Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey

Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey
Current season
University	University of Minnesota
Conference	Big Ten
First season	1921–22
Head coach	Bob Motzko 7th season, 136–71–17 (.645)
Assistant coaches	Steve Miller Ben Gordon Brennan Poderzay
Arena	Mariucci Arena Minneapolis, Minnesota
Student section	The Ice Box
Colors	Maroon and gold [1]
Fight song	Minnesota Rouser
Mascot	Goldy Gopher
NCAA Tournament championships
1974, 1976, 1979, 2002, 2003
NCAA Tournament Runner-up
1953, 1954, 1971, 1975, 1981, 1989, 2014, 2023
NCAA Tournament Frozen Four
1953, 1954, 1961, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2022, 2023
NCAA Tournament appearances
41 total appearances; last 2024
Conference Tournament championships
1961, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2015, 2021
Conference regular season championships
1953, 1954, 1970, 1975, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1997, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023
Current uniform

The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Big Ten Conference and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I ice hockey. The Golden Gophers are one of the most prominent and storied programs in college hockey, having made 41 NCAA Tournament appearances and 23 trips to the Frozen Four. They have won five NCAA national championships, in 1974, 1976, 1979, 2002 and 2003. ^[2] The team also shared the 1929 National Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship with Yale, ^[3] and captured the national Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championship for amateur hockey in 1940. ^{[4] [5]}

The Gophers are currently coached by Bob Motzko, who joined the team in 2018, having previously served as assistant coach on the 2002 and 2003 national championship teams. ^[6] They have played at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis since 1993. The team's main historical rivalries are with the University of Wisconsin and the University of North Dakota, although several other schools claim Minnesota as their archrival.

For much of the team's history, there has been a strong emphasis on recruiting native Minnesotan high school and junior hockey players, as opposed to out-of-state, Canadian, or European players. This helped high school ice hockey grow in Minnesota, particularly starting with Hall of Famer John Mariucci, who refused to recruit players from Canada. Minnesota high school ice hockey programs grew from 26 in 1945 ^[7] to over 150 in 1980. ^[8] Hall of Famer and hockey legend Herb Brooks, who coached the Golden Gophers to three national championships in the 1970s, famously drew on Minnesota talent for his 1980 Miracle on Ice gold medal Olympic team, which included 9 of his former Golden Gophers players. Head coach Doug Woog championed home-grown talent even more, only recruiting Minnesota players in the late 1980s and 1990s. While current rosters occasionally feature players from outside the state, the team continues to heavily recruit Minnesota hockey players to the present day. ^[9]

History

Early history 1895–1952

According to records, the first intercollegiate hockey team at the University of Minnesota was organized in 1895 by Dr. H. A. Parkyn, ^[10] a Toronto native who also played on the school's football team. ^[11] An early Minnesota team played the Winnipeg Seven at the now demolished Athletic Park in downtown Minneapolis. They lost 11–3. ^[10]

In 1900 George Northrup, Paul Joslyn, and A.R. Gibbons headed a committee to create an official varsity hockey club at the U. Although there was some effort to get Northrop Field flooded, it was ultimately decided to play on Como Lake in St. Paul. Although the 1903 season saw the first scheduled organized competitions for Minnesota hockey, ultimately this season would be the last organized hockey season for almost two decades. In 1910 efforts were made to revive competition and outreach to the University of Chicago and University of Wisconsin, other members of the Big Ten Conference, but these plans never materialized.

In January 1914 the Minnesota Board of Regents voted to fund a hockey team. However the University Athletic Board did not officially recognize this team as a varsity team. At this time, a number of fraternity squads existed and other intramural ice hockey competitions were taking place. Professor OS Zelner worked to organize some of this competition. There was also some interest in women's hockey competition. ^[10]

In 1920–1921, a hockey team again skated representing the University of Minnesota. W. Beaupre Eldredge of St. Paul, a student and club player at the time, was very instrumental in organizing the team, promoting the team to the University Board of Regents to become an official varsity sport. For 1921–1922 season the University Athletic Board of Control decided to finally give ice hockey varsity status on January 9, 1922, answering a petition organized by Merle "Frenchy" DeForest, the president of a new booster organization for the sport, which itself grew out of enthusiasm for hockey among the interfraternal league. During this season, the team finished with a 7–3 record, led by head coach I.D. MacDonald and captain Chester “Chet” Bros. Other members of the 1921–22 team include center Paul Swanson and wingman Frank R. Pond, who were named captains for the following seasons, Swanson in 1922–23 and Pond in 1923–24. DeForest, Swanson and Pond were all members of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, while Bros was a member of Delta Tau Delta. ^[12]

For the 1923–1924 season Danish Canadian Emil Iverson assumed the role as head coach. During Iverson's first season as coach the team attained a record of 13–1–0. The team played their games at Minneapolis Arena starting in 1924–1925 season. Such players as Chuck McCabe, Joel Brown, John H. Peterson were accorded All-American honors during this era. Iverson's coaching tenure culminated in Minnesota sharing the National Intercollegiate Athletic Association hockey championship with Yale. Following the 1929–1930 season Emil Iverson accepted a position as coach of the Chicago Blackhawks

Frank Pond, former team captain, became coach in 1930 after the departure of Emil Iverson. The team's Rookie of the Year award is named in his honor.

Doc Romnes era (1947–52)

During Romnes's second year, the NCAA sponsored the first Division I Men's hockey tournament. Minnesota did not qualify for the four team playoff during his coaching tenure.

John Mariucci era (1952–66)

In the 1952 season, John Mariucci led the Gophers to the National Championship game, with a 23–6 record, after going 13–13 the year before.

