2020–21 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season
College ice hockey team season
The 2020–21 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season was the 100th season of play for the program. They represented the University of Minnesota in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season . This season marked the 31st season in the Big Ten Conference . They were coached by Bob Motzko , in his third season, and played their home games at 3M Arena at Mariucci .
Season
As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the entire college ice hockey season was delayed. Because the NCAA had previously announced that all winter sports athletes would retain whatever eligibility they possessed through at least the following year, none of Minnesota's players would lose a season of play.[1] However, the NCAA also approved a change in its transfer regulations that would allow players to transfer and play immediately rather than having to sit out a season, as the rules previously required.[2]
Despite all of the uncertainty about the season, Minnesota began with a tremendous start. The team won its first 10 games, rocketing up the rankings and claiming the top spot for 5 consecutive weeks. After losing their first game of the season to Wisconsin , the Gophers were stunned by Notre Dame and were swept on home ice. After falling to #4, the team took its frustrations out on Arizona State , scoring 10 goals in back-to-back games. The astounding weekend provided the first double-digit-goal game for the program in 17 years and the first time they had done so in consecutive games since 1983.[3] The Gophers hung near the top of the ranking for the remainder of the season, but a second home sweep, this time by Wisconsin, prevented Minnesota from not only receiving the top spot but also caused the Gophers to finish second in the Big Ten standings. By losing 3 out of 4 against the Badgers, Minnesota finished .002 behind Wisconsin due to the team cancelling a weekend series against Penn State .[4]
While the team missed out on a regular season title, the bigger hit came by missing out on the bye for the conference tournament . Minnesota faced Michigan State in the quarterfinals and, despite outshooting the Spartans, found themselves trailing late in the third period. Minnesota wasn't able to score a single goal on MSU until less than 5 minutes remained but they were saved by the second worst offense in the nation and ended regulation with a 1–1 tie. Minnesota completely dominated the extra session, shooting 13 shots on goal in just over 10 minutes, and won the game on a goal from the team's scoring leader, Sampo Ranta . After the narrow escape, the Golden Gophers found themselves in another nail-biter, having to get past Michigan in the semifinals. The Wolverines held Minnesota at bay and built a 2-goal lead after 40 minutes. The Gophers were matched shot-for-shot by Michigan in the third but the Maroon and Gold found the net twice and tied the score. This time it only took 6 extra minutes before team captain Sammy Walker netted the game-winner, sending Minnesota to the title game. Still smarting over losing out on the regular season title, Minnesota got out to a lead in the first and then used a huge second period to build a 4-goal lead. The Gophers needed every goal because Wisconsin came roaring back in the third, firing 21 shots in the final frame alone and scoring three times to cut the lead to 1. With time winding down and the Gophers clinging to their lead, Wisconsin was forced to pull their goaltender. Minnesota scored an empty-net goal to seal the game and win the team's first Big Ten Championship in six years.
Minnesota received the 3rd overall seed and was given the top spot in the West Regional bracket. The team lived up to their billing in the opening game by overwhelming Omaha 7–2. In their second game, the Gophers faced #5 Minnesota State after the mavericks had won the program's first tournament game at the Division I level. MSU was riding high and played a nearly perfect game, holding the Gophers to just 9 shots on goal through the first two periods. Minnesota woke up in the third and started shooting the puck but the team couldn't get anything by Dryden McKay and the Golden Gophers ended their season with a 0–4 loss.
Colin Schmidt and Noah Weber sat out the season.
Departures
Recruiting
Roster
As of January 3, 2021.[5]
No.
