University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, March 6
3M Arena at Mariucci
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Notre Dame
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Minnesota Hosts Notre Dame in B1G Quarterfinals
3/4/2020 2:48:00 PM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 19 Gopher Hockey program opens the 2020 Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament with a best-of-three series against Notre Dame this weekend at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The action kicks off on Friday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m. CT (TV: FS2; Stream: FOX Sports App; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM) with another matchup on Saturday, March 7 at 7:00 p.m. CT (TV: FOX Sports North PLUS; Stream: FOX Sports Go, BTN+; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM). If necessary, a deciding game will be played on Sunday, March 8 at 6:00 p.m. CT (TV: FS2; Stream: FOX Sports App; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM).
AGAINST THE IRISH
Minnesota enters this weekend's Big Ten quarterfinal series with a 31-21-5 all-time record against Notre Dame after going 1-1-2 in the regular season against the Irish. The Maroon & Gold are 0-1 all-time against Notre Dame in the Big Ten tournament with the Irish ending Minnesota's season last year with a 2-1 overtime win in South Bend in the Big Ten semifinals. Sammy Walker (two goals, six assists) and Brannon McManus (five goals, three assists) lead all active Gophers with eight points each against Notre Dame while Blake McLaughlin has seven points (four goals, three assists) against the Irish.
SETTING UP THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
Fourth-seed Minnesota hosts fifth-seed Notre Dame as one of three Big Ten quarterfinal series this weekend -- two-seed Ohio State hosts seven-seed Wisconsin and three-seed Michigan hosts six-seed Michigan State while one-seed Penn State earned a quarterfinal bye. The Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament reseeds following each round. The Gophers enter the weekend with a 6-6 all-time record in Big Ten tournament play with the Maroon & Gold's recent conference playoff history highlighted by a 2015 Big Ten Men's Hockey Tournament playoff title at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Minnesota also swept its last quarterfinal series, taking two-straight games from Michigan last season at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TICKET INFORMATION
Ticket information for the 2020 Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament is available on GopherSports.com with tournament packages and single-game tickets for this weekend's quarterfinal series on sale now. Additional single-game tickets will be made available as Minnesota advances through the tournament. Refunds will be provided for all games not hosted by the University of Minnesota.
LUCK OF THE IR...ON RANGE
Sophomore forward Blake McLaughlin likely wishes this weekend's series against Notre Dame was in South Bend, where he has scored goals in four of his five games at Compton Family Ice Arena including three game-winning tallies. Nevertheless, four of McLaughlin's 13 career goals have come against the Irish along with seven of his 42 career points. Additionally, three of his six career game-winning goals have come against this weekend's opponent.
MOTZKO HITS MILESTONE
Bob Motzko earned his 300th career win on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019 (308-221-60 including a 32-29-11 mark with the Gophers). Motzko is the third head coach with ties to Gopher Hockey to reach the 300-win mark, joining his predecessors in Don Lucia (736 career wins, 457 at Minnesota) and Doug Woog (388 career wins, all at Minnesota).
RANTA/FINLAND FINISH FOURTH AT WJC
Sophomore Sampo Ranta helped Team Finland to a fourth-place showing at the World Junior Championship in Ostrava and Trince, Czech Republic. Ranta is the second Gopher to represent Finland at the tournament following Erik Haula in 2011 while Minnesota has been represented at the event in 41 of 44 tournaments dating back to the inaugural event in 1977.
TWO HIGH SCHOOL GREATS IN ONE CLASS
Two Gopher Hockey freshmen forwards may have flown under the radar compared to Mr. Hockey Award winners, NHL prospects and state champions, but both Jaxon Nelson and Ben Meyers rank among the top-10 all-time scorers in Minnesota high school hockey history. Nelson currently ranks fifth in state history with 290 career points while playing for Luverne High School, and Meyers currently ranks eighth in state history with 278 career points while playing for Delano High School. Nelson also holds the state high school record with 78 goals during the 2015-16 season.