Mariucci was a driving force behind the philosophy of stacking the team with Minnesota talent. Even while other programs brought in older and bigger Canadian prospects, Mariucci thoroughly believed in growing the game in Minnesota, from the ground up. He held coaching clinics, and opened ice rinks in numerous Minnesota towns. This, combined with a sense of pride that the Gophers' roster was stacked with Minnesota talent, was monumental for Minnesota taking a real step forward in producing hockey talent. ^[13]

George Nagobads was hired as the team's physician in 1958, and remained with the team until 1992. ^[14]

Glen Sonmor era (1966–71)

After coaching one season at Ohio State, Glen Sonmor became the head coach of the Gophers in 1966. Sonmor's Gophers started off slowly, finishing 8th, 5th, and 5th in the WCHA during Sonmor's first 3 seasons behind the bench. Things turned around for the Gophers in the 1969–70 season, as Sonmor led the team to its first WCHA Championship in 16 seasons, finishing with a 21–12–0 record. In the process, Sonmor was named the WCHA Coach of the Year.

The following season, the Gophers ended a 10-year NCAA Tournament drought, along with capturing a WCHA Tournament Championship. Sonmor led the Gophers to the NCAA Championship game, beating Harvard 6–5 in the first round. The Gophers lost to Boston University in the Championship game, by a score of 4–2.

During Sonmor's rather short tenure as Minnesota's head coach, the team saw attendance rise 60 percent. Sonmor finished his career with a 78–80–6 record, and coached 3 All Americans: Gary Gambucci (1968), Murray McLachlan (1970), and Wally Olds (1970). Sonmor left the Gophers after the 1971 season, to coach the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association. Sonmor returned later to be the radio analyst for the Gophers on WCCO-AM.

Brad Buetow era (1979–85)

Brad Buetow was head coach from 1979 to 1985. ^[15] At the start of the 1984–85 season, he hired Thomas "Chico" Adrahtas as an assistant coach. ^[15] The team won 31 games, came in second in the WCHA, and made the NCAA tournament. ^[15] Adrahtas has been accused by a number of former players of coercing them into oral sex. ^[15] The United States Center for SafeSport investigated, and issued its decision declaring that Adrahtas was permanently ineligible "from participating, in any capacity, in any event, program, activity, or competition authorized by, organized by, or under the auspices of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), the National Governing Bodies recognized by the USOPC, a Local Affiliated Organization as defined by the Code, or any High Performance Management Organization (HPMO), or at a facility under the jurisdiction of the same." ^[16]

Championships

National Championships

Year	Champion	Score	Runner-up	City	Arena
1974	Minnesota	4–3	Michigan Tech	Boston, MA	Boston Garden
1976	Minnesota	6–4	Michigan Tech	Denver, CO	University of Denver Arena
1979	Minnesota	4–3	North Dakota	Detroit, MI	Olympia Stadium
2002	Minnesota	4–3 (OT)	Maine	St. Paul, MN	Xcel Energy Center
2003	Minnesota	5–1	New Hampshire	Buffalo, NY	HSBC Arena

Runners-up in 1953, 1954, 1971, 1975, 1981, 1989, 2014, and 2023.

Trophies

Big Ten Regular Season Championship Trophy:

• 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2021–22, 2022–23

Big Ten Tournament Championship Trophy:

• 2015, 2021

MacNaughton Cup 13 times as WCHA regular season champions:

• 1952–53, 1953–54, 1969–70, 1974–75, 1980–81, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1991–92, 1996–97, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2011–12, 2012–13

Broadmoor Trophy once as WCHA regular season champions (1983) and six times as the WCHA Tournament champions:

• 1983, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2007

North Star College Cup, the annual intrastate tournament vs. Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State, St. Cloud State, and Bemidji State:

• 2014

Mariucci Classic Champions 14 times:

• 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2016

Ice Breaker Invitational Champions three times:

• 2007, 2013, 2014

Mariucci-Bessone Coaches Trophy for series vs. Michigan State, started in 1993 (Minnesota leads series 13–5–5):

• 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16

Mariucci-Renfrew Coaches Trophy for series vs. Michigan, started in 1993 (Minnesota leads series: 10–9–2):

• 1994, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2013-14

From 1959 to 1981, an annual Big Ten champion was crowned for the best record in regular season games among active Big Ten members, 10 times:

• 1959–60, 1962–63, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81

Season-by-season results

Main article: List of Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey seasons

Source: ^[17]

Records by opponent

Big Ten Conference opponents

Opponent	GP	W-L-T	Win %	First meeting	Last meeting
Michigan	296	154-134–18	0.536	2–0 W January 22, 1923	4-3 W November 10, 2023
Michigan State	191	125–50–16	0.696	2–0 W February 19, 1926	3-1 W February 5, 2022
Notre Dame	66	36–25–5	0.583	2–0 W February 9, 1925	2-3 L (OT) February 13, 2022
Ohio State	48	35–8–5	0.781	10–1 W December 26, 1968	5–1 W February 12, 2022
Penn State	33	17–15–1	0.530	3–2 W January 13, 2014	6–4 W February 19, 2022
Wisconsin	300	177–99–24	0.630	3–0 W January 20, 1922	8-0 W February 26, 2022

Former WCHA opponents

Opponent	GP	W-L-T	Win %	First meeting	Last meeting
Alaska-Anchorage WCHA	85	58–19–8	0.729	5–1 W December 21, 1986	6–0 W October 7, 2016
Bemidji State WCHA	23	20–2–1	0.891	9–3 W October 14, 2000	5–2 W December 28, 2019
Colorado College NCHC	258	163–87–8	0.647	8–3 W February 28, 1947	4–3 W October 12, 2019
Denver NCHC	179	94–73–12	0.560	10–4 W January 1, 1951	5–1 W March 2, 2013
Michigan Tech WCHA	267	174–78–15	0.680	3–3 T February 13, 1922	3–2 W October 20, 2012
Minnesota-Duluth NCHC	236	135–83–18	0.617	14–2 W December 13, 1952	1-2 L October 23, 2021
Minnesota State WCHA	57	37–16–6	0.677	6–2 W January 2, 1998	0–4 L March 28, 2021
Nebraska-Omaha NCHC	7	4–3–0	0.600	7–3 W October 11, 2003	7-2 W March 27, 2021
North Dakota NCHC	298	148–134–16	0.524	6–1 W February 4, 1930	2–3 L November 27, 2021
Northern Michigan WCHA	54	29–18–7	0.602	3–4 L March 22, 1980	2–4 L January 3, 2010
St. Cloud State NCHC	103	57–34–12	0.612	6–0 W October 3, 1987	4–3 W October 16, 2021