S/P/C
Player
Class
Pos
Height
Weight
DoB
Hometown
Previous team
NHL rights
1
Justen Close
Sophomore
G
5' 10" (1.78 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
1998-05-20
Kindersley, Saskatchewan
Kindersley (SJHL )
—
2
Jackson LaCombe
Sophomore
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
3
Robbie Stucker
Junior
D
6' 3" (1.91 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
1998-09-30
St. Paul, Minnesota
Fargo (USHL )
CBJ , 210th overall 2017
4
Ben Brinkman
Junior
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
Junior
D
6' 0" (1.83 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
1998-04-20
Prior Lake, Minnesota
Cedar Rapids (USHL )
—
6
Mike Koster
Freshman
D
5' 9" (1.75 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
2001-04-13
Chaska, Minnesota
Tri-City (USHL )
TOR , 146th overall 2019
7
Brannon McManus (A )
Senior
F
5' 11" (1.8 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
1999-07-05
Newport Beach, California
Chicago (USHL )
—
9
Sammy Walker (C )
Junior
F
5' 11" (1.8 m)
165 lb (75 kg)
1999-06-07
Edina, Minnesota
Edina (USHS–MN )
TBL , 200th overall 2017
11
Jonny Sorenson
Sophomore
F
6' 1" (1.85 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
1999-09-21
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Fairbanks (NAHL )
—
13
Cullen Munson
Senior
F
5' 11" (1.8 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
1996-04-04
Edina, Minnesota
Janesville (NAHL )
—
14
Brock Faber
Freshman
D
6' 1" (1.85 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
2002-08-22
Maple Grove, Minnesota
USNTDP (USHL )
LAK , 45th overall 2020
16
Colin Schmidt
Sophomore
F
6' 4" (1.93 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
2000-01-06
Wayzata, Minnesota
Union (ECAC )
—
18
Mason Nevers
Freshman
F
5' 9" (1.75 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
2001-04-03
Edina, Minnesota
Des Moines (USHL )
—
19
Scott Reedy
Senior
F
6' 2" (1.88 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
1999-04-04
Prior Lake, Minnesota
USNTDP (USHL )
SJS , 102nd overall 2017
21
Nathan Burke
Junior
F
6' 2" (1.88 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
1998-12-21
Scottsdale, Arizona
Aberdeen (NAHL )
—
22
Bryce Brodzinski
Sophomore
F
6' 0" (1.83 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
2000-08-09
Blaine, Minnesota
Blaine (USHS–MN )
PHI , 196th overall 2019
23
Ryan Johnson
Sophomore
D
6' 1" (1.85 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
2001-07-24
Irvine, California
Sioux Falls (USHL )
BUF , 31st overall 2019
24
Jaxon Nelson
Sophomore
F
6' 4" (1.93 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
2000-03-30
Magnolia, Minnesota
Omaha (USHL )
—
25
Jack Perbix
Sophomore
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
Freshman
D
6' 3" (1.91 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
1999-11-09
St. Paul, Minnesota
Bismarck (NAHL )
—
27
Blake McLaughlin
Junior
F
6' 1" (1.85 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
2000-02-14
Grand Rapids, Minnesota
Chicago (USHL )
ANA , 79th overall 2018
28
Sam Rossini
Senior
D
6' 4" (1.93 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
1998-06-19
Burnsville, Minnesota
Penticton (BCHL )
—
31
Jared Moe
Sophomore
G
6' 4" (1.93 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1999-07-22
New Prague, Minnesota
Waterloo (USHL )
WPG , 184th overall 2017
39
Ben Meyers (A )
Sophomore
F
5' 11" (1.8 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
1998-11-15
Delano, Minnesota
Fargo (USHL )
—
45
Jack LaFontaine (A )
Senior
G
6' 3" (1.91 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
1998-01-06
Mississauga, Ontario
Penticton (BCHL )
CAR , 75th overall 2016
51
Noah Weber
Sophomore
F
6' 0" (1.83 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
1998-02-15
Eagle River, Wisconsin
Madison (USHL )
—
55
Matt Staudacher
Sophomore
D
6' 1" (1.85 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
2000-02-07
Fenton, Michigan
Muskegon (USHL )
—
58
Sampo Ranta
Junior
F
6' 2" (1.88 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
2000-05-31
Naantali, Finland
Sioux City (USHL )
COL , 78th overall 2018
Standings
Conference record
Overall record
GP
W
L
T
OTW
OTL
3/SW
PTS
PT%
GF
GA
GP
W
L
T
GF
GA
#8 Wisconsin †
24
17
6
1
1
1
0
52
.722
92
52
31
20
10
1
118
80
#7 Minnesota *
22
16
6
0
0
0
0
48
.727
69
44
31
24
7
0
117
64
#9 Michigan
20
11
9
0
1
0
0
32
.550
69
45
26
15
10
1
91
51
#17 Notre Dame
24
12
10
2
1
2
2
41
.542
65
53
29
14
13
2
84
78
Penn State
18
7
11
0
2
1
0
20
.389
48
68
22
10
12
0
65
81
Ohio State
22
6
16
0
0
2
0
20
.273
39
82
27
7
19
1
53
101