NANNE, WALKER NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS
Senior defenseman Tyler Nanne and sophomore forward Sammy Walker have been voted to serve as team captains for the Gophers for the 2019-20 season. The pair are the 171st and 172nd players in University of Minnesota history to wear letters, dating back to the first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Maroon & Gold. Nanne, the first third-generation player in Pride on Ice history, is also the second Gophers captain in his family following his grandfather -- All-American Lou Nanne -- in 1962-63.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
The University of Minnesota will field both the youngest team in college hockey (average age of 20 years, 240 days) and the biggest team in college hockey (average weight of 193.89 pounds) this season. The Maroon & Gold will also be the eighth tallest team in college hockey this year (average height of 6-00.67). All statistics are as of Oct. 1, 2019.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS ON TV
The University of Minnesota once again boasts college hockey's best television broadcast schedule with 31 of 34 regular-season games available in the Minnesota/Twin Cities market. FOX Sports North leads the way in Gopher Hockey coverage with 19 games scheduled to be broadcast on the network while the Big Ten Network will currently air 10 Minnesota contests in 2019-20. FOX9+ will pick up the Gophers' road game at Minnesota Duluth while NBC Sports will broadcast the series opener at Notre Dame. Visit GopherSports.com to view the complete and up-to-date Gopher Hockey schedule.
GOPHER HOCKEY SEASON NOTES
Fourteen Gophers on the 2019-20 roster have been drafted by NHL teams including 2019 first rounder and incoming freshman defenseman Ryan Johnson (31st overall by Buffalo). Johnson, whose father Craig also played for the Gophers before an NHL career, is the 21st Gopher Hockey prospect selected in the first round...freshman forward Bryce Brodzinski was also drafted in 2019, part of an eventful offseason that included being named the 2018-19 All-USA Boys Athlete of the Year and the 2019 Mr. Hockey Award. The 35th Mr. Hockey Award recipient, Brodzinski is the 24th Gopher Hockey prospect to win the honor...the University of Minnesota Board of Regents has approved a renovation project for 3M Arena at Mariucci with over 11,000 square feet of team space impacted including a state-of-the-art weight room, a new 'M' Club alumni room and a remodeled office suite. The project is anticipated to begin in late 2019...former Gopher Hockey assistant coach Jack Blatherwick was honored with the NHL's Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the U.S. on Dec. 12 as part of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Celebration.
AGAINST THE IRISH
Minnesota enters this weekend's Big Ten quarterfinal series with a 31-21-5 all-time record against Notre Dame after going 1-1-2 in the regular season against the Irish. The Maroon & Gold are 0-1 all-time against Notre Dame in the Big Ten tournament with the Irish ending Minnesota's season last year with a 2-1 overtime win in South Bend in the Big Ten semifinals. Sammy Walker (two goals, six assists) and Brannon McManus (five goals, three assists) lead all active Gophers with eight points each against Notre Dame while Blake McLaughlin has seven points (four goals, three assists) against the Irish.
SETTING UP THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
Fourth-seed Minnesota hosts fifth-seed Notre Dame as one of three Big Ten quarterfinal series this weekend -- two-seed Ohio State hosts seven-seed Wisconsin and three-seed Michigan hosts six-seed Michigan State while one-seed Penn State earned a quarterfinal bye. The Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament reseeds following each round. The Gophers enter the weekend with a 6-6 all-time record in Big Ten tournament play with the Maroon & Gold's recent conference playoff history highlighted by a 2015 Big Ten Men's Hockey Tournament playoff title at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Minnesota also swept its last quarterfinal series, taking two-straight games from Michigan last season at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TICKET INFORMATION
Ticket information for the 2020 Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament is available on GopherSports.com with tournament packages and single-game tickets for this weekend's quarterfinal series on sale now. Additional single-game tickets will be made available as Minnesota advances through the tournament. Refunds will be provided for all games not hosted by the University of Minnesota.
LUCK OF THE IR...ON RANGE
Sophomore forward Blake McLaughlin likely wishes this weekend's series against Notre Dame was in South Bend, where he has scored goals in four of his five games at Compton Family Ice Arena including three game-winning tallies. Nevertheless, four of McLaughlin's 13 career goals have come against the Irish along with seven of his 42 career points. Additionally, three of his six career game-winning goals have come against this weekend's opponent.