Major non-conference opponents

Opponent	GP	W-L-T	Win %	First meeting	Last meeting
Arizona State Independent	6	7–1–0	0.875	5-1 W March 1, 2019	5–6 L November 26, 2022
Boston College Hockey East	33	18–12–3	0.591	14–1 W March 11, 1954	6–2 W November 28, 2014
Boston University Hockey East	27	13–12–2	0.520	4–2 W December 20, 1963	6–2 W April 6, 2023
Harvard ECAC	34	24–7–0	0.774	6–7 L January 14, 1932	2-1 W (OT) November 18, 2017
Maine Hockey East	23	10–13–0	0.435	4–2 W October 26, 1984	1–3 L October 6, 2006
New Hampshire Hockey East	18	14–2–2	0.833	4–3 W March 22, 1979	3–2 W October 12, 2013
Providence Hockey East	18	13–4–1	0.750	5–4 W December 27, 1962	6–1 W December 29, 2001
Yale ECAC	20	13–7–0	0.650	0–2 L December 21, 1934	2–3 L March 29, 2013

Source: ^[18]

Rivalries

See also: Minnesota–Wisconsin ice hockey rivalry and Minnesota–North Dakota men's ice hockey rivalry

The Gophers have historic rivalries with some of the top men's ice hockey programs in the NCAA, including both in-state as well as out of state rivalries.

Out of state rivalries include the University of Wisconsin Badgers and the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks. The Gophers' rivalry against the Badgers is part of the annual "Border Battle," in which both universities keep a tallied score of all athletic competitions against one another.

The Gophers were engaged in one of the most notorious rivalries in college hockey history with the Boston University Terriers for over 30 years from 1963 to 1995. The rivalry came to its peak during the 1976 NCAA Championship Semi-Final when a bench-clearing brawl occurred only 70 seconds into the game, delaying it for nearly 30 minutes. The Gophers would go on to win the game 4–2 and subsequently, the Championship. A number of players on both teams would end up playing together for the gold medal-winning Miracle on Ice Team USA during the 1980 Winter Olympics, coached by Minnesota Head Coach Herb Brooks. The rivalry began its decline in 1984, when the Gophers would become members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and the Terriers the Hockey East Division, resulting in a steep decline in games against one another. ^[19]

Due to the fact the State of Minnesota has six NCAA Division I hockey programs, the Gophers naturally share a rivalry with four of them: University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, St. Cloud State University Huskies, Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks and Bemidji State University Beavers. Four of the six programs (excluding Bemidji State and St. Thomas) participated in the inaugural North Star College Cup tournament during the 2013–2014 Ice Hockey Season. ^[20]

Players

Current roster

As of September 12, 2024. ^[21]

No.	S/P/C	Player	Class	Pos	Height	Weight	DoB	Hometown	Previous team	NHL rights
2		Sam Rinzel	Sophomore	D	6' 4" (1.93 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	2004-06-25	Chanhassen, Minnesota	Waterloo  ( USHL )	CHI , 25th overall  2022
3		John Whipple	Freshman	D	6' 2" (1.88 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	2006-01-20	Minnetonka, Minnesota	NTDP  ( USHL )	DET , 144th overall  2024
4		Mike Koster ( C )	Graduate	D	5' 10" (1.78 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	2001-04-13	Chaska, Minnesota	Tri-City  ( USHL )	TOR , 146th overall  2019
7		Aaron Huglen ( A )	Senior	F	6' 0" (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	2001-03-06	Roseau, Minnesota	Fargo  ( USHL )	BUF , 102nd overall  2019
9		August Falloon	Freshman	F	6' 2" (1.88 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	2004-02-23	St. Cloud, Minnesota	Tri-City  ( USHL )	—
10		Connor Kurth	Junior	F	6' 0" (1.83 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	2003-07-30	Lindstrom, Minnesota	Dubuque  ( USHL )	TBL , 190th overall  2022
11		Oliver Moore	Sophomore	F	5' 11" (1.8 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	2005-01-22	Mounds View, Minnesota	NTDP  ( USHL )	CHI , 19th overall  2023
14		Beckett Hendrickson	Freshman	F	6' 2" (1.88 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	2005-06-24	Minnetonka, Minnesota	Dubuque  ( USHL )	BOS , 124th overall  2023
15		Max Rud	Sophomore	D	6' 3" (1.91 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	2003-09-17	St. Cloud, Minnesota	Sioux Falls  ( USHL )	—
17		Brody Lamb	Junior	F	6' 1" (1.85 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	2003-08-30	Byron, Minnesota	Green Bay  ( USHL )	NYR , 104th overall  2021
18		Mason Nevers ( C )	Graduate	F	5' 11" (1.8 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	2001-04-03	Edina, Minnesota	Des Moines  ( USHL )	—
19		John Mittelstadt	Junior	F	5' 9" (1.75 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	2001-10-27	Eden Prairie, Minnesota	Green Bay  ( USHL )	—
20		Luke Mittelstadt	Junior	D	5' 11" (1.8 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	2003-01-22	Eden Prairie, Minnesota	Madison  ( USHL )	MTL , 197th overall  2023
22		Cal Thomas ( A )	Junior	D	6' 1" (1.85 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	2003-05-08	Maple Grove, Minnesota	Chicago  ( USHL )	UTA , 171st overall  2021
23		Jimmy Clark	Sophomore	F	6' 0" (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	2004-09-24	Edina, Minnesota	Green Bay  ( USHL )	MIN , 213th overall  2023
27		Nick Michel	Graduate	F	5' 11" (1.8 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	1999-03-16	Waconia, Minnesota	Saint John's  (MIAC)	—
29		Nathan Airey	Sophomore	G	6' 3" (1.91 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	2003-04-24	Cochrane, Alberta	Cranbrook  ( BCHL )	—
30		Zach Wiese	Junior	G	5' 10" (1.78 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	2002-01-02	Owatonna, Minnesota	Rochester  ( NA3HL )	—
31		Liam Soulière	Graduate	G	5' 11" (1.8 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	1999-03-16	Montreal, Quebec	Penn State  ( Big Ten )	—
33		Axel Begley	Sophomore	D	6' 2" (1.88 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	2003-12-16	Mahtomedi, Minnesota	Wisconsin  ( NAHL )	—
35		Matt Bryant	Junior	G	6' 1" (1.85 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	2003-04-15	La Crosse, Wisconsin	Cleveland Barons ( Midget AAA )	—
55		Leo Gruba	Freshman	D	6' 2" (1.88 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	2003-12-14	Lake Elmo, Minnesota	Fargo  ( USHL )	—
71		Ryan Chesley  ( C )	Junior	D	6' 1" (1.85 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	2004-02-27	Mahtomedi, Minnesota	NTDP  ( USHL )	WSH , 37th overall  2022
72		Erik Påhlsson	Freshman	F	6' 1" (1.85 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	2004-04-09	Landskrona, Sweden	Dubuque  ( USHL )	NSH , 213th overall  2024
74		Brodie Ziemer	Freshman	F	5' 11" (1.8 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	2006-02-22	Chaska, Minnesota	NTDP  ( USHL )	BUF , 71st overall  2024
81		Jimmy Snuggerud  ( C )	Junior	F	6' 1" (1.85 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	2004-06-01	Chaska, Minnesota	NTDP  ( USHL )	STL , 23rd overall  2022
91		Matthew Wood	Sophomore	F	6' 4" (1.93 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	2005-02-06	Nanaimo, British Columbia	UConn  ( HEA )	NSH , 15th overall  2023