Michigan State
22
5
16
1
2
0
0
15
.250
32
70
27
7
18
2
40
77
Championship : March 16, 2021 † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll
Schedule and results
Date
Time
Opponent#
Rank#
Site
TV
Decision
Result
Attendance
Record
Regular season
November 19
7:34 PM
vs. #10 Penn State
#11
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis , Minnesota
BTN
LaFontaine
W 4–1
129
1–0–0 (1–0–0)
November 20
3:04 PM
vs. #10 Penn State
#11
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota
BTN
LaFontaine
W 3–2
159
2–0–0 (2–0–0)
November 23
7:34 PM
vs. #10 Ohio State
#8
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota
BTN
LaFontaine
W 4–1
0
3–0–0 (3–0–0)
November 24
7:34 PM
vs. #10 Ohio State
#8
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota
BTN
LaFontaine
W 2–0
0
4–0–0 (4–0–0)
December 3
7:00 PM
at Michigan State
#5
Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, Michigan
FSD , FSN
LaFontaine
W 3–1
0
5–0–0 (5–0–0)
December 4
7:05 PM
at Michigan State
#5
Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, Michigan
FSD, FSN
LaFontaine
W 4–2
88
6–0–0 (6–0–0)
December 8
7:04 PM
at #5 Michigan
#4
Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, Michigan (Rivalry )
BTN
LaFontaine
W 3–1
0
7–0–0 (7–0–0)
December 8
6:35 PM
at #5 Michigan
#4
Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, Michigan (Rivalry)
BTN
LaFontaine
W 4–0
0
8–0–0 (8–0–0)
January 3
3:00 PM
vs. Arizona State *
#1
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota
LaFontaine
W 4–1
0
9–0–0
January 4
7:05 PM
vs. Arizona State*
#1
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota
Moe
W 6–4
0
10–0–0
January 9
4:04 PM
at #12 Wisconsin
#1
Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin
LaFontaine
L 1–3
0
10–1–0 (8–1–0)
January 10
4:04 PM
at #12 Wisconsin
#1
Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin
LaFontaine
W 5–3
0
11–1–0 (9–1–0)
January 15
7:05 PM
at Notre Dame
#1
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota
LaFontaine
L 2–3
116
11–2–0 (9–2–0)
January 16
5:00 PM
at Notre Dame
#1
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota
LaFontaine
L 1–2
0
11–3–0 (9–3–0)
January 21
7:05 PM
vs. Arizona State*
#4
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota
LaFontaine
W 10–0
0
12–3–0
January 22
4:00 PM
vs. Arizona State*
#4
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota
Moe
W 10–2
0
13–3–0
January 29
5:04 PM
at Ohio State
#4
Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio
BTN
LaFontaine
W 5–1
0
14–3–0 (10–3–0)
January 30
4:04 PM
at Ohio State
#4
Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio
BTN
LaFontaine
W 5–2
0
15–3–0 (11–3–0)
February 5
7:05 PM
at #11 Wisconsin
#2
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota
LaFontaine
L 1–4
0
15–4–0 (11–4–0)
February 6
7:05 PM
at #11 Wisconsin
#2
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota
LaFontaine
L 1–8
0
15–5–0 (11–5–0)
February 12
6:36 PM
at Notre Dame
#5
Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, Indiana
LaFontaine
W 3–0
79
16–5–0 (12–5–0)
February 13
4:36 PM
at Notre Dame
#5
Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, Indiana
LaFontaine
W 3–0
80
17–5–0 (13–5–0)
February 19
7:05 PM
vs. Michigan State
#4
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota
LaFontaine
W 4–2
0
18–5–0 (14–5–0)
February 20
5:05 PM
vs. Michigan State
#4
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota
LaFontaine
W 5–1
0
19–5–0 (15–5–0)
March 5
7:05 PM
vs. #7 Michigan
#3
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota (Rivalry)
LaFontaine
L 2–5
0
19–6–0 (15–6–0)
March 6
4:04 PM
vs. #7 Michigan
#3
3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota (Rivalry)
LaFontaine
W 4–2
0
20–6–0 (16–6–0)
Big Ten Tournament
March 14
3:05 PM
vs. Michigan State*
#4
Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, Indiana (Quarterfinal)
BTN
LaFontaine
W 2–1 OT
134
21–6–0
March 15
3:05 PM
vs. #7 Michigan*
#4
Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, Indiana (Semifinal)
LaFontaine
W 3–2 OT
123
22–6–0
March 16
7:05 PM
vs. #5 Wisconsin*
#4
Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, Indiana (Championship)
LaFontaine
W 6–4
149
23–6–0
NCAA Tournament
March 27
8:00 PM
vs. #12 Omaha *
#2
Budweiser Events Center • Loveland, Colorado (Regional semifinal)
ESPNU
LaFontaine
W 7–2
125
24–6–0
March 28
7:00 PM
vs. #5 Minnesota State *
#2
Budweiser Events Center • Loveland, Colorado (Regional final)
ESPN2
LaFontaine
L 0–4
175
24–7–0
*Non-conference game. # Rankings from USCHO.com Poll . All times are in Central Time .
