University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, January 7
East Lansing, MI
5:30 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Michigan State
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Photo by: Bruce Kluckhohn
Gopher Return to B1G Play at Michigan State
1/6/2022 7:27:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Friday (5:30 p.m. CT) and Saturday (6:30 p.m. CT) will be broadcast on BTN.
MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 9/11 Gopher men's hockey program returns to regular-season play for the first time in 2022 with a two-game Big Ten series at Michigan State this weekend. The conference series kicks off on Friday, Jan. 7 at 5:34 p.m. CT (TV: Big Ten Network; Stream: FOX Sports App; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM) with the weekend finale set for Saturday, Jan. 8 at 6:34 p.m. CT (TV: Big Ten Network; Stream: FOX Sports App; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM). Both games will be played at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.
AGAINST THE SPARTANS
In a series that began in 1950, Minnesota holds a 125-50-16 all-time record against Michigan State while the Maroon & Gold went 5-0-0 against the Spartans last year. The last meeting between the two Big Ten rivals saw the Gophers rally for a 2-1 overtime victory in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals at Notre Dame as Minnesota won three thrillers to claim the conference playoff title.
LAST TIME OUT: EXHIBITION WINS
This weekend's series against the Spartans will be Minnesota's third and fourth game in the last seven days after a pair of exhibition games earlier this week. Sunday saw the Gophers beat St. Thomas 5-2 at Doug Woog Arena in South St. Paul before the Maroon & Gold defeated the U.S. National Under-18 Team by a score of 5-3 on Monday night at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
'U' RETURNS THREE FROM WJC
Minnesota's three representatives on the U.S. National Junior Team (Brock Faber, Matthew Knies, Chaz Lucius) have returned to the Gophers lineup after the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship was ended prematurely due to public health concerns. Gopher Hockey has a proud history at the World Junior Championship with the University of Minnesota being represented at 43 of the 46 events dating back to the inaugural tournament in 1977. Faber was one of six returning players from last year's gold medal-winning U.S. squad that also included fellow Gopher defensemen Ryan Johnson and Jackson LaCombe.
WALKER WATCH
Senior captain Sammy Walker needs two points to become the 85th and newest member of the University of Minnesota's 100-Point Club (first since Rem Pitlick in 2018-19). Walker is Minnesota's active-leading career scorer with 98 points (41 goals, 57 assists) in 123 career games with the Maroon & Gold.
GOPHER HOCKEY NOTES & STATS
Bryce Brodzinski leads the Gophers with nine goals this season and scored the game-tying goal in the third period to force overtime in last year's quarterfinal game with the Spartans...Jackson LaCombe has tallied assists in three-straight games, five of the last six games and six of the last eight games.
NHL UPDATE: KESSEL SETS 'U' SCORING RECORD
Last week, Phil Kessel set a new NHL record for University of Minnesota alums when he surpassed Neal Broten as the program's all-time leading NHL scorer. A four-assist night for Kessel with the Arizona Coyotes pushed the forward past Broten's 923 points, which had stood as the 'U' record for more than two decades. A two-time Stanley Cup champion, Kessel already holds school records for NHL regular-season games played (1,153) and NHL regular-season goals (396). His active 931-consecutive NHL games played is the third longest streak in NHL history. Minnesota leads all NCAA programs with 117 all-time NHL alums including 23 already this season.
GOPHERS EXTEND MOTZKO THROUGH 2025-26
The University of Minnesota has agreed to a three-year contract extension with Gopher men's hockey head coach Bob Motzko that will keep Motzko with the Maroon & Gold through the 2025-26 season. A native of Austin, Minn., Motzko is in his fourth season with the Gophers and holds a 68-45-11 record since taking over the program in 2018. In 17 seasons as a Division I head coach, the 2020 Big Ten Coach of the Year and five-time conference coach of the year owns a 344-237-60 record.
PRESEASON BIG TEN PROSPECTUS
The Gophers landed on the top spot of the 2021-22 Big Ten Hockey Coaches' Poll earlier this season ahead of Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan State and Ohio State. In the eight-year history of the Big Ten Conference, the Gophers have claimed a league-high four regular-season conference championships as well as two Big Ten tournament titles including last year's thrilling playoff run by the Maroon & Gold. Minnesota also led the Big Ten with six individuals on the 2021-22 Preseason All-Big Ten Hockey Teams, headlined by four players earning First Team honors. The Gophers were represented in the preseason honor roll by Jackson LaCombe (First Team), Jack LaFontaine (First Team), Ben Meyers (First Team), Sammy Walker (First Team), Brock Faber (Second Team) and Ryan Johnson (Second Team). Mike Koster also earned honorable mention honors on behalf of the Maroon & Gold.
