University of Minnesota Athletics
Mike Polich - M Club Hall of Fame
Mike Polich
Men’s Hockey, 1972-75
HOF Class of 2001
Mike Polich led the hockey Gophers in scoring for three seasons and, in 1974, led to their first NCAA national championship when they defeated Michigan Tech, 4-2, in Boston.
Polich scored the shorthanded goal, with just 13 seconds left in the semi-final game against Boston University, that advanced the Gophers into that championship game. That and other feats earned him a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament team.
The next year, the center earned WCHA co-MVP and All-America honors while helping lead his team to its second consecutive WCHA title and another trip to the Frozen Four.
In 148 Minnesota games, Polich scored 70 goals and 89 assists, 159 career points. He won the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor in 1975 for athletic and academic achievement, and played on the 1975 U.S. National Team.
In the NHL, Polich was called up from his Nova Scotia minor league team to join the Montreal Canadiens for their successful playoff run to the Stanley Cup run in 1976-77. He played for his hometown Minnesota North Stars from 1978 to 1981, retiring with 56 points in 226 career NHL games.