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Stanley Cup Champion Reilly Highlights 2025-26 Gophers in the NHL
6/15/2026 9:15:00 AM | Men's Hockey
22 former 'U' skaters reached the NHL this season
MINNEAPOLIS - A total of 22 former players representing the University of Minnesota men's hockey program competed during the 2025-26 National Hockey League season, highlighted by Mike Reilly hoisting hockey's ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup, Sunday night in Las Vegas.
Skating in his 11th NHL campaign, Reilly made the move to Raleigh, N.C., to join the Hurricanes as a free agent and appeared in 42 games in the regular season, registering nine points. The Chanhassen, Minn., native went on to record two points in two playoff games during the cup run behind a two-assist effort in game two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Reilly is the 15th player or coach representing the Golden Gophers to lift the Stanley Cup and 2025-26 is a program record fifth-consecutive season where a former Minnesota skater has won the championship. He follows Erik Johnson (Colorado Avalanche-2022), Phil Kessel (Vegas Golden Knights-2023), Kyle Okposo (Florida Panthers-2024), and Nate Schmidt (Florida Panthers-2025) to win in that span. It also marks the eighth time over the last 11 seasons a former player or coach from the Maroon and Gold has won the Stanley Cup.
Four former Gophers finished the 2025-26 NHL season with at least 50 points, led by Matthew Knies' career-best 66 points, which ranked third in scoring for the Toronto Maple Leafs. From their spots on the blue line, Jackson LaCombe (Anaheim Ducks) and Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild) also had career years offensively, tallying 58 and 51 points, respectively. Behind a 51-point campaign of his own, Jimmy Snuggered landed on the NHL All-Rookie Team playing with the St. Louis Blues.
Minnesota's NHL pipeline remained on full display again this year as 12 former Maroon and Gold skaters played in 70 or more games. Of those, five players took to the ice for all 82 regular season games, highlighting durability and consistency across the league. In program history, the Gophers have sent an NCAA-record 131 players to the NHL.
Gophers in the NHL (2025-26)
Nick Bjugstad | St. Louis Blues and New Jersey Devils (61 GP, 6 G, 3 A, 9 PTS)
Tristan Broz | Pittsburgh Penguins (1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PTS)
Logan Cooley | Utah Mammoth (54 GP, 24 G, 19 A, 43 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (6 GP, 2 G, 1 A, 3 PTS)
Brock Faber| Minnesota Wild (80 GP, 15 G, 36 A, 51 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (11 GP, 4 G, 6 A, 10 PTS)
Erik Haula | Nashville Predators (81 GP, 14 G, 24 A, 38 PTS)
Justin Holl | St. Louis Blues (9 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 PTS)
Ryan Johnson | Buffalo Sabres (3 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PTS)
Matthew Knies| Toronto Maple Leafs (79 GP, 23 G, 43 A, 66 PTS)
Jackson LaCombe| Anaheim Ducks (82 GP, 10 G, 48 A, 58 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (12 GP, 1 G, 9 A, 10 PTS)
Nick Leddy | San Jose Sharks (32 GP, 1 G, 6 A, 7 PTS)
Ryan Lindgren | Seattle Kraken (76 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 PTS)
Ben Meyers | Seattle Kraken (52 GP, 7 G, 8 A, 15 PTS)
Casey Mittelstadt | Boston Bruins (71 GP, 15 G, 27 A, 42 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (6 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 PTS)
Oliver Moore | Chicago Blackhawks (51 GP, 5 G, 14 A, 19 PTS)
Tommy Novak | Pittsburgh Penguins (82 GP, 16 G, 26 A, 42 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (6 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 PTS)
Mike Reilly | Carolina Hurricanes (42 GP, 1 G, 8 A, 9 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (2 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 PTS)
Sam Rinzel | Chicago Blackhawks (54 GP, 5 G, 10 A, 14 PTS)
Nate Schmidt | Utah Mammoth (82 GP, 5 G, 17 A, 22 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (6 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 PT)
Nick Seeler | Philadelphia Flyers (80 GP, 4 G, 6 A, 10 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (10 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 1 PT)
Brady Skjei | Nashville Predators (82 GP, 3 G, 23 A, 26 PTS)
Jimmy Snuggerud | St. Louis Blues (70 GP, 21 G, 30 A, 51 PTS)
Matthew Wood | Nashville Predators (71 GP, 17 G, 13 A, 30 PTS)
Skating in his 11th NHL campaign, Reilly made the move to Raleigh, N.C., to join the Hurricanes as a free agent and appeared in 42 games in the regular season, registering nine points. The Chanhassen, Minn., native went on to record two points in two playoff games during the cup run behind a two-assist effort in game two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Reilly is the 15th player or coach representing the Golden Gophers to lift the Stanley Cup and 2025-26 is a program record fifth-consecutive season where a former Minnesota skater has won the championship. He follows Erik Johnson (Colorado Avalanche-2022), Phil Kessel (Vegas Golden Knights-2023), Kyle Okposo (Florida Panthers-2024), and Nate Schmidt (Florida Panthers-2025) to win in that span. It also marks the eighth time over the last 11 seasons a former player or coach from the Maroon and Gold has won the Stanley Cup.
