University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Goaltender
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
‘U’ Trio Returns as Gophers Captains for 101st Season
8/24/2021 12:00:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Gopher Hockey has now featured 175 captains dating back to the school's first season of play in 1921-22.
MINNEAPOLIS – 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.
The trio of Walker, LaFontaine and Meyers guided Minnesota to a resurgence in the program's 100th season as the Gophers claimed the Big Ten playoff championship, earned the program's first NCAA tournament appearance since 2017 (and first tournament win since 2014) and were recognized as the top-ranked team in the nation for the first time since 2014.
A native of Edina, Minn., Walker is coming off his most productive season with the Gophers after averaging nearly a point a game (.935) as a junior. The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect notched a career-high 13 goals in the 2020-21 campaign while his 29 points were one shy of matching his best collegiate output despite playing in six fewer games. The forward has been recognized as an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection in each of the last two seasons after earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year accolades in 2018-19. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Walker enters his senior year as the program's top returning scorer from the 2020-21 season.
A native of Mississauga, Ont., LaFontaine won the Mike Richter Award as the nation's top goaltender in 2020-2021 and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top player. A First Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten selection, he 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. He is also a two-time Academic All-Big Ten pick and a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
A native of Delano, Minn., Meyers is also among Minnesota's top returners following a sophomore season that saw the forward record career highs of 12 goals and 28 points. He was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection in 2020-21 after earning a place on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2019-20. Last season also saw Meyers recognized as an Academic All-Big Ten selection in his first year of eligibility.
Season tickets for the 101st season of Gopher men's hockey are now on sale at GopherSports.com. Season ticket holders have exclusive access to the Gopher Loyalty Program, providing access to over 100 experiences and benefits, along with discounted regular-season and Big Ten tournament tickets, merchandise discounts and more.
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.
The trio of Walker, LaFontaine and Meyers guided Minnesota to a resurgence in the program's 100th season as the Gophers claimed the Big Ten playoff championship, earned the program's first NCAA tournament appearance since 2017 (and first tournament win since 2014) and were recognized as the top-ranked team in the nation for the first time since 2014.
A native of Edina, Minn., Walker is coming off his most productive season with the Gophers after averaging nearly a point a game (.935) as a junior. The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect notched a career-high 13 goals in the 2020-21 campaign while his 29 points were one shy of matching his best collegiate output despite playing in six fewer games. The forward has been recognized as an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection in each of the last two seasons after earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year accolades in 2018-19. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Walker enters his senior year as the program's top returning scorer from the 2020-21 season.
A native of Mississauga, Ont., LaFontaine won the Mike Richter Award as the nation's top goaltender in 2020-2021 and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top player. A First Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten selection, he 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. He is also a two-time Academic All-Big Ten pick and a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
A native of Delano, Minn., Meyers is also among Minnesota's top returners following a sophomore season that saw the forward record career highs of 12 goals and 28 points. He was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection in 2020-21 after earning a place on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2019-20. Last season also saw Meyers recognized as an Academic All-Big Ten selection in his first year of eligibility.
Season tickets for the 101st season of Gopher men's hockey are now on sale at GopherSports.com. Season ticket holders have exclusive access to the Gopher Loyalty Program, providing access to over 100 experiences and benefits, along with discounted regular-season and Big Ten tournament tickets, merchandise discounts and more.
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