 97-year history.
Three Gopher Hockey Alums Join Staff
Coach Bob Motzko rounded out his coaching staff this month when he added three former University of Minnesota skaters to the Gophers coaching ranks. Ben Gordon returned to the Gophers for the second time after being named an assistant coach on Monday (Gordon previously served as Minnesota's director of operations during the 2016-17 season). Additionally, former Gophers Stu Bickel and Ryan Potulny joined the Maroon & Gold as undergraduate assistants for the 2018-19 season as they complete their degrees at the University of Minnesota. Previously, Garrett Raboin joined the Minnesota staff as an assistant coach after serving in the same capacity at St. Cloud State for the last six years while Andy Kent returns as the team's volunteer goaltending coach.
Sheehy Stands Out in Senior Season
Senior captain Tyler Sheehy enters this weekend with 109 career points (45 goals, 64 assists) -- fourth most among active NCAA skaters. The 2017 Big Ten Player of the Year and First Team All-American entered the season tied for second although the unusual October schedule has allowed for Canisius' Dylan McLaughlin (113) and Mercyhurst's Derek Barach (112) to jump Sheehy. Mason Jobst of Ohio State remains the active leading scorer at 132 career points.
Romanko Takes Up Iron Man Mantle
Now an assistant captain for the Gophers, senior forward Darian Romanko will also head into the weekend having played in 98-straight games for the Maroon & Gold. Romanko leads all active Gophers in consecutive games played and is the only Minnesota skater to have played in every game over the last two seasons. His nine points, four goals and five assists last year were all career highs.
Gopher Hockey NHL Notes
The 2017-18 NHL season saw 26 Gopher Hockey alums take the ice (including seven NHL debuts) as Minnesota tied the known NCAA record for NHL players in a single season. In its 97-year history, Minnesota has had 119 alums go on to play in the NHL while the Gophers sent 31 former players into NHL training camps to lead all NCAA programs.
Gophers in the NHL Draft
Thirteen current Gophers have had their names called at the NHL Entry Draft including newcomers Robbie Stucker (2017, Columbus, Seventh Round, 210th), Sammy Walker (2017, Tampa Bay, Seventh Round, 200th), Blake McLaughlin (2018, Anaheim, Third Round, 79th) and Sampo Ranta (2018, Colorado, Third Round, 78th). Ranta and McLaughlin were selected with back-to-back picks in 2018 -- the sixth time in Gophers history that has happened. Ten NHL teams have prospects on the Gopher Hockey roster this year with Anaheim, Tampa Bay and Nashville each listing two draftees with Minnesota.
Mr. Hockey Goes to Minnesota
Incoming Gophers freshman Sammy Walker closed out his prep career by leading Edina High School to a third-place finish at the 2018 MSHSL Class AA State Tournament, earning all-tournament honors along with Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year accolades. Walker was also 34th recipient of the annual Mr. Hockey Award, given to the top senior high school boy's hockey player in the state of Minnesota. Of the 34 honorees in the award's history, 23 have gone on to play college hockey at the University of Minnesota.
Cake Eater Connection
The University of Minnesota lists 27 players on its 2018-19 roster and seven of those players (Ben Brinkman, Sammy Walker, Cullen Munson, Garrett Wait, Clayton Phillips, Ryan Zuhlsdorf, Tyler Nanne) played their prep hockey for the Hornets of Edina High School (the most of any high school).
Big Ten Announces Overtime Changes
The Big Ten Conference has announced changes to its overtime protocol and conference points system for the 2018-19 hockey season, including the addition of a 3-on-3 overtime period. Any regular-season conference game that remains tied after regulation will play the NCAA-mandated five-minute, 5-on-5 sudden-death overtime period. If the game remains tied, the two teams will then play a five-minute, 3-on-3 sudden-death overtime period. If the game is still tied following both overtime periods, then the game will move to a sudden-death shootout. Non-conference games other than certain in-season tournaments will conclude following the 5-on-5 overtime period. Postseason games will continue to feature 20-minute 5-on-5 overtime periods as in the past. Teams will be awarded three points in the conference standings for a win in regulation or the 5-on-5 overtime period. If the game is tied following the 5-on-5 overtime, both teams will receive one point, with a second point being awarded to the team that wins in either the 3-on-3 overtime period or the shootout.
