Matthew Knies

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Photo by: Craig Houtz - Penn State Athletics

Photo by: Joseph Weiser/Big Ten Network

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Photo by: Matt Krohn

Photo by: Matt Krohn

Photo by: Bjorn Franke

Position:
Forward
Ht./Wt.:
6-3 / 210
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Phoenix, Ariz.
Previous Team:
Tri-City (USHL)
NHL Rights:
Toronto (2021)
Major:
Business and Marketing Education

PRONUNCIATION

• Signed three-year, entry-level NHL contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 9, 2023
• Made NHL debut April 10, 2023

2022-23 | SOPHOMORE
Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalist (top three)
AHCA/CCM Hockey All-American West First Team
Big Ten Player of the Year
All-Big Ten First Team
Minnesota's John Mariucci MVP
Big Ten First Star of the Week (Feb. 21)
Academic All-Big Ten
• One of nine Gophers to appear in all the team's 40 games
• Set career highs with 21 goals, 21 assists and 42 points
• Led the NCAA with seven game-winning goals, all of which came against teams ranked in the top 15 of national polls
• Three of his seven game winners were in overtime as he is one of only five players in program history with three overtime goals and the only player to ever do it in one season
• Tallied at least one point in 26 of 40 games helping the team to a 23-3-0 record when he had a point
• Scored a goal in 19 of 40 games and the Gophers held a 17-2-0 record in those outings
• Tied for second on the team scoring a career-high 21 goals, ranking eighth nationally
• Led all Big Ten Conference players by tallying 15 goals during 24 league play
• Recorded multi-goal outings against Michigan (Jan. 20) and at Penn State (Feb. 18)
• Scored a goal in back-to-back games seven times during the season, including a pair of three-game goal scoring streaks
• Thrived on both ends of special teams tallying six power-play goals and the team's only two shorthanded goals (one of only four NCAA players with at least six PPG and two SHG)
• Had 12 multi-point games with four, three-point performances
• Owned a plus-31 rating, ranking sixth in the NCAA, and had a positive plus-minus in 23 outings
• Named the Big Ten Conference First Star of the Week (Feb. 21) after a five-point series at No. 8/7 Penn State where he scored the game winner in both games
• Part of the Gophers runner-up finish at the 2023 NCAA Frozen Four and a Big Ten Conference regular season championship
• Earned second letter

2021-22 | FRESHMAN
U.S. Olympian
NCAA Northeast All-Regional Team
Most Outstanding Player of the Worcester Regional
Second Team All-Big Ten
Big Ten All-Freshman Team
University of Minnesota's Male Rookie of the Year
Minnesota's Frank Pond Rookie of the Year
Big Ten Second Star of the Week (Nov. 23)
• Skated in 33 games with 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) as a freshman
• Helped the Gophers win the 2021-22 Big Ten Regular-Season Championship and advance to the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time since 2014
• Averaged a point per game while finishing second on the team in goal scoring and second on the team in total offensive output
• Recorded points in 25 games including eight multi-point performances
• Team was 9-4-0 when he scored a goal and 16-8-0 when he tallied a point
• Scored two goals in his collegiate debut -- a 7-4 win over Mercyhurst (Oct. 8)
• Factored into all three Minnesota goals with a goal and two assists against Penn State (Nov. 19)
• Notched his first career game winner in a 4-1 win over Alaska (Jan. 14)
• Boasted a season-high, six-game point streak from Nov. 6 to Nov. 26
• Closed out the season with five goals in the last four games, including goals in all three NCAA tournament games
• Tallied a goal and an assist in Minnesota's 4-3 overtime win over UMass to open the NCAA tournament (Mar. 25) and scored the game winner in a 3-0 win over Western Michigan (Mar. 27)
• Scored Minnesota's lone goal at the NCAA Frozen Four
• Earned first letter

JUNIORS
• Skated for two full seasons in the USHL with the Tri-City Storm
• Recorded 87 career points (31 goals, 56 assists) in 90 regular-season games, while adding four points (one goal, three assists) in three playoff contests
• Named to the USHL All-Rookie First Team in 2019-20 after posting 45 points (14 goals, 31 assists) in 44 games
• Closed out his junior career in 2020-21 with 42 points (17 goals, 25 assists) in 44 regular-season games before a three-game playoff run with four points
• Skated with fellow Gopher Rhett Pitlick in Tri-City
• Competed in the 2021 BioSteel All-American Hockey Game
• Previously skated with the Phoenix Junior Coyotes

INTERNATIONAL
• Tallied three points, all on assists, and was a +3 in five games for Team USA at the rescheduled 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship
• Recorded a point in each of his final three games played at the 2022 IIHF WJC
• Named to the 2022 U.S. National Junior Team for the IIHF World Junior Championship (canceled) along with fellow Gophers Brock Faber and Chaz Lucius
• One of four players with Gophers ties (Ben Meyers, Brock Faber, Aaron Ness) selected to the 2022 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey roster
• Tallied two points (one goal, one assist) in four games at the Olympics
• Won a bronze medal with the U.S. Junior Select Team at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge

PERSONAL
• Son of Miro and Michaela Knies
• Brother, Phil, played hockey at Bentley after starting his career at Miami (OH)
• Ranked 37th among North America Skaters eligible for the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau
• Selected in the second round (57th overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs
• Toronto's top prospect in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft was selected one pick in front of former Gopher teammate Tristan Broz
• First player in Minnesota history to wear No. 89 -- the highest number ever worn by a Gopher Hockey player until the 2022-23 season