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Men's Hockey Names Leadership Group
10/2/2024 1:00:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Six captains to lead Gophers in 2024-25
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota men's hockey head coach Bob Motzko announced the six-player leadership group for the 2024-25 campaign. Ryan Chesley, Aaron Huglen, Mike Koster, Mason Nevers, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Cal Thomas have been named team captains as the Maroon and Gold enter the 104th year of competition.
The Golden Gophers were picked to finish second in the Big Ten Conference Preseason Poll and are coming off their fourth-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24. A year ago, Minnesota claimed its fourth-straight 20-plus win season under the guidance of Coach Motzko and 14th-straight season with a winning record.
Chesley earned a spot on the All-B1G Second Team as a sophomore in 2023-24 after posting eight points on two goals and six assists, while appearing in all 39 games. A native of Mahtomedi, Minn., he led the Gophers and the conference by blocking 77 shots last season, ranking eighth in the NCAA, and added a physical element to the Maroon and Gold blue line. Chelsey also was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Third Team and an AHCA Krampade All-American Scholar for his work in the classroom.
Back on campus for his senior season, Huglen joins the veteran leadership group having played 112 games during his tenure. Hailing from Roseau, Minn., he has recorded 27 goals and 27 assists for 54 career points and is coming off a career year in 2023-24 where he reached double-digit goals (13) for the first time as a Gopher, including four game winners. He was given Minnesota's Donald W. Clark Community Service Award for his efforts off the ice a season ago and also has earned two Academic All-B1G honors.
Entering the season with the most active games played by any NCAA defenseman, Koster has taken the ice 140 times over his four seasons with the Gophers. He will be asked to anchor the team's defensive corps again this year, serving as a captain for the second time. The Chaska, Minn., product finished last year with two goals and 12 assists for 14 total points, despite missing the entire first month due to an injury. A three-time Academic All-B1G honoree, Koster buried his first game-winning goal as a Gopher on a power-play marker against Robert Morris in January.
A mainstay in the Gophers' lineup over the past four years, Nevers returns for his fifth season and has skated in 138 career games, totaling 57 points on 21 goals and 36 assists. The Edina, Minn., native was an assistant captain for the Maroon and Gold a year ago and posted a career-best, plus-16 rating to go with his third-consecutive campaign reaching double-digit scoring. The three-time Academic All-B1G selection has helped the team to a record of 39-8-2 when he tallies a point during his tenure. Nevers earned Minnesota's Elwin "Doc" Romnes Leadership & Sportsmanship Award last season after picking up the Dr. V. George Nagobads Unsung Hero Award as a junior.
Already a two-time All-B1G selection while at Minnesota, Snuggerud moves into a leadership role entering his junior year. The product of Chaska, Minn., is working his way to join the elite 100-point company in program history, sitting at 84 points in two years following back-to-back 20-goal campaigns. His 42 goals put him in a tie for sixth among active NCAA skaters in career goals, while his nine game-winning goals ranks second. The Gophers own a 39-10-3 record in games when Snuggerud reaches the scoresheet over his career, where he has played all the team's 79 games since stepping on campus.
Thomas begins his junior campaign with nearly 80 games of college hockey experience and provides the Gophers a steady presence along the blue line. The Maple Grove, Minn., native ended last year with a career-best 10 points behind one goal and nine assists, scoring his first collegiate goal in a home win over Minnesota Duluth. The defenseman ranked second for Minnesota totaling 68 blocked shots, which was 18th in the NCAA and second in the conference.
Fans wanting to watch the Gophers live and in-person can purchase season tickets or single-game tickets at GopherSports.com to see all the action from 3M Arena at Mariucci.
The Golden Gophers were picked to finish second in the Big Ten Conference Preseason Poll and are coming off their fourth-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24. A year ago, Minnesota claimed its fourth-straight 20-plus win season under the guidance of Coach Motzko and 14th-straight season with a winning record.
Chesley earned a spot on the All-B1G Second Team as a sophomore in 2023-24 after posting eight points on two goals and six assists, while appearing in all 39 games. A native of Mahtomedi, Minn., he led the Gophers and the conference by blocking 77 shots last season, ranking eighth in the NCAA, and added a physical element to the Maroon and Gold blue line. Chelsey also was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Third Team and an AHCA Krampade All-American Scholar for his work in the classroom.
Back on campus for his senior season, Huglen joins the veteran leadership group having played 112 games during his tenure. Hailing from Roseau, Minn., he has recorded 27 goals and 27 assists for 54 career points and is coming off a career year in 2023-24 where he reached double-digit goals (13) for the first time as a Gopher, including four game winners. He was given Minnesota's Donald W. Clark Community Service Award for his efforts off the ice a season ago and also has earned two Academic All-B1G honors.
Entering the season with the most active games played by any NCAA defenseman, Koster has taken the ice 140 times over his four seasons with the Gophers. He will be asked to anchor the team's defensive corps again this year, serving as a captain for the second time. The Chaska, Minn., product finished last year with two goals and 12 assists for 14 total points, despite missing the entire first month due to an injury. A three-time Academic All-B1G honoree, Koster buried his first game-winning goal as a Gopher on a power-play marker against Robert Morris in January.
A mainstay in the Gophers' lineup over the past four years, Nevers returns for his fifth season and has skated in 138 career games, totaling 57 points on 21 goals and 36 assists. The Edina, Minn., native was an assistant captain for the Maroon and Gold a year ago and posted a career-best, plus-16 rating to go with his third-consecutive campaign reaching double-digit scoring. The three-time Academic All-B1G selection has helped the team to a record of 39-8-2 when he tallies a point during his tenure. Nevers earned Minnesota's Elwin "Doc" Romnes Leadership & Sportsmanship Award last season after picking up the Dr. V. George Nagobads Unsung Hero Award as a junior.
Already a two-time All-B1G selection while at Minnesota, Snuggerud moves into a leadership role entering his junior year. The product of Chaska, Minn., is working his way to join the elite 100-point company in program history, sitting at 84 points in two years following back-to-back 20-goal campaigns. His 42 goals put him in a tie for sixth among active NCAA skaters in career goals, while his nine game-winning goals ranks second. The Gophers own a 39-10-3 record in games when Snuggerud reaches the scoresheet over his career, where he has played all the team's 79 games since stepping on campus.
Thomas begins his junior campaign with nearly 80 games of college hockey experience and provides the Gophers a steady presence along the blue line. The Maple Grove, Minn., native ended last year with a career-best 10 points behind one goal and nine assists, scoring his first collegiate goal in a home win over Minnesota Duluth. The defenseman ranked second for Minnesota totaling 68 blocked shots, which was 18th in the NCAA and second in the conference.
Fans wanting to watch the Gophers live and in-person can purchase season tickets or single-game tickets at GopherSports.com to see all the action from 3M Arena at Mariucci.
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