University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, October 22
3M Arena at Mariucci
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Minnesota Duluth
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Photo by: Bruce Kluckhohn
Gophers, Bulldogs Set for Top-Five Series
10/21/2021 12:43:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Minnesota holds a 135-83-18 all-time record against Minnesota Duluth.
MINNEAPOLIS -- An in-state, top-five showdown awaits the No. 4 Gopher men's hockey team for the second weekend in a row as Minnesota takes on No. 5 Minnesota Duluth in a home-and-home series. Minnesota hosts the weekend opener at 3M Arena at Mariucci on Friday, Oct. 22 at 7:05 p.m. CT (TV: Bally Sports North; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM; Stream: B1G+). The series finale is set for Saturday, Oct. 23 at 7:07 p.m. CT at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn. (TV: My9/Xfinity 999 in the Twin Cities Market; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM; Stream: NCHC.tv).
WALKER WATCH
Minnesota's active leading scorer with 90 career points (37 goals, 53 assists) in 109 games, senior captain Sammy Walker needs 10 points to become the 85th and newest member of Minnesota's 100-Point Club (first since Rem Pitlick in 2018-19). The three-year team captain scored two goals in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win against St. Cloud State including the game winner and has recorded the deciding goal in two of Minnesota's three wins this season.
ADDING UP THE ASSISTS
Senior forward Blake McLaughlin leads Minnesota with seven points (one goal, six assists) this season and has recorded multi-point performances in three of the Gophers' four games this season. McLaughlin leads the Big Ten with six assists this season while his 1.50 assists per game are tied for most in the NCAA this year.
IN THE RANKINGS
Minnesota has been ranked No. 4 in both national polls for all four weeks of the 2021-22 season and will now compete in a top-five series for the second-straight week after splitting with then No. 2 St. Cloud State last weekend. Following this weekend's home-and-home series with No. 5 Minnesota Duluth, the Gophers open Big Ten play next week against No. 12/13 Notre Dame at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
NHL UPDATE: NOVAK MAKES DEBUT
Gopher Hockey alum Tommy Novak made his NHL debut on Tuesday night as a member of the Nashville Predators in a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Counting Novak, the Gophers have sent an NCAA-best 116 alumni to the NHL including 18 already in 2021-22. No team in the country had more NHL alums last year than Minnesota with 22.
AGAINST THE BULLDOGS
Minnesota enters this weekend's series with a 135-83-18 all-time record against Minnesota Duluth in a rivalry that began in 1952.
GOPHERS EXTEND MOTZKO THROUGH 2025-26
The University of Minnesota has agreed to a three-year contract extension with Gopher men's hockey head coach Bob Motzko that will keep Motzko with the Maroon & Gold through the 2025-26 season. A native of Austin, Minn., Motzko is in his fourth season with the Gophers and holds a 61-38-11 record since taking over the program in 2018. In 17 seasons as a Division I head coach, the 2020 Big Ten Coach of the Year and five-time conference coach of the year owns a 337-230-60 record.
PRESEASON BIG TEN PROSPECTUS
The Gophers landed on the top spot of the 2021-22 Big Ten Hockey Coaches' Poll earlier this season ahead of Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan State and Ohio State. In the eight-year history of the Big Ten Conference, the Gophers have claimed a league-high four regular-season conference championships as well as two Big Ten tournament titles including last year's thrilling playoff run by the Maroon & Gold. Minnesota also led the Big Ten with six individuals on the 2021-22 Preseason All-Big Ten Hockey Teams, headlined by four players earning First Team honors. The Gophers were represented in the preseason honor roll by Jackson LaCombe (First Team), Jack LaFontaine (First Team), Ben Meyers (First Team), Sammy Walker (First Team), Brock Faber (Second Team) and Ryan Johnson (Second Team). Mike Koster also earned honorable mention honors on behalf of the Maroon & Gold.
WEARING THE 'C'
The 101st season of Gopher Hockey will see three familiar faces and college hockey veterans leading the 'U' as Sammy Walker, Jack LaFontaine and Ben Meyers have been named team captains for the 2021-22 season. Walker will enter his senior season wearing a "C" for the third-straight season for the Maroon & Gold while LaFontaine and Meyers have been elevated to share the honors after serving as alternate captains during the 2020-21 campaign. With all three players returning to the Minnesota leadership group, Gopher Hockey has now featured 175 captains dating back to the school's first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Maroon & Gold as team captain.