Olympians

This is a list of Minnesota alumni were a part of an Olympic team.

Name	Position	Minnesota Tenure	Team	Year	Finish
Philip LaBatte	Defenseman	1931–1934	USA	1936	Bronze
Allan Opsahl	Defenseman	1943–1947	USA	1948	DQ†
Allen Van	Defenseman	1944–1945	USA	1952	Silver
Rube Bjorkman	Forward	1948–1951	USA	1952	Silver
Jim Sedin	Defenseman	1948–1951	USA	1952	Silver
Ken Yackel	Right Wing	1951–1956	USA	1952	Silver
Wendell R. Anderson	Defenseman	1951–1954	USA	1956	Silver
Gene Campbell	Center	1951–1954	USA	1956	Silver
Richard Dougherty	Forward	1951–1954	USA	1956	Silver
John Petroske	Defenseman	1953–1957	USA	1956	Silver
Richard Meredith	Forward	1951–1954	USA	1956, 1960	Silver,  Gold
John Mayasich	Center/Defenseman	1951–1955	USA	1956, 1960	Silver,  Gold
Jack McCartan	Goaltender	1955–1958	USA	1960	Gold
Bill Christian	Forward	1956–1957	USA	1960, 1964	Gold, 5th
Wayne Meredith	Defenseman	1958–1962	USA	1964	5th
David Brooks	Center	1960–1963	USA	1964	5th
Jake McCoy	Defenseman	1961–1963	USA	1964	5th
Gary Schmalzbauer	Left Wing	1960–1963	USA	1964	5th
Jim Westby	Defenseman	1957–1958, 1961–1963	USA	1964	5th
Herb Brooks	Forward/Defenseman	1956–1959	USA	1964, 1968	5th, 6th
Len Lilyholm	Center	1956–1959	USA	1968	6th
Lou Nanne	Defenseman	1960–1963	USA	1968	6th
Larry Stordahl	Forward	1961–1965	USA	1968	6th
Craig Falkman	Right Wing	1962–1965	USA	1968	6th
Jack Dale	Center	1964–1967	USA	1968	6th
Bruce McIntosh	Defenseman	1968–1971	USA	1972	Silver
Wally Olds	Defenseman	1968–1971	USA	1972	Silver
Frank Sanders	Defenseman	1968–1971	USA	1972	Silver
Craig Sarner	Center/Left Wing	1968–1971	USA	1972	Silver
Rob Harris	Forward	1971–1975	USA	1976	5th
Buzz Schneider	Center/Left Wing	1972–1975	USA	1976, 1980	5th,  Gold
Bill Baker	Defenseman	1975–1979	USA	1980	Gold
Steve Janaszak	Goaltender	1975–1979	USA	1980	Gold
Steve Christoff	Center	1976–1979	USA	1980	Gold
Rob McClanahan	Left Wing	1976–1979	USA	1980	Gold
Eric Strobel	Right Wing	1976–1979	USA	1980	Gold
Mike Ramsey	Defenseman	1978–1979	USA	1980	Gold
Neal Broten	Center	1978–1979, 1980–1981	USA	1980	Gold
Phil Verchota	Left Wing	1975–1979	USA	1980, 1984	Gold, 7th
Scott Bjugstad	Right Wing	1979–1983	USA	1984	7th
Steve Griffith	Left Wing	1979–1983	USA	1984	7th
Dave Jensen	Defenseman	1979–1983	USA	1984	7th
Tom Hirsch	Defenseman	1981–1983	USA	1984	7th
Corey Millen	Center	1982–1983, 1984–1987	USA	1984, 1988	7th, 7th
Todd Okerlund	Right Wing	1983–1987	USA	1988	7th
Dave Snuggerud	Right Wing	1985–1987, 1988–1989	USA	1988	7th
Craig Johnson	Left Wing	1990–1993	USA	1994	8th
Travis Richards	Defenseman	1989–1993	USA	1994	8th
Darby Hendrickson	Center	1991–1993	USA	1994	8th
Erik Johnson	Defenseman	2006–2007	USA	2010	Silver
Phil Kessel	Center/Right Wing	2005–2006	USA	2010, 2014	Silver, 4th
Paul Martin	Defenseman	2000–2003	USA	2014	4th
Thomas Vanek	Left Wing	2002–2004	Austria	2014	10th
Blake Wheeler	Center/Right Wing	2005–2008	USA	2014	4th
Ryan Stoa	Center/Left Wing	2005–2009	USA	2018	7th
Aaron Ness	Defenseman	2008–2011	USA	2022	5th
Ben Meyers	Left Wing	2019–2022	USA	2022	5th
Brock Faber	Defenseman	2020–2023	USA	2022	5th
Matthew Knies	Left Wing	2021–2023	USA	2022	5th

