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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Pair of Gophers Named B1G Award Finalists
3/12/2025 3:00:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Snuggerud, Rinzel in top three for major awards
ROSEMONT, Ill. - Jimmy Snuggerud and Sam Rinzel from the University of Minnesota were named finalists for Big Ten Conference Men's Hockey Postseason Awards Wednesday, as selected by the head coaches and a media panel. Snuggerud is one of three finalists for B1G Player of the Year, while Rinzel is up for the honor of B1G Defensive Player of the Year.
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Snuggerud has been a driving force behind the Golden Gophers' offensive success in 2024-25 as he has put away a career-best 22 goals to help the team lead all of college hockey with 150 total goals. He currently has 49 points, one shy of his career high set during his freshman campaign, and ranks third in the NCAA among its scoring leaders. The junior captain carried Minnesota through the month of January where he posted 11 goals and six assists for 17 points and had seven multi-point performances in nine appearances. He also set a new career-long, goal-scoring streak when he found the back of the net in six-straight contests between Jan. 11-31.
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That surge landed Snuggerud HCA National Player of the Month honors and a pair of B1G First Star of the Week selections for his efforts in January. Over his career, the Chaska, Minn., native, has claimed seven weekly awards from the conference, including six times as the first star, the most of any skater in B1G history. He has reached the scoresheet in 29 of 39 outings this year with a team-best 16 multi-point efforts. Snuggerud became the third player in Gophers' history to score 20 or more goals in three-consecutive seasons to begin a career, joining M Club Hall of Famers John Mayasich and Dick Dougherty, who both hit the milestone more than 70 years ago in 1953-54.
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Rinzel is enjoying a career year at Minnesota during his second season on campus behind 31 points, closing the regular season with 27 before adding four in the B1G Tournament. The sophomore leads the conference and ranks sixth nationally for goals by a defenseman this season, becoming the first Gophers blue liner to score 10 goals in a season since Mike Vannelli in 2006-07. He also ranks fourth in the NCAA for total points by a defenseman, four points higher than any other skater from the B1G, showcasing his versatility on the ice.
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A product of Chanhassen, Minn., Rinzel opened the campaign with a point in the Maroon and Gold's first seven games, extending his career-long point streak to eight games, dating back to the final game of last season. Thanks to a career-high two goals and three points in a home win against St. Thomas as part of a four-point weekend, he was chosen as the B1G First Star of the Week (Oct. 29). It was his first of eight multi-point efforts this season and first time scoring multiple goals in a single game during his career. After not recording a power-play tally as a freshman, he scored the first two of his tenure at Notre Dame (Nov. 22) and another versus Michigan (Dec. 7) to rank second on the team in special teams scoring with 12 points on the man advantage.
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The Gophers have had four players earn the title of B1G Player of the Year with Matthew Knies picking up the award most recently in 2022-23. Brock Faber was Minnesota's last B1G Defensive Player of the Year, claiming two of the five all-time honors for the Maroon and Gold in back-to-back campaigns in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
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The full list of award winners, All-B1G Teams, and the B1G All-Freshman Team will be announced Tuesday, March 18, live on Big Ten Network's Big Ten Today show.
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BIG TEN HOCKEY POSTSEASON AWARD FINALISTS
Player of the Year
Isaac Howard, F, MSU
Jimmy Snuggerud, F, MINN
Aiden Fink, PSU
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Defensive Player of the Year
Matt Basgall, D, MSU
Sam Rinzel, D, MINN
Simon Mack, D, PSU
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Goaltender of the Year
Trey Augustine, MSU
Logan Terness, OSU
Arsenii Sergeev, PSU
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Freshman of the Year
Michael Hage, F, MICH
Charlie Cerrato, F, PSU
Gavin Morrissey, F, WIS
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Coach of the Year
Adam Nightingale, MSU
Steve Rohlik, OSU
Guy Gadowsky, PSU
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Snuggerud has been a driving force behind the Golden Gophers' offensive success in 2024-25 as he has put away a career-best 22 goals to help the team lead all of college hockey with 150 total goals. He currently has 49 points, one shy of his career high set during his freshman campaign, and ranks third in the NCAA among its scoring leaders. The junior captain carried Minnesota through the month of January where he posted 11 goals and six assists for 17 points and had seven multi-point performances in nine appearances. He also set a new career-long, goal-scoring streak when he found the back of the net in six-straight contests between Jan. 11-31.
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That surge landed Snuggerud HCA National Player of the Month honors and a pair of B1G First Star of the Week selections for his efforts in January. Over his career, the Chaska, Minn., native, has claimed seven weekly awards from the conference, including six times as the first star, the most of any skater in B1G history. He has reached the scoresheet in 29 of 39 outings this year with a team-best 16 multi-point efforts. Snuggerud became the third player in Gophers' history to score 20 or more goals in three-consecutive seasons to begin a career, joining M Club Hall of Famers John Mayasich and Dick Dougherty, who both hit the milestone more than 70 years ago in 1953-54.
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Rinzel is enjoying a career year at Minnesota during his second season on campus behind 31 points, closing the regular season with 27 before adding four in the B1G Tournament. The sophomore leads the conference and ranks sixth nationally for goals by a defenseman this season, becoming the first Gophers blue liner to score 10 goals in a season since Mike Vannelli in 2006-07. He also ranks fourth in the NCAA for total points by a defenseman, four points higher than any other skater from the B1G, showcasing his versatility on the ice.
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A product of Chanhassen, Minn., Rinzel opened the campaign with a point in the Maroon and Gold's first seven games, extending his career-long point streak to eight games, dating back to the final game of last season. Thanks to a career-high two goals and three points in a home win against St. Thomas as part of a four-point weekend, he was chosen as the B1G First Star of the Week (Oct. 29). It was his first of eight multi-point efforts this season and first time scoring multiple goals in a single game during his career. After not recording a power-play tally as a freshman, he scored the first two of his tenure at Notre Dame (Nov. 22) and another versus Michigan (Dec. 7) to rank second on the team in special teams scoring with 12 points on the man advantage.
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The Gophers have had four players earn the title of B1G Player of the Year with Matthew Knies picking up the award most recently in 2022-23. Brock Faber was Minnesota's last B1G Defensive Player of the Year, claiming two of the five all-time honors for the Maroon and Gold in back-to-back campaigns in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
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The full list of award winners, All-B1G Teams, and the B1G All-Freshman Team will be announced Tuesday, March 18, live on Big Ten Network's Big Ten Today show.
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BIG TEN HOCKEY POSTSEASON AWARD FINALISTS
Player of the Year
Isaac Howard, F, MSU
Jimmy Snuggerud, F, MINN
Aiden Fink, PSU
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Defensive Player of the Year
Matt Basgall, D, MSU
Sam Rinzel, D, MINN
Simon Mack, D, PSU
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Goaltender of the Year
Trey Augustine, MSU
Logan Terness, OSU
Arsenii Sergeev, PSU
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Freshman of the Year
Michael Hage, F, MICH
Charlie Cerrato, F, PSU
Gavin Morrissey, F, WIS
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Coach of the Year
Adam Nightingale, MSU
Steve Rohlik, OSU
Guy Gadowsky, PSU
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