Four former Gophers finished the 2025-26 NHL season with at least 50 points, led by Matthew Knies' career-best 66 points, which ranked third in scoring for the Toronto Maple Leafs. From their spots on the blue line, Jackson LaCombe (Anaheim Ducks) and Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild) also had career years offensively, tallying 58 and 51 points, respectively. Behind a 51-point campaign of his own, Jimmy Snuggered landed on the NHL All-Rookie Team playing with the St. Louis Blues.
Minnesota's NHL pipeline remained on full display again this year as 12 former Maroon and Gold skaters played in 70 or more games. Of those, five players took to the ice for all 82 regular season games, highlighting durability and consistency across the league. In program history, the Gophers have sent an NCAA-record 131 players to the NHL.
Gophers in the NHL (2025-26)
Nick Bjugstad | St. Louis Blues and New Jersey Devils (61 GP, 6 G, 3 A, 9 PTS)
Tristan Broz | Pittsburgh Penguins (1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PTS)
Logan Cooley | Utah Mammoth (54 GP, 24 G, 19 A, 43 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (6 GP, 2 G, 1 A, 3 PTS)
Brock Faber| Minnesota Wild (80 GP, 15 G, 36 A, 51 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (11 GP, 4 G, 6 A, 10 PTS)
Erik Haula | Nashville Predators (81 GP, 14 G, 24 A, 38 PTS)
Justin Holl | St. Louis Blues (9 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 PTS)
Ryan Johnson | Buffalo Sabres (3 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PTS)
Matthew Knies| Toronto Maple Leafs (79 GP, 23 G, 43 A, 66 PTS)
Jackson LaCombe| Anaheim Ducks (82 GP, 10 G, 48 A, 58 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (12 GP, 1 G, 9 A, 10 PTS)
Nick Leddy | San Jose Sharks (32 GP, 1 G, 6 A, 7 PTS)
Ryan Lindgren | Seattle Kraken (76 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 PTS)
Ben Meyers | Seattle Kraken (52 GP, 7 G, 8 A, 15 PTS)
Casey Mittelstadt | Boston Bruins (71 GP, 15 G, 27 A, 42 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (6 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 PTS)
Oliver Moore | Chicago Blackhawks (51 GP, 5 G, 14 A, 19 PTS)
Tommy Novak | Pittsburgh Penguins (82 GP, 16 G, 26 A, 42 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (6 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 PTS)
Mike Reilly | Carolina Hurricanes (42 GP, 1 G, 8 A, 9 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (2 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 PTS)
Sam Rinzel | Chicago Blackhawks (54 GP, 5 G, 10 A, 14 PTS)
Nate Schmidt | Utah Mammoth (82 GP, 5 G, 17 A, 22 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (6 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 PT)
Nick Seeler | Philadelphia Flyers (80 GP, 4 G, 6 A, 10 PTS) | PLAYOFFS (10 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 1 PT)
Brady Skjei | Nashville Predators (82 GP, 3 G, 23 A, 26 PTS)
Jimmy Snuggerud | St. Louis Blues (70 GP, 21 G, 30 A, 51 PTS)
Matthew Wood | Nashville Predators (71 GP, 17 G, 13 A, 30 PTS)
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