† Were members of the AHA team that was allowed to play in the Olympics but disqualified from medal contention. ^[22]

Honored members

See also: Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey notable players and award winners

Retired Numbers

The Gophers have retired only one number. On November 15, 1998, the team retired John Mayasich's number 8. Mayasich, a two-time All-American, played four seasons with the Gophers (1951–1955) and holds team records for goals and points scored both in a game and for a career. Although he was a member of the silver medal 1956 and gold medal 1960 Winter Olympic U.S. hockey teams, he only played professionally briefly, in minor league hockey. ^[23]

Hobey Baker Award

Four players from the University of Minnesota have won the Hobey Baker Award, awarded annually to "the outstanding collegiate hockey player in the United States." Neal Broten (1978–1981) became the award's first recipient in 1981. Robb Stauber (1986–1989) won the award as a sophomore in 1988, becoming the first goaltender to be so honored. Brian Bonin (1992–1996) won the award in 1996 after nearly winning it the previous season. In 2002, Jordan Leopold (1998–2002) became the first University of Minnesota player to win both the Hobey Baker Award and an NCAA Championship in the same season.

Golden Gophers players drafted in the first round of the NHL entry draft

Erik Johnson, Phil Kessel, Thomas Vanek, Blake Wheeler, Kyle Okposo, Erik Rasmussen, Douglas Zmolek, Keith Ballard, Michael Ramsey, Tom Chorske, Nick Leddy, Nick Bjugstad, David Fischer, Jordan Schroeder, Kris Chucko, Patrick White, Brady Skjei, James O'Brien, Jeff Taffe, Ryan Johnson, Chaz Lucius, Logan Cooley, Jimmy Snuggerud, Sam Rinzel, Oliver Moore.

Statistical Leaders

Source: ^[17]

Career points leaders

Player	Years	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
John Mayasich	1951–1955	111	144	154	298
Pat Micheletti	1982–1986	162	120	149	269
Corey Millen	1982–1987	149	119	122	241
Bryan Erickson	1979–1983	144	109	129	238
Larry Olimb	1988–1992	182	59	159	218
Brian Bonin	1992–1996	166	100	116	216
Steve Ulseth	1977–1981	148	84	118	202
Tim Harrer	1976–1980	157	117	84	201
John Pohl	1998–2002	165	71	129	200
Richard Dougherty	1951–1954	81	109	78	187

Career goaltending leaders

GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

Minimum 40 games

Player	Years	GP	Min	W	L	T	GA	SO	SV%	GAA
Adam Wilcox	2012–2015	115	6864	73	26	14	239	13	.922	2.09
Justen Close	2019–2024	100	5625	62	25	6	204	13	.924	2.18
Jack LaFontaine	2019–2022	74	4258	43	24	6	162	6	.920	2.28
Kent Patterson	2008–2012	88	4918	44	29	9	202	7	.912	2.45
Kellen Briggs	2003–2007	131	7445	84	34	8	303	13	.907	2.45

Statistics current through the end of the 2023–24 season.

Coaches

In their eighty-five season history, the Gophers have had a total of fourteen head coaches, including three interim coaches. John Mariucci took a one-year leave of absence during the 1955–1956 season to serve as head coach of the U.S. men's hockey team that won the silver medal at the 1956 Winter Olympics. ^[24] Halfway through the 1971–1972 season, Glen Sonmor left the Gophers to become the general manager and head coach for the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association. ^[25] Doug Woog was suspended for two games during the 1996–1997 season for concealing an illegal payment to a former player after his scholarship ended. ^[26] During this time, assistant head coach Mike Guentzel served as the team's head coach. ^[27] In 2009, Assistant Coach John Hill coached 2 games while Don Lucia was out for medical reasons.

All-time coaching records

As of the end of the 2023–24 season ^[17]

Tenure	Coach	Years	Record	Pct.
1921–1922	I. D. MacDonald	1	6–3–1	.650
1922–1930	Emil Iverson	8	82–22–11	.761
1930–1935	Frank Pond *	5	49–24–4	.662
1935–1947	Larry Armstrong	12	125–54–10	.688
1947–1952	Doc Romnes	5	53–59–0	.473
1952–1955, 1956–1966	John Mariucci *	13	197–140–18	.580
1955–1956	Marsh Ryman * (interim)	1	16–12–1	.569
1966–1971	Glen Sonmor	5.5	77–80–5	.491
1971–1972	Ken Yackel * (interim)	0.5	7–17–0	.292
1972–1979	Herb Brooks *	7	167–97–18	.624
1979–1985	Brad Buetow *	6	171–75–8	.689
1985–1999	Doug Woog *	14	388–187–40	.662
1996	Mike Guentzel * (interim)	—	2–1–0	.667
1999–2018	Don Lucia	19	457–248–73	.634
2018–Present	Bob Motzko	6	136–71–17	.645
Totals	15 coaches	103 seasons	1932–1089–206	.631

* former Gophers player

Source: ^[18]