JACK IS BACK
Mike Richter Award winner and Hobey Baker Award finalist Jack LaFontaine returns to the Gophers for his fifth season of college hockey in 2021-22. A First Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten selection, LaFontaine was also named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year. The Carolina Hurricane prospect set new school records and was among the NCAA leaders with a .934 save percentage and a 1.79 GAA while he led the nation with 22 wins. Off the ice, LaFontaine was named a recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor and was the only Division I men's hockey player to earn CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America honors.
IN THE NHL DRAFT
Fifteen of Minnesota's 26 players on the 2021-22 roster have been selected in the NHL Entry Draft including five newcomers -- Chaz Lucius (2021), Matthew Knies (2021), Tristan Broz (2021), Aaron Huglen (2019) and Rhett Pitlick (2019). Lucius is the 22nd Gopher Hockey prospect selected in the first round (18th overall by Winnipeg), joining 2019 first rounder Ryan Johnson on this year's roster for Minnesota. Meanwhile, Knies and Broz were selected with back-to-back picks in the second round this year.
GOPHER HOCKEY NOTES
Gopher Hockey alum Paul Holmgren will be enshrined into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2021. Holmgren is the 18th U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame honoree with ties to Gopher men's hockey...Four Gophers (Brock Faber, Matthew Knies, Chaz Lucius, Tristan Broz) will look to represent the University of Minnesota and the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championships this year.
LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR
The 100th season of Gopher Hockey certainly was a memorable one as Minnesota won an NCAA-best 24 games in 2020-21. The Gophers won three thrilling games to capture the Big Ten tournament title and returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017 before picking up the program's first NCAA tournament win since 2014 at the NCAA West Regional. Minnesota started the year on a 10-0-0 run for the first time since 1939-40 and earned nine sweeps in 13 series during the regular-season. Nationally ranked all season long, the Gophers kept themselves in the top-five of both national polls since the beginning of December including the team's first No. 1 ranking in both polls since Nov. 11, 2014. Along with LaFontaine's national awards, the Gophers boasted a trio of All-Americans in LaFontaine (First Team), Sampo Ranta (First Team) and Jackson LaCombe (Second Team).
WALKER WATCH
Minnesota's active leading scorer with 90 career points (37 goals, 53 assists) in 109 games, senior captain Sammy Walker needs 10 points to become the 85th and newest member of Minnesota's 100-Point Club (first since Rem Pitlick in 2018-19). The three-year team captain scored two goals in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win against St. Cloud State including the game winner and has recorded the deciding goal in two of Minnesota's three wins this season.
ADDING UP THE ASSISTS
Senior forward Blake McLaughlin leads Minnesota with seven points (one goal, six assists) this season and has recorded multi-point performances in three of the Gophers' four games this season. McLaughlin leads the Big Ten with six assists this season while his 1.50 assists per game are tied for most in the NCAA this year.
IN THE RANKINGS
Minnesota has been ranked No. 4 in both national polls for all four weeks of the 2021-22 season and will now compete in a top-five series for the second-straight week after splitting with then No. 2 St. Cloud State last weekend. Following this weekend's home-and-home series with No. 5 Minnesota Duluth, the Gophers open Big Ten play next week against No. 12/13 Notre Dame at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
NHL UPDATE: NOVAK MAKES DEBUT
Gopher Hockey alum Tommy Novak made his NHL debut on Tuesday night as a member of the Nashville Predators in a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Counting Novak, the Gophers have sent an NCAA-best 116 alumni to the NHL including 18 already in 2021-22. No team in the country had more NHL alums last year than Minnesota with 22.
AGAINST THE BULLDOGS
Minnesota enters this weekend's series with a 135-83-18 all-time record against Minnesota Duluth in a rivalry that began in 1952.
