University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, February 4
3M Arena at Mariucci
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Michigan State
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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Prepped for Spartan Showdown
2/3/2022 7:43:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Bally Sports North will broadcast the Big Ten series between Minnesota and Michigan State.
MINNEAPOLIS -- The 101st season of Gopher men's hockey continues this weekend as No. 8/10 Minnesota hosts Michigan State for a pair of Big Ten Conference games at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The action kicks off on Friday, Feb. 4 at 7:05 p.m. CT (TV; Bally Sports North; Stream: B1G+/Bally Sports/TSN; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM) before the series finale and finale regular-season meeting of the two conference rivals on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 5:05 p.m. CT (TV; Bally Sports North; Stream: B1G+/Bally Sports/TSN; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM).
AGAINST THE SPARTANS
In a series that began in 1926, Minnesota holds a 127-50-16 all-time record against Michigan State while the Gophers are currently riding a seven-game winning streak against the Spartans. The Maroon & Gold went 5-0-0 against this weekend's opponent during the 2020-21 campaign and swept a pair of games (4-1, 6-3) in East Lansing to start the second half this year.
GOPHERS HEADING TO BEIJING
This weekend's series will be Minnesota's first without the trio of Ben Meyers, Matthew Knies and Brock Faber, who will compete along with Gopher Hockey alum Aaron Ness on the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. The trio of current Gophers are expected to miss the next three series while at the Olympics. Meanwhile, strength & conditioning coach Cal Dietz will serve in the same role with the U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team. Gopher Hockey has been represented at each of the last 21 Winter Olympics since 1936 with the Maroon & Gold helping USA Hockey to eight medals including gold in 1960 and 1980. Meyers and Knies currently lead Minnesota with 26 and 25 points, respectively, while Meyers is Minnesota's top man in the face-off circle.
LACOMBE RETURNS TO FORM
After a relatively slow start to his junior season, Jackson LaCombe has reignited his offensive spark as the 2021 Second Team All-American leads all Gophers defensemen with 15 points this season. LaCombe picked up three assists last weekend and has points in five of the last six games (also has points in eight of the last 11 contests). The defenseman leads Minnesota with 31 blocked shots and a +11 rating this season.
MINNESOTA INTRODUCES TEMPORARY VACCINATION POLICY
The University of Minnesota will require attendees at indoor events to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative, third-party COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event. The temporary policy will start on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, and will end on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. Any extension of this policy will be announced prior to Feb. 9. Additional information is available on GopherSports.com.
CENTURY MARKERS
One Gopher Hockey skater hit a notable career milestone last month while his long-time linemate is now approaching it. Sammy Walker became the 85th Gopher to join the 100-Point Club as the senior captain is Minnesota's active-leading scorer with 103 points (43 goals, 60 assists) in 131 games. Fellow senior Blake McLaughlin is next in line for the Gophers with 96 points (34 goals, 62 assists) in 129 games.
GOPHERS MAKE ROSTER ADJUSTMENTS
Minnesota has made a number of roster adjustments over the weeks. Four-year Gopher letter winner Sam Rossini re-joined the program on Jan. 19 -- the defenseman has played in 49 games with 13 points (three goals, 10 assists). Owen Bartoszkievicz was added to the roster as a freshman on Jan. 14 -- the goaltender most recently played in the USHL with Youngstown while he was an All-NAHL Rookie First Team honoree in 2020-21 with Wichita Falls. Jack LaFontaine signed an entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 9 and made his NHL debut with the organization on Jan. 13.
PRIDE ON ICE HISTORY
While the Gophers celebrated the program's 100th season in 2020-21, a number of notable milestones will actually occur during the 2021-22 season. First among them, Jan. 9, 2022 marked 100 years since the University of Minnesota Board of Regents and the University Athletic Board of Control officially granted men's hockey varsity status (Jan. 9, 1922). Meanwhile, Minnesota's first varsity hockey game celebrated the century mark on Jan. 17, 2022 (a 2-1 loss to Hamline before a string of five-straight wins -- four of them coming against Wisconsin). Minnesota got its revenge against Hamline in the season finale to finish its inaugural season with a 6-3-1 record. Oddly enough, Minnesota and Hamline have never met on the ice since that first season.
NHL UPDATE: GOPHERS PACE COLLEGE HOCKEY
Minnesota leads all NCAA programs with 118 all-time NHL alums including 24 already this season (also the most in college hockey). Tommy Novak, Scott Reedy and Jack LaFontaine have all made their NHL debuts in 2021-22 while Sampo Ranta debuted during last year's Stanley Cup playoffs (Ranta, Reedy and LaFontaine were all on the Gophers roster last year).
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 73-48-11 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 349-240-60 record.
