2021–22 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season
The 2021–22 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season will be the 101st season of play for the program. They will represent the University of Minnesota in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season. This season will mark the 32nd season in the Big Ten Conference. They will be coached by Bob Motzko, in his fourth season, and play their home games at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
| 2021–22 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Big Ten, Champion | |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Home ice | 3M Arena at Mariucci |
| Rankings | |
| USCHO | #2 |
| USA Today | #2 |
| Record | |
| Overall | 26–12–0 |
| Conference | 18–6–0 |
| Home | 13–7–0 |
| Road | 11–5–0 |
| Neutral | 2–0–0 |
| Coaches and Captains | |
| Head Coach | Bob Motzko |
| Assistant Coaches | Garrett Raboin Ben Gordon Karel Popper |
| Captain(s) | Jack LaFontaine Ben Meyers Sammy Walker |
| Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey seasons « 2020–21 2022–23 » | |
Season
On January 9, shortly after wrapping up a weekend sweep of Michigan State, the Gophers were dealt a serious blow. Their starting goaltender and co-captain, Jack LaFontaine, who had played all but 28 minutes in got for the team to that point, signed a profession contract with the Carolina Hurricanes and ended his college career.[1]
Departures
| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Burke | Forward |  United States | Transferred to Bowling Green |
| Jack LaFontaine | Goaltender | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada | Left mid-season (signed with Carolina Hurricanes) |
| Brannon McManus | Forward | United States | Graduate transfer to Omaha |
| Jared Moe | Goaltender | United States | Transferred to Wisconsin |
| Cullen Munson | Forward | United States | Graduation (retired) |
| Sampo Ranta | Forward |  Finland | Signed professional contract (Colorado Avalanche) |
| Scott Reedy | Forward | United States | Graduation (signed with San Jose Sharks) |
| Robbie Stucker | Defenseman | United States | Transferred to Vermont |
| Noah Weber | Forward | United States | Left program (retired) |
Recruiting
| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owen Bartoszkiewicz | Goaltender | United States | 18 | Northville, MI; Joined team mid-season |
| Brennan Boynton | Goaltender | United States | 21 | Champlin, MN |
| Tristan Broz | Forward | United States | 18 | Bloomington, MN; selected 58th overall in 2021 |
| Grant Cruikshank | Forward | United States | 23 | Delafield, WI; transfer from Colorado College |
| Aaron Huglen | Forward | United States | 20 | Roseau, MN; selected 102nd overall in 2019 |
| Matthew Knies | Forward | United States | 18 | Phoenix, AZ; selected 57th overall in 2021 |
| Chaz Lucius | Forward | United States | 18 | Lawrence, KS; selected 18th overall in 2021 |
| Rhett Pitlick | Forward | United States | 20 | Chaska, MN; selected 131st overall in 2019 |
Roster
As of April 21, 2021.[2]
| No. | S/P/C | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Justen Close | Junior | G | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1998-05-20 | Kindersley, Saskatchewan | Kindersley (SJHL) | — |
| 2 |  |
Jackson LaCombe | Junior | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2001-01-09 | Eden Prairie, Minnesota | Shattuck-St. Mary's (Midget AAA) | ANA, 39th overall 2019 |
| 4 | |
Ben Brinkman | Senior | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 2000-10-04 | Edina, Minnesota | Edina (USHS–MN) | DAL, 173rd overall 2019 |
| 5 | |
Matt Denman | Senior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1998-04-20 | Prior Lake, Minnesota | Cedar Rapids (USHL) | — |
| 6 | |
Mike Koster | Sophomore | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2001-04-13 | Chaska, Minnesota | Tri-City (USHL) | TOR, 146th overall 2019 |
| 7 | |