Rivalry Renewed
Saturday's U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game marks the 296th meeting between Minnesota and North Dakota with the Gophers holding a 148-131-16 edge in the all-time record. The two teams split a two-game series in Grand Forks last year while Saturday's game will be the 15th neutral site meeting between the rivals (7-7-0). The last neutral site game between the teams came in a 2-1 win for Minnesota in Philadelphia in the 2014 NCAA Frozen Four semifinals. Only two rivalries in college hockey have seen more games played than the Minnesota/North Dakota rivalry (Michigan/Michigan State at 319 games and Colorado College/Denver at 295 games.
Recapping October
Despite playing every weekend so far in the month of October, the Maroon & Gold enter the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game with a 1-0-1 overall record with both regular-season games coming against preseason No. 1 and defending national champion Minnesota Duluth (1-1 overtime tie and 7-4 win). Since then, Minnesota has played back to back exhibition games against the U.S. National Under-18 Team and Trinity Western (both 7-1 victories for the Gophers).
Against the Fighting Hawks
After what amounted to a two-year layoff of the rivalry in 2014-15 and 2015-16, Minnesota and North Dakota have met for a two-game series in each of the last two years (Minnesota is 2-1-1 since rekindling the series). Senior forward Tommy Novak leads all-active Gophers (and is tied with UND's Hayden Shaw for all-active players) with four points (two goals, two assists) in four games within the series. Meanwhile, senior forward Tyler Sheehy and junior forward Rem Pitlick each have three points (1 goal, two assists each) in four career games. Eric Schierhorn has been in net for all four games against the Fighting Hawks with a 2-1-1 record.
Welcome Back, Bob!
After 13 years leading in-state rival St. Cloud State, Bob Motzko was named the head coach of the University of Minnesota on March 27, 2018. A native of Austin, Minn., Motzko built a 276-192-49 record as head coach of the Huskies (277-192-50 overall record) following a four-year stint as assistant coach at Minnesota that saw the Maroon & Gold claim back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003. Motzko has coached 17 All-Americans in his coaching career including Hobey Baker Award winners Jordan Leopold and Drew LeBlanc. In addition to his collegiate coaching, Motzko led the U.S. National Junior Team to back-to-back medals at the IIHF World Junior Championships -- capturing a gold medal in 2017 and a bronze medal in 2018.
Big Ten Preseason Information
Tyler Sheehy and Rem Pitlick represented the Maroon & Gold on the Big Ten Preseason Watch List while the Gophers were predicted to finish fourth in a competitive Big Ten during the 2018-19 campaign. The Big Ten's three Frozen Four participants last year landed poll rankings ahead of the Maroon & Gold with Ohio State projected to finish first, Michigan to finish second and Notre Dame to finish third. Behind the Gophers are Penn State in fifth, Wisconsin in sixth and Michigan State in seventh.
Minnesota Announces Captains for 2018-19
Four senior forwards will serve as leads for the University of Minnesota during the 2018-19 campaign with Tyler Sheehy and Brent Gates Jr. acting as captains for the Maroon & Gold while Jack Ramsey and Darian Romanko will act as assistant captains. Sheehy returns after serving as team captain as a junior last year while Gates, Ramsey and Romanko will wear letters for the first time as seniors. The four skaters continue a long tradition of Gopher Hockey captains dating back to the program's first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Maroon & Gold. Counting the new additions, 170 Gophers have worn a letter at the University of Minnesota in the program's 97-year history.