WEARING THE 'C'
The 101st season of Gopher Hockey will see two familiar faces and college hockey veterans leading the 'U' as Sammy Walker 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 Meyers was elevated to share the honor after serving as alternate captains during the 2020-21 campaign. With all both 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 LaFontaine also served as a captain during his tenure with the team this year.
IN THE NHL DRAFT
Fourteen of Minnesota's 27 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.
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.
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).
AGAINST THE SPARTANS
In a series that began in 1926, Minnesota holds a 127-50-16 all-time record against Michigan State while the Gophers are currently riding a seven-game winning streak against the Spartans. The Maroon & Gold went 5-0-0 against this weekend's opponent during the 2020-21 campaign and swept a pair of games (4-1, 6-3) in East Lansing to start the second half this year.
GOPHERS HEADING TO BEIJING
This weekend's series will be Minnesota's first without the trio of Ben Meyers, Matthew Knies and Brock Faber, who will compete along with Gopher Hockey alum Aaron Ness on the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. The trio of current Gophers are expected to miss the next three series while at the Olympics. Meanwhile, strength & conditioning coach Cal Dietz will serve in the same role with the U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team. Gopher Hockey has been represented at each of the last 21 Winter Olympics since 1936 with the Maroon & Gold helping USA Hockey to eight medals including gold in 1960 and 1980. Meyers and Knies currently lead Minnesota with 26 and 25 points, respectively, while Meyers is Minnesota's top man in the face-off circle.
LACOMBE RETURNS TO FORM
After a relatively slow start to his junior season, Jackson LaCombe has reignited his offensive spark as the 2021 Second Team All-American leads all Gophers defensemen with 15 points this season. LaCombe picked up three assists last weekend and has points in five of the last six games (also has points in eight of the last 11 contests). The defenseman leads Minnesota with 31 blocked shots and a +11 rating this season.
MINNESOTA INTRODUCES TEMPORARY VACCINATION POLICY
The University of Minnesota will require attendees at indoor events to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative, third-party COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event. The temporary policy will start on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, and will end on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. Any extension of this policy will be announced prior to Feb. 9. Additional information is available on GopherSports.com.
CENTURY MARKERS
One Gopher Hockey skater hit a notable career milestone last month while his long-time linemate is now approaching it. Sammy Walker became the 85th Gopher to join the 100-Point Club as the senior captain is Minnesota's active-leading scorer with 103 points (43 goals, 60 assists) in 131 games. Fellow senior Blake McLaughlin is next in line for the Gophers with 96 points (34 goals, 62 assists) in 129 games.
GOPHERS MAKE ROSTER ADJUSTMENTS
Minnesota has made a number of roster adjustments over the weeks. Four-year Gopher letter winner Sam Rossini re-joined the program on Jan. 19 -- the defenseman has played in 49 games with 13 points (three goals, 10 assists). Owen Bartoszkievicz was added to the roster as a freshman on Jan. 14 -- the goaltender most recently played in the USHL with Youngstown while he was an All-NAHL Rookie First Team honoree in 2020-21 with Wichita Falls. Jack LaFontaine signed an entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 9 and made his NHL debut with the organization on Jan. 13.
PRIDE ON ICE HISTORY
While the Gophers celebrated the program's 100th season in 2020-21, a number of notable milestones will actually occur during the 2021-22 season. First among them, Jan. 9, 2022 marked 100 years since the University of Minnesota Board of Regents and the University Athletic Board of Control officially granted men's hockey varsity status (Jan. 9, 1922). Meanwhile, Minnesota's first varsity hockey game celebrated the century mark on Jan. 17, 2022 (a 2-1 loss to Hamline before a string of five-straight wins -- four of them coming against Wisconsin). Minnesota got its revenge against Hamline in the season finale to finish its inaugural season with a 6-3-1 record. Oddly enough, Minnesota and Hamline have never met on the ice since that first season.
NHL UPDATE: GOPHERS PACE COLLEGE HOCKEY
Minnesota leads all NCAA programs with 118 all-time NHL alums including 24 already this season (also the most in college hockey). Tommy Novak, Scott Reedy and Jack LaFontaine have all made their NHL debuts in 2021-22 while Sampo Ranta debuted during last year's Stanley Cup playoffs (Ranta, Reedy and LaFontaine were all on the Gophers roster last year).
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 73-48-11 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 349-240-60 record.
WEARING THE 'C'
The 101st season of Gopher Hockey will see two familiar faces and college hockey veterans leading the 'U' as Sammy Walker 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 Meyers was elevated to share the honor after serving as alternate captains during the 2020-21 campaign. With all both 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 LaFontaine also served as a captain during his tenure with the team this year.
IN THE NHL DRAFT
Fourteen of Minnesota's 27 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.
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.
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