GOPHERS EXTEND MOTZKO THROUGH 2025-26
The University of Minnesota has agreed to a three-year contract extension with Gopher men's hockey head coach Bob Motzko that will keep Motzko with the Maroon & Gold through the 2025-26 season. A native of Austin, Minn., Motzko is in his fourth season with the Gophers and holds a 61-38-11 record since taking over the program in 2018. In 17 seasons as a Division I head coach, the 2020 Big Ten Coach of the Year and five-time conference coach of the year owns a 337-230-60 record.
PRESEASON BIG TEN PROSPECTUS
The Gophers landed on the top spot of the 2021-22 Big Ten Hockey Coaches' Poll earlier this season ahead of Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan State and Ohio State. In the eight-year history of the Big Ten Conference, the Gophers have claimed a league-high four regular-season conference championships as well as two Big Ten tournament titles including last year's thrilling playoff run by the Maroon & Gold. Minnesota also led the Big Ten with six individuals on the 2021-22 Preseason All-Big Ten Hockey Teams, headlined by four players earning First Team honors. The Gophers were represented in the preseason honor roll by Jackson LaCombe (First Team), Jack LaFontaine (First Team), Ben Meyers (First Team), Sammy Walker (First Team), Brock Faber (Second Team) and Ryan Johnson (Second Team). Mike Koster also earned honorable mention honors on behalf of the Maroon & Gold.
WEARING THE 'C'
The 101st season of Gopher Hockey will see three familiar faces and college hockey veterans leading the 'U' as Sammy Walker, Jack LaFontaine and Ben Meyers have been named team captains for the 2021-22 season. Walker will enter his senior season wearing a "C" for the third-straight season for the Maroon & Gold while LaFontaine and Meyers have been elevated to share the honors after serving as alternate captains during the 2020-21 campaign. With all three players returning to the Minnesota leadership group, Gopher Hockey has now featured 175 captains dating back to the school's first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Maroon & Gold as team captain.
JACK IS BACK
Mike Richter Award winner and Hobey Baker Award finalist Jack LaFontaine returns to the Gophers for his fifth season of college hockey in 2021-22. A First Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten selection, LaFontaine was also named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year. The Carolina Hurricane prospect set new school records and was among the NCAA leaders with a .934 save percentage and a 1.79 GAA while he led the nation with 22 wins. Off the ice, LaFontaine was named a recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor and was the only Division I men's hockey player to earn CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America honors.
IN THE NHL DRAFT
Fifteen of Minnesota's 26 players on the 2021-22 roster have been selected in the NHL Entry Draft including five newcomers -- Chaz Lucius (2021), Matthew Knies (2021), Tristan Broz (2021), Aaron Huglen (2019) and Rhett Pitlick (2019). Lucius is the 22nd Gopher Hockey prospect selected in the first round (18th overall by Winnipeg), joining 2019 first rounder Ryan Johnson on this year's roster for Minnesota. Meanwhile, Knies and Broz were selected with back-to-back picks in the second round this year.
GOPHER HOCKEY NOTES
Gopher Hockey alum Paul Holmgren will be enshrined into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2021. Holmgren is the 18th U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame honoree with ties to Gopher men's hockey...Four Gophers (Brock Faber, Matthew Knies, Chaz Lucius, Tristan Broz) will look to represent the University of Minnesota and the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championships this year.
LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR
The 100th season of Gopher Hockey certainly was a memorable one as Minnesota won an NCAA-best 24 games in 2020-21. The Gophers won three thrilling games to capture the Big Ten tournament title and returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017 before picking up the program's first NCAA tournament win since 2014 at the NCAA West Regional. Minnesota started the year on a 10-0-0 run for the first time since 1939-40 and earned nine sweeps in 13 series during the regular-season. Nationally ranked all season long, the Gophers kept themselves in the top-five of both national polls since the beginning of December including the team's first No. 1 ranking in both polls since Nov. 11, 2014. Along with LaFontaine's national awards, the Gophers boasted a trio of All-Americans in LaFontaine (First Team), Sampo Ranta (First Team) and Jackson LaCombe (Second Team).
2025-26 Non-Conference Schedule
Monday, August 11
Herb Brooks Statue
Wednesday, August 06
Meet the Newcomers: Teddy Townsend
Friday, July 18
Meet The Newcomers: Jacob Rombach
Friday, July 11