Aaron Huglen | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2001-03-06 | Roseau, Minnesota | Fargo (USHL) | BUF, 102nd overall 2019 |
| 9 | |
Sammy Walker (C) | Senior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1999-06-07 | Edina, Minnesota | Edina (USHS–MN) | TBL, 200th overall 2017 |
| 10 | |
Tristan Broz | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 179 lb (81 kg) | 2002-10-10 | Bloomington, Minnesota | Fargo (USHL) | PIT, 58th overall 2021 |
| 11 | |
Jonny Sorenson | Junior | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1999-09-21 | St. Louis Park, Minnesota | Fairbanks (NAHL) | — |
| 14 | |
Brock Faber | Sophomore | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2002-08-22 | Maple Grove, Minnesota | USNTDP (USHL) | LAK, 45th overall 2020 |
| 16 | |
Colin Schmidt | Junior | F | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 230 lb (104 kg) | 2000-01-06 | Wayzata, Minnesota | Union (ECAC) | — |
| 18 | |
Mason Nevers | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2001-04-03 | Edina, Minnesota | Des Moines (USHL) | — |
| 21 |  |
Grant Cruikshank | Senior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1998-07-19 | Delafield, Wisconsin | Colorado College (NCHC) | — |
| 22 | |
Bryce Brodzinski | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2000-08-09 | Blaine, Minnesota | Blaine (USHS–MN) | PHI, 196th overall 2019 |
| 23 |  |
Ryan Johnson | Junior | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2001-07-24 | Irvine, California | Sioux Falls (USHL) | BUF, 31st overall 2019 |
| 24 | |
Jaxon Nelson | Junior | F | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | 2000-03-30 | Magnolia, Minnesota | Omaha (USHL) | — |
| 25 | |
Jack Perbix | Junior | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2000-09-13 | Elk River, Minnesota | Des Moines (USHL) | ANA, 116th overall 2018 |
| 26 | |
Carl Fish | Sophomore | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 1999-11-09 | St. Paul, Minnesota | Bismarck (NAHL) | — |
| 27 | |
Blake McLaughlin | Senior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2000-02-14 | Grand Rapids, Minnesota | Chicago (USHL) | ANA, 79th overall 2018 |
| 28 | |
Sam Rossini | Graduate | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1998-06-19 | Burnsville, Minnesota | Penticton (BCHL) | — |
| 29 | |
Chaz Lucius | Freshman | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2003-05-02 | Grant, Minnesota | USNTDP (USHL) | WPG, 18th overall 2021 |
| 31 |  |
Owen Bartoszkiewicz | Freshman | G | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2003-03-11 | Northville, Michigan | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) | — |
| 33 | |
Brennan Boynton | Freshman | G | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2000-08-01 | Champlin, Minnesota | Fargo (USHL) | — |
| 39 | |
Ben Meyers (C) | Junior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1998-11-15 | Delano, Minnesota | Fargo (USHL) | — |
| 55 | |
Matt Staudacher | Junior | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2000-02-07 | Fenton, Michigan | Muskegon (USHL) | — |
| 77 | |
Rhett Pitlick | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2001-02-07 | Chaska, Minnesota | Tri-City (USHL) | MTL, 131st overall 2019 |
| 89 |  |
Matthew Knies | Freshman | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 2002-10-17 | Phoenix, Arizona | Tri-City (USHL) | TOR, 57th overall 2021 |
Standings
| Conference record | Overall record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | 3/SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | |||
| #5 Minnesota † | 24 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 55 | 90 | 50 | 39 | 26 | 13 | 0 | 141 | 84 | ||
| #2 Michigan * | 24 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 51 | 91 | 59 | 42 | 31 | 10 | 1 | 167 | 94 | ||
| #9 Notre Dame | 24 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 74 | 55 | 40 | 28 | 12 | 0 | 128 | 82 | ||
| #16 Ohio State | 24 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 76 | 59 | 37 | 22 | 13 | 2 | 125 | 87 | ||