WEARING THE 'C'
The 101st season of Gopher Hockey will see three familiar faces and college hockey veterans leading the 'U' as Sammy Walker, Jack LaFontaine and Ben Meyers have been named team captains for the 2021-22 season. Walker will enter his senior season wearing a "C" for the third-straight season for the Maroon & Gold while LaFontaine and Meyers have been elevated to share the honors after serving as alternate captains during the 2020-21 campaign. With all three players returning to the Minnesota leadership group, Gopher Hockey has now featured 175 captains dating back to the school's first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Maroon & Gold as team captain.
JACK IS BACK
Mike Richter Award winner and Hobey Baker Award finalist Jack LaFontaine returns to the Gophers for his fifth season of college hockey in 2021-22. A First Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten selection, LaFontaine was also named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year. The Carolina Hurricane prospect set new school records and was among the NCAA leaders with a .934 save percentage and a 1.79 GAA while he led the nation with 22 wins. Off the ice, LaFontaine was named a recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor and was the only Division I men's hockey player to earn CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America honors.
IN THE NHL DRAFT
Fifteen of Minnesota's 26 players on the 2021-22 roster have been selected in the NHL Entry Draft including five newcomers -- Chaz Lucius (2021), Matthew Knies (2021), Tristan Broz (2021), Aaron Huglen (2019) and Rhett Pitlick (2019). Lucius is the 22nd Gopher Hockey prospect selected in the first round (18th overall by Winnipeg), joining 2019 first rounder Ryan Johnson on this year's roster for Minnesota. Meanwhile, Knies and Broz were selected with back-to-back picks in the second round this year.
LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR
The 100th season of Gopher Hockey certainly was a memorable one as Minnesota won an NCAA-best 24 games in 2020-21. The Gophers won three thrilling games to capture the Big Ten tournament title and returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017 before picking up the program's first NCAA tournament win since 2014 at the NCAA West Regional. Minnesota started the year on a 10-0-0 run for the first time since 1939-40 and earned nine sweeps in 13 series during the regular-season. Nationally ranked all season long, the Gophers kept themselves in the top-five of both national polls since the beginning of December including the team's first No. 1 ranking in both polls since Nov. 11, 2014. Along with LaFontaine's national awards, the Gophers boasted a trio of All-Americans in LaFontaine (First Team), Sampo Ranta (First Team) and Jackson LaCombe (Second Team).
AGAINST THE SPARTANS
In a series that began in 1950, Minnesota holds a 125-50-16 all-time record against Michigan State while the Maroon & Gold went 5-0-0 against the Spartans last year. The last meeting between the two Big Ten rivals saw the Gophers rally for a 2-1 overtime victory in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals at Notre Dame as Minnesota won three thrillers to claim the conference playoff title.
LAST TIME OUT: EXHIBITION WINS
This weekend's series against the Spartans will be Minnesota's third and fourth game in the last seven days after a pair of exhibition games earlier this week. Sunday saw the Gophers beat St. Thomas 5-2 at Doug Woog Arena in South St. Paul before the Maroon & Gold defeated the U.S. National Under-18 Team by a score of 5-3 on Monday night at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
'U' RETURNS THREE FROM WJC
Minnesota's three representatives on the U.S. National Junior Team (Brock Faber, Matthew Knies, Chaz Lucius) have returned to the Gophers lineup after the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship was ended prematurely due to public health concerns. Gopher Hockey has a proud history at the World Junior Championship with the University of Minnesota being represented at 43 of the 46 events dating back to the inaugural tournament in 1977. Faber was one of six returning players from last year's gold medal-winning U.S. squad that also included fellow Gopher defensemen Ryan Johnson and Jackson LaCombe.
WALKER WATCH
Senior captain Sammy Walker needs two points to become the 85th and newest member of the University of Minnesota's 100-Point Club (first since Rem Pitlick in 2018-19). Walker is Minnesota's active-leading career scorer with 98 points (41 goals, 57 assists) in 123 career games with the Maroon & Gold.
GOPHER HOCKEY NOTES & STATS
Bryce Brodzinski leads the Gophers with nine goals this season and scored the game-tying goal in the third period to force overtime in last year's quarterfinal game with the Spartans...Jackson LaCombe has tallied assists in three-straight games, five of the last six games and six of the last eight games.