Arenas

• Minnesota State Fairgrounds Hippodrome (1923–1934)
• Minneapolis Arena (1925–1950) (primary arena)
• St. Paul Auditorium (1932–1950) (occasionally)
• Williams Arena/Old Mariucci Arena (1950–1993)
• Mariucci Arena (1993–present) ^[28]

Program records

Career

• Most goals in a career: John Mayasich, 144 (1951–55)
• Most assists in a career: Larry Olimb, 159 (1988–92)
• Most points in a career: John Mayasich, 298 (1951–55)
• Most penalty minutes in a career: Matt DeMarchi, 473 (1999–2003)
• Most points in a career, defenseman: Todd Richards, 158 (1985–89)
• Most wins in a career, Kellen Briggs, 84 (2003–07)
• Most shutouts in a career, Kellen Briggs, 13 (2003–07); Adam Wilcox, 13 (2012–15)

Season

Players Most goals in a season: Tim Harrer, 53 (1979–80) Most assists in a season: Aaron Broten, 59 (1980–81) Most points in a season: Aaron Broten, 106 (1980–81) Most penalty minutes in a season: Pat Micheletti, 154 (1984–85) Most points in a season, defenseman: Mike Crowley, 63 (1995–96) Most points in a season, rookie: Aaron Broten, 72 (1979–80) Most shutouts in a season: Kent Patterson, 7 (2011–12) Most power play goals in a season (since 1975): Tim Harrer, 27 (1979–80)

Team (since 1950) Most wins in a season: 35 (1985–86) Most WCHA wins in a season: 28 (1987–88) Most overtime games in a season: 16 (2007–08) Longest overall unbeaten streak: 22 (10/13/2006–1/12/2007)

Game

Player Most goals in a game: John Mayasich, 6 (vs Winnipeg, 12/10/1954) Most assists in a game: 11 players, 5 (last time: Gino Guyer vs Mercyhurst, 3/27/2003) Most points in a game: John Mayasich, 8 (at Michigan, 1/14/1955) Most penalty minutes in a game: Mike Crupi, 27 (at Michigan, 1/13/1967)

Team Most goals in a game: 16 (vs Brown, 12/21/1979 & vs Maine, 1/4/1986) Most goals in a period: 8 (at Michigan, 1/5/1979 & at CC, 3/1/1947) Most assists in a period: 14 (vs Maine, 1/4/1986) Most penalty minutes in a game: 109 (at UMD, 3/14/1998) Most penalty minutes in a period: 81 (at UMD, 3/14/1998)

Golden Gophers in the NHL

As of July 1, 2024.

= NHL All-Star team

= NHL All-Star [29]

= NHL All-Star [29] and NHL All-Star team

= Hall of Famers

Player Position Team(s) Years Games Stanley Cups Mark Alt Defenseman PHI, COL, LAK 2014–2021 20 0 Russ Anderson Defenseman PIT, HFD, LAK 1976–1985 519 0 Mike Antonovich Center MNS, HFD, NJD 1975–1984 87 0 Les Auge Defenseman COR 1980–1981 6 0 Bill Baker Defenseman MTL, COR, STL, NYR 1980–1983 143 0 Keith Ballard Defenseman PHO, FLA, VAN, MIN 2005–2015 604 0 Tim Bergland Right Wing WSH, TBL 1989–1994 182 0 Bob Bergloff Defenseman MNS 1982–1983 2 0 Stu Bickel Defenseman NYR, MIN 2011–2015 76 0 Jake Bischoff Defenseman VGK 2019–2020 4 0 Nick Bjugstad Center FLA, PIT, MIN, ARI, EDM 2012–Present 694 0 Scott Bjugstad Forward MNS, PIT, LAK 1983–1992 317 0 John Blue Goaltender BOS, BUF 1992–1996 46 0 Brian Bonin Center PIT, MIN 1998–2001 12 0 Jim Boo Defenseman MNS 1977–1978 6 0 Travis Boyd Center WSH, TOR, VAN, ARI 2017–Present 0 Aaron Broten Forward COR, NJD, MNS, QUE, TOR, WPG 1980–1992 748 0 Neal Broten Center MNS, DAL, NJD , LAK 1980–1997 1,099 1 Paul Broten Right Wing NYR, DAL, STL 1989–1996 322 0 Bill Butters Defenseman MNS 1977–1979 72 0 Tom Chorske Left Wing MTL, NJD , OTT, NYI, WSH, CGY, PIT 1989–2000 596 1 Steve Christoff Center MNS, CGY, LAK 1979–1984 248 0 Kris Chucko Right Wing CGY 2008–2009 2 0 Ben Clymer Defenseman TBL, WSH 1999–2007 438 0 Logan Cooley Center ARI 2023–Present 82 0 Mike Crowley Defenseman ANA 1997–2001 67 0 Joe Dziedzic Left Wing PIT, PHO 1995–1999 130 0 Bryan Erickson Center WSH, LAK, PIT, WPG 1975–1984 351 0 Brock Faber Defenseman MIN 2022–Present 84 0 Cade Fairchild Defenseman STL 2011–2012 5 0 Hudson Fasching Right Wing BUF, ARI, NYI 2015–Present 132 0 Jeff Frazee Goaltender NJD 2012–2013 1 0 Gary Gambucci Center MNS 1971–1974 51 0 Ken Gernander Right Wing NYR 1995–2004 12 0 Alex Goligoski Defenseman PIT , DAL, ARI, MIN 2007–Present 1,078 1 Tom Gorence Right Wing PHI, EDM 1978–1984 303 0 Ben Hankinson Right Wing NJD, TBL 1992–1995 43 0 Casey Hankinson Right Wing CHI, ANA 2000–2004 18 0 Tim Harrer Right Wing CGY 1982–1983 3 0 Erik Haula Left Wing MIN, VGK, CAR, FLA, NSH, BOS, NJD 2013–Present 690 0 Adam Hauser Goaltender LAK 2005–2006 1 0 Peter Hayek Defenseman MNS 1981–1982 1 0 Seth Helgeson Defenseman NJD 2014–2017 50 0 Darby Hendrickson Center TOR, NYI, VAN, MIN, COL 1993–2004 518 0 Tom Hirsch Defenseman MNS 1983–1988 31 0 Justin Holl Defenseman TOR, DET 2017–Present 323 0 Paul Holmgren Forward PHI, MNS 1975–1985 527 0 Danny Irmen Right Wing MIN 2009–2010 2 0 Steve Janaszak Goaltender MNS, COR 1979–1982 3 0 David Jensen Defenseman MNS 1983–1986 18 0 Bob Johnson Center 1† Craig Johnson Left Wing STL, LAK, ANA, TOR, WSH 1994–2004 557 0 Erik Johnson Defenseman STL, COL , BUF, PHI 2007–Present 987 1 Ryan Johnson Defenseman BUF 2023–Present 41 0 Phil Kessel Left Wing BOS, TOR, PIT , ARI, VGK 2006–2023 1,286 3 Trent Klatt Right Wing MNS, DAL, PHI, VAN, LAK 1991–2004 782 0 Justin Kloos Center MIN, ANA 2017–2019 2 0 Matthew Knies Left Wing TOR 2022–Present 83 0 Ryan Kraft Left Wing SJS 2002–2003 7 0 Jackson LaCombe Left Wing ANA 2022–Present 73 0 Jack LaFontaine Goaltender CAR 2021–2022 2 0 Reed Larson Defenseman DET, BOS, EDM, NYI, MNS, BUF 1976–1990 904 0