MOTZKO HITS MILESTONE
Bob Motzko earned his 300th career win on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019 (308-221-60 including a 32-29-11 mark with the Gophers). Motzko is the third head coach with ties to Gopher Hockey to reach the 300-win mark, joining his predecessors in Don Lucia (736 career wins, 457 at Minnesota) and Doug Woog (388 career wins, all at Minnesota).
RANTA/FINLAND FINISH FOURTH AT WJC
Sophomore Sampo Ranta helped Team Finland to a fourth-place showing at the World Junior Championship in Ostrava and Trince, Czech Republic. Ranta is the second Gopher to represent Finland at the tournament following Erik Haula in 2011 while Minnesota has been represented at the event in 41 of 44 tournaments dating back to the inaugural event in 1977.
TWO HIGH SCHOOL GREATS IN ONE CLASS
Two Gopher Hockey freshmen forwards may have flown under the radar compared to Mr. Hockey Award winners, NHL prospects and state champions, but both Jaxon Nelson and Ben Meyers rank among the top-10 all-time scorers in Minnesota high school hockey history. Nelson currently ranks fifth in state history with 290 career points while playing for Luverne High School, and Meyers currently ranks eighth in state history with 278 career points while playing for Delano High School. Nelson also holds the state high school record with 78 goals during the 2015-16 season.
NANNE, WALKER NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS
Senior defenseman Tyler Nanne and sophomore forward Sammy Walker have been voted to serve as team captains for the Gophers for the 2019-20 season. The pair are the 171st and 172nd players in University of Minnesota history to wear letters, dating back to the first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Maroon & Gold. Nanne, the first third-generation player in Pride on Ice history, is also the second Gophers captain in his family following his grandfather -- All-American Lou Nanne -- in 1962-63.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
The University of Minnesota will field both the youngest team in college hockey (average age of 20 years, 240 days) and the biggest team in college hockey (average weight of 193.89 pounds) this season. The Maroon & Gold will also be the eighth tallest team in college hockey this year (average height of 6-00.67). All statistics are as of Oct. 1, 2019.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS ON TV
The University of Minnesota once again boasts college hockey's best television broadcast schedule with 31 of 34 regular-season games available in the Minnesota/Twin Cities market. FOX Sports North leads the way in Gopher Hockey coverage with 19 games scheduled to be broadcast on the network while the Big Ten Network will currently air 10 Minnesota contests in 2019-20. FOX9+ will pick up the Gophers' road game at Minnesota Duluth while NBC Sports will broadcast the series opener at Notre Dame. Visit GopherSports.com to view the complete and up-to-date Gopher Hockey schedule.
GOPHER HOCKEY SEASON NOTES
Fourteen Gophers on the 2019-20 roster have been drafted by NHL teams including 2019 first rounder and incoming freshman defenseman Ryan Johnson (31st overall by Buffalo). Johnson, whose father Craig also played for the Gophers before an NHL career, is the 21st Gopher Hockey prospect selected in the first round...freshman forward Bryce Brodzinski was also drafted in 2019, part of an eventful offseason that included being named the 2018-19 All-USA Boys Athlete of the Year and the 2019 Mr. Hockey Award. The 35th Mr. Hockey Award recipient, Brodzinski is the 24th Gopher Hockey prospect to win the honor...the University of Minnesota Board of Regents has approved a renovation project for 3M Arena at Mariucci with over 11,000 square feet of team space impacted including a state-of-the-art weight room, a new 'M' Club alumni room and a remodeled office suite. The project is anticipated to begin in late 2019...former Gopher Hockey assistant coach Jack Blatherwick was honored with the NHL's Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the U.S. on Dec. 12 as part of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Celebration.
CCM Jersey Reveal
Wednesday, September 10
2025-26 Non-Conference Schedule
Monday, August 11
Herb Brooks Statue
Wednesday, August 06
Meet the Newcomers: Teddy Townsend
Friday, July 18