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Photo by: Bjorn Franke
Gophers' Koster Signs with Heartlanders
4/2/2025 9:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Former 'U' captain lands first pro contract
MINNEAPOLIS - After spending five years skating with the University of Minnesota men's hockey team, Mike Koster signed a professional contract with the Iowa Heartlanders, ECHL affiliate of the Iowa Wild and Minnesota Wild, on Tuesday.
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Originally a fifth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs as the 146th overall selection in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Koster served as a team captain for the Golden Gophers each of the last two seasons. He finished his career with 180 games played, ranking third in program history, and helped the Maroon and Gold reach two NCAA Frozen Fours, while winning three Big Ten Conference championships and a Big Ten Conference Tournament title during his tenure. He totaled 89 points behind 18 goals and 71 assists to go with 202 career blocked shots and a plus-47 overall rating.
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Koster reached the 20-point mark in a single season for the second time as a Gopher in 2024-25, closing the year with 20 on four goals and 16 assists. The Chaska, Minn., native scored all four of his goals when Minnesota was on the road, including a two-goal effort at Ohio State in January. The defenseman was a power-play threat with eight points on the man advantage and the team went 12-1-3 when Koster recorded a point this season. He also ranked second with the Maroon and Gold by blocking 53 shots in his final campaign on campus.
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Originally a fifth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs as the 146th overall selection in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Koster served as a team captain for the Golden Gophers each of the last two seasons. He finished his career with 180 games played, ranking third in program history, and helped the Maroon and Gold reach two NCAA Frozen Fours, while winning three Big Ten Conference championships and a Big Ten Conference Tournament title during his tenure. He totaled 89 points behind 18 goals and 71 assists to go with 202 career blocked shots and a plus-47 overall rating.
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Koster reached the 20-point mark in a single season for the second time as a Gopher in 2024-25, closing the year with 20 on four goals and 16 assists. The Chaska, Minn., native scored all four of his goals when Minnesota was on the road, including a two-goal effort at Ohio State in January. The defenseman was a power-play threat with eight points on the man advantage and the team went 12-1-3 when Koster recorded a point this season. He also ranked second with the Maroon and Gold by blocking 53 shots in his final campaign on campus.
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