John Whipple

Photo by: Brady Paitrick

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Photo by: Sage Zipeto

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Photo by: Bjorn Franke

Position:
Defense
Ht./Wt.:
6-2 / 205
Class:
Sophomore
Shoot/Catch:
L
Hometown:
Minnetonka, Minn.
High School:
Shattuck-St. Mary's
Previous Team:
US NTDP U18
NHL Rights:
Detroit (2024)

PRONUNCIATION

2025-26 | SOPHOMORE
• Was one of eight Gophers to skate in all 36 games during the campaign
• Closed the year with two points behind one goal and one assist
• Scored the first goal of his college career into an empty net from nearly 200 feet away to secure a home shutout of Notre Dame (Nov. 7)
• Added his lone assist of the campaign at Ohio State (Dec. 5)
• Led the team totaling 81 blocked shots, including a career-best eight on the road in an upset at No. 2 Michigan (Feb. 26)
• Was a season-high plus-2 at Ohio State (Dec. 4) and again versus Wisconsin (Jan. 31)
• Earned second letter

2024-25 | FRESHMAN
• Took the ice in 29 games during his first season of college hockey
• Made his Minnesota debut on opening night at the 2024 Ice Breaker in Las Vegas against Air Force (Oct. 11)
• Finished the year with three points, all coming via assists
• Picked up his first NCAA point with an assist at home versus Bemidji State (Nov. 14)
• Added helpers against Mercyhurst (Jan. 4) and at Michigan State (Jan. 25)
• Team was unbeaten at 2-0-1 in games that he reached the scoresheet
• Ended his first year with the Gophers owning a plus-4 rating and was a season-best plus-2 on three separate occasions
• Closed the season by blocking 28 shots, including multiple blocks in five-straight outings from Dec. 13 to Jan. 10, with a season-high of three against Mercyhurst (Jan. 3)
• Earned first letter

JUNIOR/HIGH SCHOOL
• Played two years along the blue line with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program from 2022-24, making 121 appearances
• Closed the 2023-24 season on the U18 National Team scoring 17 points behind two goals and 15 assists across 61 outings and held a plus-19 rating
• Tallied his lone multi-point performance of the year against Czechia (Nov. 12) with a pair of assists during the U18 Five Nations Tournament in Finland where the team finished in second place
• Put together a three-game scoring streak between Nov. 11 and Nov. 17
• Took the ice in 60 games for the U17 National Team in 2022-23 and posted four goals and nine assists for 13 points
• Recorded a three-point effort in a win over Switzerland (Feb. 10) with a goal and two assists
• Spent two years playing AAA at Shattuck-St. Mary's from 2020-22, winning a 2021 14U USA Hockey Youth National Championship

INTERNATIONAL
• Won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2024 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship in Finland
• Appeared in seven games and scored one goal

PERSONAL
• Son of Trey and Molly Whipple
• Has an older brother, Alec, a younger brother, Ford, and a younger sister, Caroline
• Brother, Alec, plays NCAA hockey at Denver after playing two seasons with the Trail Smoke Eaters (BCHL)
• Participated in the 2024 Chipotle All-American Game
• Was a teammate of fellow Gopher Brodie Ziemer for two years at the USNTDP and two years at Shattuck-St. Mary's on the 15U AAA (2021-22) and 14U AAA (2020-21) teams
• Drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft as the 144th pick by the Detroit Red Wings
• Ranked as the No. 145 skater in North America by NHL Central Scouting prior to the 2024 draft