Three Gopher Hockey Alums Join Staff
Coach Bob Motzko rounded out his coaching staff this month when he added three former University of Minnesota skaters to the Gophers coaching ranks. Ben Gordon returned to the Gophers for the second time after being named an assistant coach on Monday (Gordon previously served as Minnesota's director of operations during the 2016-17 season). Additionally, former Gophers Stu Bickel and Ryan Potulny joined the Maroon & Gold as undergraduate assistants for the 2018-19 season as they complete their degrees at the University of Minnesota. Previously, Garrett Raboin joined the Minnesota staff as an assistant coach after serving in the same capacity at St. Cloud State for the last six years while Andy Kent returns as the team's volunteer goaltending coach.
Sheehy Stands Out in Senior Season
Senior captain Tyler Sheehy enters this weekend with 109 career points (45 goals, 64 assists) -- fourth most among active NCAA skaters. The 2017 Big Ten Player of the Year and First Team All-American entered the season tied for second although the unusual October schedule has allowed for Canisius' Dylan McLaughlin (113) and Mercyhurst's Derek Barach (112) to jump Sheehy. Mason Jobst of Ohio State remains the active leading scorer at 132 career points.
Romanko Takes Up Iron Man Mantle
Now an assistant captain for the Gophers, senior forward Darian Romanko will also head into the weekend having played in 98-straight games for the Maroon & Gold. Romanko leads all active Gophers in consecutive games played and is the only Minnesota skater to have played in every game over the last two seasons. His nine points, four goals and five assists last year were all career highs.
Gopher Hockey NHL Notes
The 2017-18 NHL season saw 26 Gopher Hockey alums take the ice (including seven NHL debuts) as Minnesota tied the known NCAA record for NHL players in a single season. In its 97-year history, Minnesota has had 119 alums go on to play in the NHL while the Gophers sent 31 former players into NHL training camps to lead all NCAA programs.
Gophers in the NHL Draft
Thirteen current Gophers have had their names called at the NHL Entry Draft including newcomers Robbie Stucker (2017, Columbus, Seventh Round, 210th), Sammy Walker (2017, Tampa Bay, Seventh Round, 200th), Blake McLaughlin (2018, Anaheim, Third Round, 79th) and Sampo Ranta (2018, Colorado, Third Round, 78th). Ranta and McLaughlin were selected with back-to-back picks in 2018 -- the sixth time in Gophers history that has happened. Ten NHL teams have prospects on the Gopher Hockey roster this year with Anaheim, Tampa Bay and Nashville each listing two draftees with Minnesota.
Mr. Hockey Goes to Minnesota
Incoming Gophers freshman Sammy Walker closed out his prep career by leading Edina High School to a third-place finish at the 2018 MSHSL Class AA State Tournament, earning all-tournament honors along with Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year accolades. Walker was also 34th recipient of the annual Mr. Hockey Award, given to the top senior high school boy's hockey player in the state of Minnesota. Of the 34 honorees in the award's history, 23 have gone on to play college hockey at the University of Minnesota.
Cake Eater Connection
The University of Minnesota lists 27 players on its 2018-19 roster and seven of those players (Ben Brinkman, Sammy Walker, Cullen Munson, Garrett Wait, Clayton Phillips, Ryan Zuhlsdorf, Tyler Nanne) played their prep hockey for the Hornets of Edina High School (the most of any high school).
Big Ten Announces Overtime Changes
The Big Ten Conference has announced changes to its overtime protocol and conference points system for the 2018-19 hockey season, including the addition of a 3-on-3 overtime period. Any regular-season conference game that remains tied after regulation will play the NCAA-mandated five-minute, 5-on-5 sudden-death overtime period. If the game remains tied, the two teams will then play a five-minute, 3-on-3 sudden-death overtime period. If the game is still tied following both overtime periods, then the game will move to a sudden-death shootout. Non-conference games other than certain in-season tournaments will conclude following the 5-on-5 overtime period. Postseason games will continue to feature 20-minute 5-on-5 overtime periods as in the past. Teams will be awarded three points in the conference standings for a win in regulation or the 5-on-5 overtime period. If the game is tied following the 5-on-5 overtime, both teams will receive one point, with a second point being awarded to the team that wins in either the 3-on-3 overtime period or the shootout.
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