Leo Gruba

Photo by: Kylie Barton

Photo by: Sage Zipeto

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Photo by: Bjorn Franke

Position:
Defense
Ht./Wt.:
6-2 / 210
Class:
Freshman
Shoot/Catch:
R
Hometown:
Lake Elmo, Minn.
High School:
Hill-Murray School
Previous Team:
Fargo (USHL)

PRONUNCIATION

2024-25 | FRESHMAN
• Skated in all 40 games for Minnesota in his first year of college hockey and was one of seven Gophers to play every game
• Made his debut at the 2024 Ice Breaker Tournament against Air Force (Oct. 11) in Las Vegas
• Closed the year with three points on one goal and two assists, all of which were recorded in a nine-game stretch during the month of November
• Picked up the first point of his collegiate career behind an assist on the game-winning goal against Penn State (Nov. 2)
• Added his second helper in a road win at Notre Dame (Nov. 23)
• Scored his first NCAA goal as the eventual game winner in a home victory over Alaska (Nov. 30)
• Blocked a total of 27 shots, including a season-high three at Minnesota Duluth (Oct. 18) and against St. Thomas (Oct. 25) in his home debut
• Ended the season with a plus-7 rating thanks to a pair of season-best, plus-3 outings versus Air Force (Oct. 11) and Mercyhurst (Jan. 4)
• Gophers were undefeated at 3-0-0 when he scored a point and 1-0-0 when he scored a goal
• Earned first letter

JUNIOR/HIGH SCHOOL
• Played two seasons in the USHL along the blue line for the Fargo Force, totaling 80 points in 120 career appearances
• Won the USHL Clark Cup in 2023-24 behind a historic regular season with a league record for wins (50-10-2)
• Helped guide the Force to back-to-back Anderson Cup titles as USHL regular-season champions in 2022-23 and 2023-24
• Chosen as the USHL Defenseman of the Year and earned a spot on the All-USHL First Team in 2023-24
• Selected as the USHL Defenseman of the Clark Cup Final after posting two goals and three assists for five points in four appearances to go with a plus-2 rating
• Led all USHL defensemen in scoring during the 2023-24 regular season, posting 57 points on 22 goals and 35 assists in 60 games played
• Set a Fargo franchise record for most points by a defenseman in a single season, breaking the previous best of 39 set in 2017-18
• Broke the Force's record for point streak by a defenseman when he opened the year with a point in 10-consecutive outings between Sept. 22-Oct. 28
• Named the USHL Defenseman of the Week four times during the 2023-24 campaign, including three in an 11-week stretch
• Reached the USHL Clark Cup finals in his first full season of junior hockey in 2022-23 where he had eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points in 60 contests
• Made 10 regular season and 11 playoff appearances for the NAHL's St. Cloud Norsemen at the conclusion of the high school hockey season in 2022 and had eight points
• Spent three years on the Hill-Murray School hockey team and appeared in 76 prep games with the Pioneers
• Selected as the Let's Play Hockey Reed Larson Award winner as Minnesota's top prep defenseman for the 2021-22 season and was a finalist for the Mr. Hockey Award
• Totaled 33 points on 12 goals and 21 assists in 31 outings as a senior captain and finished third at the 2022 state tournament
• Finished his junior year with four goals and 11 assists for 15 points in 20 games
• Led Hill-Murray to an MSHSL Class AA State Championship during his sophomore season in 2020 after recording five points in 25 outings

PERSONAL
• Son of Jodie Meyer and Tony Gruba
• Has an older sister, Grace
• Father, Tony, played 138 games in four seasons at St. Cloud State and served as team captain during his senior year in 1993-94 before spending the next season in the ECHL with the Dayton Bombers
• Became just the third Gopher to ever wear No. 55, joining Matt Staudacher (2019-23) and John Amatuzio (1948-49)