Player Position Team(s) Years Games Stanley Cups Nick Leddy Defenseman CHI , NYI, DET, STL 2010–Present 1,011 1 Jordan Leopold Defenseman CGY, COL, FLA, PIT, BUF, STL, CBJ, MIN 2002–2015 695 0 Vinni Lettieri Center NYR, ANA, BOS 2017–Present 129 0 Ryan Lindgren Defenseman NYR 2018–Present 333 0 John Mariucci Defenseman CHI 1940–1948 223 0 Paul Martin Defenseman NJD, PIT, SJS 2003–2018 870 0 Chris McAlpine Defenseman NJD, STL, TBL, ATL, CHI, LAK 1994–2003 289 0 Jack McCartan Goaltender NYR 1959–1961 12 0 Rob McClanahan Forward BUF, HFD, NYR 1989–1996 224 0 Bruce McIntosh Defenseman MNS 1972–1973 2 0 Murray McLachlan Goaltender TOR 1970–1971 2 0 Ben Meyers Center COL, ANA 2021–Present 67 0 Joe Micheletti Defenseman STL, COR 1979–1982 158 0 Pat Micheletti Center MNS 1987–1988 12 0 Corey Millen Center NYR, LAK, NJD, DAL, CGY 1989–1997 335 0 Warren Miller Forward NYR, HFD 1979–1983 262 0 Casey Mittelstadt Left Wing BUF, COL 2017–Present 277 0 Lou Nanne Defenseman MNS 1967–1978 635 0 Aaron Ness Defenseman NYI, WSH, ARI 2011–2021 72 0 Jeff Nielsen Right Wing NYR, ANA, MIN 1996–2001 252 0 Tommy Novak Center NSH 2021–Present 149 0 Jim O'Brien Center OTT, NJD 2010–2018 77 0 Todd Okerlund Right Wing NYI 1987–1988 4 0 Kyle Okposo Right Wing NYI, BUF, FLA 2007–2024 1,051 1 Tom Pederson Defenseman SJS, TOR 1992–1997 240 0 Derek Peltier Defenseman COL 2008–2010 14 0 Frank Pietrangelo Goaltender PIT , HFD 1987–1994 141 1 Lance Pitlick Defenseman OTT, FLA 1994–2002 393 0 Rem Pitlick Center NSH, MIN, MTL, CHI 2018–Present 132 0 Johnny Pohl Center STL, TOR 2003–2008 115 0 Mike Polich Left Wing MTL , MNS 1976–1981 226 1 Ryan Potulny Center PHI, EDM, CHI, OTT 2005–2011 126 0 Mike Ramsey Defenseman BUF, PIT, DET 1979–1997 1,070 0 Sampo Ranta Left Wing COL 2020–2023 16 0 Erik Rasmussen Center BUF, LAK, NJD 1997–2007 545 0 Kyle Rau Center FLA, MIN 2015–2022 61 0 Scott Reedy Center SJS 2021–2022 35 0 Mike Reilly Defenseman MIN, MTL, OTT, BOS, FLA, NYI 2015–Present 400 0 Todd Richards Defenseman HFD 1990–1992 8 0 Travis Richards Defenseman DAL 1994–1996 3 0 Craig Sarner Right Wing BOS 1974–1975 7 0 Nate Schmidt Defenseman WSH, VGK, VAN, WPG 2013–Present 661 0 Jordan Schroeder Center VAN, MIN, CBJ 2012–2018 165 0 Nick Seeler Defenseman CHI, MIN, PHI 2017–Present 296 0 Randy Skarda Defenseman STL 1989–1992 26 0 Brady Skjei Defenseman NYR, CAR 2015–Present 609 0 Wyatt Smith Center PHO, NSH, NYI, MIN, COL 1999–2008 211 0 Dave Snuggerud Right Wing BUF, SJS, PHI 1989–1993 265 0 Robb Stauber Goaltender LAK, BUF 1989–1995 62 0 Ryan Stoa Center COL, WSH 2009–2014 40 0 Jeff Taffe Center PHO, NYR, PIT, FLA, CHI, MIN 2002–2012 180 0 Barry Tallackson Right Wing NJD 2005–2009 20 0 Jeff Teal Forward MTL 1984–1985 6 0 Dan Trebil Defenseman ANA, PIT, STL 1996–2001 85 0 Thomas Vanek Left Wing BUF, NYI, MTL, MIN, DET, FLA, VAN, CBJ 2005–2019 1,029 0 Sammy Walker Center MIN 2022–Present 13 0 Erik Westrum Center PHO, MIN, TOR 2003–2007 27 0 Blake Wheeler Right Wing BOS, ATL, WPG, NYR 2008–Present 1,172 0 Adam Wilcox Goaltender BUF 2017–2018 1 0 Ken Yackel Right Wing BOS 1958–1959 6 0 Tom Younghans Center MNS, NYR 1976–1982 429 0 Doug Zmolek Defenseman SJS, DAL, LAK, CHI 1992–2000 467 0