NHL UPDATE: KESSEL SETS 'U' SCORING RECORD
Last week, Phil Kessel set a new NHL record for University of Minnesota alums when he surpassed Neal Broten as the program's all-time leading NHL scorer. A four-assist night for Kessel with the Arizona Coyotes pushed the forward past Broten's 923 points, which had stood as the 'U' record for more than two decades. A two-time Stanley Cup champion, Kessel already holds school records for NHL regular-season games played (1,153) and NHL regular-season goals (396). His active 931-consecutive NHL games played is the third longest streak in NHL history. Minnesota leads all NCAA programs with 117 all-time NHL alums including 23 already this season.
GOPHERS EXTEND MOTZKO THROUGH 2025-26
The University of Minnesota has agreed to a three-year contract extension with Gopher men's hockey head coach Bob Motzko that will keep Motzko with the Maroon & Gold through the 2025-26 season. A native of Austin, Minn., Motzko is in his fourth season with the Gophers and holds a 68-45-11 record since taking over the program in 2018. In 17 seasons as a Division I head coach, the 2020 Big Ten Coach of the Year and five-time conference coach of the year owns a 344-237-60 record.
PRESEASON BIG TEN PROSPECTUS
The Gophers landed on the top spot of the 2021-22 Big Ten Hockey Coaches' Poll earlier this season ahead of Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan State and Ohio State. In the eight-year history of the Big Ten Conference, the Gophers have claimed a league-high four regular-season conference championships as well as two Big Ten tournament titles including last year's thrilling playoff run by the Maroon & Gold. Minnesota also led the Big Ten with six individuals on the 2021-22 Preseason All-Big Ten Hockey Teams, headlined by four players earning First Team honors. The Gophers were represented in the preseason honor roll by Jackson LaCombe (First Team), Jack LaFontaine (First Team), Ben Meyers (First Team), Sammy Walker (First Team), Brock Faber (Second Team) and Ryan Johnson (Second Team). Mike Koster also earned honorable mention honors on behalf of the Maroon & Gold.
WEARING THE 'C'
The 101st season of Gopher Hockey will see three familiar faces and college hockey veterans leading the 'U' as Sammy Walker, Jack LaFontaine and Ben Meyers have been named team captains for the 2021-22 season. Walker will enter his senior season wearing a "C" for the third-straight season for the Maroon & Gold while LaFontaine and Meyers have been elevated to share the honors after serving as alternate captains during the 2020-21 campaign. With all three players returning to the Minnesota leadership group, Gopher Hockey has now featured 175 captains dating back to the school's first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Maroon & Gold as team captain.
JACK IS BACK
Mike Richter Award winner and Hobey Baker Award finalist Jack LaFontaine returns to the Gophers for his fifth season of college hockey in 2021-22. A First Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten selection, LaFontaine was also named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year. The Carolina Hurricane prospect set new school records and was among the NCAA leaders with a .934 save percentage and a 1.79 GAA while he led the nation with 22 wins. Off the ice, LaFontaine was named a recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor and was the only Division I men's hockey player to earn CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America honors.
IN THE NHL DRAFT
Fifteen of Minnesota's 26 players on the 2021-22 roster have been selected in the NHL Entry Draft including five newcomers -- Chaz Lucius (2021), Matthew Knies (2021), Tristan Broz (2021), Aaron Huglen (2019) and Rhett Pitlick (2019). Lucius is the 22nd Gopher Hockey prospect selected in the first round (18th overall by Winnipeg), joining 2019 first rounder Ryan Johnson on this year's roster for Minnesota. Meanwhile, Knies and Broz were selected with back-to-back picks in the second round this year.
LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR
The 100th season of Gopher Hockey certainly was a memorable one as Minnesota won an NCAA-best 24 games in 2020-21. The Gophers won three thrilling games to capture the Big Ten tournament title and returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017 before picking up the program's first NCAA tournament win since 2014 at the NCAA West Regional. Minnesota started the year on a 10-0-0 run for the first time since 1939-40 and earned nine sweeps in 13 series during the regular-season. Nationally ranked all season long, the Gophers kept themselves in the top-five of both national polls since the beginning of December including the team's first No. 1 ranking in both polls since Nov. 11, 2014. Along with LaFontaine's national awards, the Gophers boasted a trio of All-Americans in LaFontaine (First Team), Sampo Ranta (First Team) and Jackson LaCombe (Second Team).
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