| Penn State | 24 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 63 | 92 | 38 | 17 | 20 | 1 | 117 | 122 | ||
| Wisconsin | 24 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 53 | 96 | 37 | 10 | 24 | 3 | 76 | 132 | ||
| Michigan State | 24 | 6 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 51 | 87 | 36 | 12 | 23 | 1 | 76 | 119 | ||
| Championship: March 19, 2022 † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll; updated April 7, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||
Schedule and results
| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | |||||||||||
| October 8 | 7:00 PM | vs. Mercyhurst* | #4 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | BSN+ | LaFontaine | W 7–4 | 6,372 | 1–0–0 | ||
| October 9 | 5:00 PM | vs. Mercyhurst* | #4 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | BSN | LaFontaine | W 5–3 | 6,396 | 2–0–0 | ||
| October 15 | 7:00 PM | vs. #2 St. Cloud State* | #4 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | BSN | LaFontaine | L 1–2 | 8,190 | 2–1–0 | ||
| October 16 | 5:07 PM | at #2 St. Cloud State* | #4 | Herb Brooks National Hockey Center • St. Cloud, MN | LaFontaine | W 4–3 OT | 5,596 | 3–1–0 | |||
| October 22 | 7:00 PM | vs. #5 Minnesota Duluth* | #4 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN (Rivalry) | BSN | LaFontaine | L 3–5 | 9,016 | 3–2–0 | ||
| October 23 | 7:07 PM | at #5 Minnesota Duluth* | #4 | AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, MN (Rivalry) | LaFontaine | L 1–2 | 7,596 | 3–3–0 | |||
| October 29 | 8:00 PM | vs. #14 Notre Dame | #7 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | BTN | LaFontaine | W 4–1 | 6,744 | 4–3–0 (1–0–0) | ||
| October 30 | 5:00 PM | vs. #14 Notre Dame | #7 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | BSN | LaFontaine | W 3–2 | 6,875 | 5–3–0 (2–0–0) | ||
| November 5 | 7:00 PM | at Wisconsin | #5 | Kohl Center • Madison, WI (Rivalry) | BSW+, BSN+ | LaFontaine | L 3–4 OT | 9,813 | 5–4–0 (2–1–0) | ||
| November 6 | 8:00 PM | at Wisconsin | #5 | Kohl Center • Madison, WI (Rivalry) | BSW, BSN+ | LaFontaine | W 4–1 | 12,015 | 6–4–0 (3–1–0) | ||
| November 12 | 6:30 PM | vs. #18 Ohio State | #6 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | BSN | LaFontaine | L 3–4 | 7,511 | 6–5–0 (3–2–0) | ||
| November 13 | 5:00 PM | vs. #18 Ohio State | #6 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | BSN | LaFontaine | W 2–0 | 7,294 | 7–5–0 (4–2–0) | ||
| November 19 | 7:00 PM | vs. Penn State | #7 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | BSN | LaFontaine | L 3–5 | 7,426 | 7–6–0 (4–3–0) | ||
| November 20 | 8:00 PM | vs. Penn State | #7 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | BSN | LaFontaine | W 4–2 | 7,309 | 8–6–0 (5–3–0) | ||
| November 26 | 7:07 PM | at #6 North Dakota* | #11 | Ralph Engelstad Arena • Grand Forks, ND (Rivalry) | Midco | LaFontaine | W 5–1 | 11,624 | 9–6–0 | ||
| November 27 | 6:07 PM | at #6 North Dakota* | #11 | Ralph Engelstad Arena • Grand Forks, ND (Rivalry) | Midco | LaFontaine | L 2–3 | 11,617 | 9–7–0 | ||
| December 3 | 6:30 PM | vs. #3 Michigan | #11 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | BTN | LaFontaine | W 5–1 | 5,800 | 10–7–0 (6–3–0) | ||
| December 4 | 7:00 PM | vs. #3 Michigan | #11 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | BTN | LaFontaine | L 2–6 | 5,613 | 10–8–0 (6–4–0) | ||
| January 3 | 6:00 PM | vs. USNTDP* | #9 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN (Exhibition) | W 5–3 | ||||||
| January 7 | 6:30 PM | at Michigan State | #9 | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, MI | BTN | LaFontaine | W 4–1 | 4,922 | 11–8–0 (7–4–0) | ||
| January 8 | 7:30 PM | at Michigan State | #9 | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, MI | BTN | LaFontaine | W 6–3 | 5,209 | 12–8–0 (8–4–0) | ||
| January 14 | 6:00 PM | vs. Alaska* | #8 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | Close | W 4–1 | 7,624 | 13–8–0 | |||