† Bob Johnson won a Stanley Cup as the head coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

• 
  Nick Bjugstad
• 
  Hudson Fasching
• 
  Alex Goligoski
• 
  Erik Haula
• 
  Erik Johnson
• 
  Phil Kessel
• 
  Nick Leddy
• 
  Jordan Leopold
• 
  Ryan Lindgren
• 
  Kyle Okposo
• 
  Ryan Potulny
• 
  Nate Schmidt
• 
  Nick Seeler
• 
  Brady Skjei
• 
  Thomas Vanek
• 
  Blake Wheeler

WHA

Several players also were members of WHA teams.

Player	Position	Team(s)	Years	Avco Cups
Mike Antonovich	Center	MFS, EDM, NEW	1972–1979	0
Brad Buetow	Left Wing	CLC	1973–1974	0
Bill Butters	Defense	MFS, HOU, EDM, NEW	1974–1978	0
Gary Gambucci	Center	MFS	1974–1976	0
Paul Holmgren	Forward	MFS	1975–1976	0
Jack McCartan	Goaltender	MFS	1972–1975	0
Joe Micheletti	Defenseman	CAC, EDM	1976–1979	0
Warren Miller	Forward	CAC, EDM, QUE, NEW	1975–1979	0
Wally Olds	Defenseman	NYD, CAC	1972–1976	0
Dick Paradise	Defenseman	MFS	1972–1974	0
Frank Sanders	Defenseman	MFS	1972–1973	0
Craig Sarner	Right wing	MFS	1975–1976	0
Buzz Schneider	Left Wing	BIR	1976–1977	0
John Sheridan	Center	IND	1974–1976	0
Pat Westrum	Center	MFS, CAC, BIR	1974–1978	0

Source: ^[30]

References

Notes

1. "Colors and Type | University Relations" . Retrieved December 20, 2022.
2. "NCAA Champions". GopherSports.org.
3. McLaughlin, Don (1929-03-16). "Minnesota Sweeps Marquette Series; Justify Title Rights" (PDF). Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
4. Quale, Otto (1940-03-05). "National AAU Title Tops Unbeaten Year" (PDF). Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
5. MacDonald, Gordon (1998). "A Colossal Embroglio: Control of Amateur Ice Hockey in the United States and the 1948 Olympic Winter Games" (PDF). OLYMPIKA: The International Journal of Olympic Studies. VII. International Centre for Olympic Studies: 43–60. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
6. "Bob Motzko takes over Gophers hockey, says he'll 'work tirelessly to make those people proud'". Star Tribune .
7. "Timeline (1883-Present)". Vintage Minnesota Hockey - History.
8. "Legends of Hockey – The Legends – Honoured Builder – Mariucci, John – Biography" . Retrieved 2010-11-27.
9. Hewitt, Josh (2009-04-09). "The State of Hockey: Minnesotans Proud to Take the Ice". Bleacherreport.com. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
10. "Minnesota Gophers". Vintage Minnesota Hockey - History.
11. Football at Minnesota: The Story of Thirty Years' Contests on the Gridiron.
12. According to the Minnesota Gopher Yearbook of 1922, p.344ff
13. "University of Minnesota Official Athletic Site – Ice Hockey". gophersports.com.
14. "Dr. V. George Nagobads". United States Hockey Hall of Fame . Retrieved July 8, 2021.; "Dr. V. George Nagobads". United States Hockey Hall of Fame . Retrieved July 8, 2021.
15. "Sexual misconduct allegations haunt former assistant coach's tenure with Gophers hockey program". Duluth News Tribune.
16. "Faced With Multiple Accusations Of Sex Abuse, Former Hockey Coach Tom Adrahtas Says, 'It's Not True'". June 24, 2021.
17. "Minnesota Men's Hockey 2018-19 Media Guide" (PDF). Minnesota Golden Gophers. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
18. "2017-2018 Hockey Media Guide" (PDF). University of Minnesota.
19. "Brawls, interlocks and blowouts: The history of all-time series between NCAA first-round opponents". USCHO.com.
20. Greder, Andy (January 22, 2014). "Gophers hockey: North Star College Cup a state championship of sorts". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
21. "2024–25 Men's Ice Hockey Roster". Minnesota Golden Gophers. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
22. Findling & Pelle (2004), p. 316
23. Vogl, John (September 30, 2012). Prospects Game proof America's got hockey talent Archived February 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine . The Buffalo News. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
24. Gordon, Dick (1956-02-05). "Mariucci by Phone: 'We Rose to Heights; Russia Too Good'". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on June 28, 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
25. McGourty, John (2006-11-02). "Sonmor found a way to win at life". NHL. Retrieved 2007-03-03.^{[ dead link ]}
26. Brown, Scott (November 12, 1996). "Gopher Hockey Under Scrutiny". USCHO. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
27. Mazzocco, Frank (October 21, 1996). "Minnesota Head Coach Suspended". USCHO. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
28. "Gopher Hockey History – The Arenas". November 9, 2006.
29. Players are identified as an All-Star if they were selected for the All-Star game at any time in their career.
30. "Alumni report for U. of Minnesota". Hockey DB. Retrieved April 5, 2019.

Citations

• "2017-2018 Hockey Media Guide" (PDF). University of Minnesota.

External links

• Official website