| January 15 | 6:00 PM | vs. Alaska* | #8 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | Close | L 2–3 | 8,083 | 13–9–0 | |||
| January 21 | 8:00 PM | at #3 Michigan | #11 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | ESPNU | Close | W 2–1 OT | 8,204 | 14–9–0 (9–4–0) | ||
| January 22 | 6:30 PM | at #3 Michigan | #11 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN | Close | L 1–4 | 8,046 | 14–10–0 (9–5–0) | ||
| January 28 | 6:30 PM | at #11 Notre Dame | #10 | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, IN | Peacock | Close | W 5–1 | 4,711 | 15–10–0 (10–5–0) | ||
| January 29 | 5:00 PM | at #11 Notre Dame | #10 | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, IN | Peacock | Close | L 2–3 OT | 4,632 | 15–11–0 (10–6–0) | ||
| February 4 | 7:00 PM | vs. Michigan State | #8 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | BSN | Close | W 4–2 | 7,824 | 16–11–0 (11–6–0) | ||
| February 5 | 5:00 PM | vs. Michigan State | #8 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN | BSN | Close | W 3–1 | 8,305 | 17–11–0 (12–6–0) | ||
| February 11 | 5:30 PM | at #8 Ohio State | #7 | Value City Arena • Columbus, OH | BTN | Close | W 3–2 | 6,008 | 18–11–0 (13–6–0) | ||
| February 12 | 5:00 PM | at #8 Ohio State | #7 | Value City Arena • Columbus, OH | BTN | Close | W 5–1 | 6,208 | 19–11–0 (14–6–0) | ||
| February 18 | 5:30 PM | at Penn State | #5 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, PA | BTN | Close | W 3–1 | 6,043 | 20–11–0 (15–6–0) | ||
| February 19 | 5:00 PM | at Penn State | #5 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, PA | BTN | Close | W 6–4 | 6,216 | 21–11–0 (16–6–0) | ||
| February 25 | 8:00 PM | vs. Wisconsin | #4 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN (Rivalry) | ESPNU | Close | W 5–0 | 9,350 | 22–11–0 (17–6–0) | ||
| February 26 | 8:00 PM | vs. Wisconsin | #4 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN (Rivalry) | BTN | Close | W 8–0 | 10,069 | 23–11–0 (18–6–0) | ||
| Big Ten Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 12 | 9:00 PM | vs. Penn State* | #2 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN (Semifinal) | BTN | Close | W 3–2 | 6,856 | 24–11–0 | ||
| March 19 | 8:00 PM | vs. #4 Michigan* | #2 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MN (Championship) | BTN | Close | L 3–4 | 10,774 | 24–12–0 | ||
| NCAA Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 25 | 5:00 PM | vs. #10 Massachusetts* | #5 | DCU Center • Worcester, Massachusetts (Northeast Regional Semifinal) | ESPNU | Close | W 4–3 OT | 6,002 | 25–12–0 | ||
| March 25 | 3:00 PM | vs. #4 Western Michigan* | #5 | DCU Center • Worcester, Massachusetts (Northeast Regional Final) | ESPN2 | Close | W 3–0 | 2,848 | 26–12–0 | ||
| April 7 | 8:30 PM | vs. #1 Minnesota State* | #5 | TD Garden • Boston, Massachusetts (National Semifinal) | ESPNU | Close | L 1–5 | 17,850 | 26–13–0 | ||
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Central Time. Source: [3] | |||||||||||
Rankings
| Poll[4] | Week | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 (Final) | |
| USCHO.com | 4 (2) | 4 (1) | 4 (1) | 4 | 7 | 5 (1) | 6 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 10 (1) | 11 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 2 (1) | 2 (1) | 2 (1) | 5 | - | |
| USA Today | 4 (7) | 4 (3) | 4 | 4 | 7 | 5 (1) | 8 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 11 (1) | 11 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 (2) | 2 | 3 | 6 | 4 | |
Note: USCHO did not release a poll in week 24.[5]
References
- "Minnesota goalie, 2021 Richter Award winner LaFontaine leaves Gophers, signs NHL deal with Carolina". USCHO.com. January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- "2020–21 Men's Ice Hockey Roster". University of Minnesota Athletics. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
- "Minnesota 2021-22 Team Schedule". College Hockey Inc. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
External links
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