[6]
Scoring statistics
Name
Position
Games
Goals
Assists
Points
PIM
Sampo Ranta
LW /RW
31
19
12
31
10
Sammy Walker
C
31
13
16
29
12
Blake McLaughlin
C /LW
31
12
16
28
8
Ben Meyers
C /LW
31
12
16
28
12
Scott Reedy
C
28
11
17
28
6
Brannon McManus
C /RW
27
9
16
25
0
Jackson LaCombe
D
27
4
17
21
8
Jaxon Nelson
C
31
5
10
15
34
Bryce Brodzinski
RW
30
8
6
14
10
Ryan Johnson
D
27
1
11
12
14
Mike Koster
D
31
3
9
12
2
Brock Faber
D
27
1
11
12
14
Jack Perbix
D /RW
30
4
5
9
8
Cullen Munson
C
31
2
7
9
12
Jonny Sorenson
F
28
5
2
7
2
Nathan Burke
F
26
4
3
7
2
Mason Nevers
C
25
2
4
6
4
Matt Staudacher
D
26
0
6
6
6
Robbie Stucker
D
23
0
5
5
2
Ben Brinkman
D
29
0
5
5
18
Carl Fish
D
12
1
2
3
2
Sam Rossini
D
5
0
3
3
0
Jack LaFontaine
G
29
0
2
2
0
Jared Moe
G
3
0
1
1
0
Justen Close
G
1
0
0
0
0
Bench
-
-
-
-
-
2
Total
117
203
320
186
[7]
Goaltending statistics
Name
Games
Minutes
Wins
Losses
Ties
Goals Against
Saves
Shut Outs
SV %
GAA
Jack LaFontaine
29
1705
22
7
0
51
717
5
.934
1.79
Jared Moe
3
139
2
0
0
8
46
0
.852
3.45
Justen Close
1
20
0
0
0
2
5
0
.714
6.00
Empty Net
-
11
-
-
-
3
-
-
-
-
Total
31
1876
24
7
0
64
768
5
.923
2.05
Rankings
Poll
Week
Pre
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21 (Final)
USCHO.com
14
11
8
5
4
1
1
1
1
1
4
4
2
5
4
4
3
4
4
2
-
7
USA Today
13
11
7
5
4
1
1
1
1
1
4
4
2
5
4
4
3
5
4
2
6
7
USCHO did not release a poll in week 20. [8]
Awards and honors
Players drafted into the NHL
† incoming freshman
[14]
References
^ "NCAA approves blanket waiver for 2020 fall sports athletes to retain year of eligibility" . CBS Sports . August 21, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021 .
^ "DI Council grants waiver to allow transfer student-athletes to compete immediately" . NCAA . December 16, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021 .
^ "2019-20 Golden Gopher Men's Hockey Media Guide" (PDF) . Minnesota Golden Gophers . Retrieved April 3, 2021 .
^ "Penn State Men's Hockey: Minnesota Series Canceled" . StateCollege.com . February 18, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021 .
^ "2020–21 Men's Ice Hockey Roster" . University of Minnesota Athletics . Retrieved July 27, 2017 .
^ "Minnesota Golden Gophers (Men) 2020-2021 Schedule and Results" . College Hockey Stats . Retrieved December 5, 2019 .
^ "Univ. of Minnesota 2020-2021 Skater Stats" . Elite Prospects . Retrieved March 7, 2020 .
^ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll" . USCHO.com . Retrieved November 26, 2019 .
^ "Minnesota's Jack LaFontaine tabbed Mike Richter Award winner as D-I men's hockey's top goaltender" . USCHO.com . April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021 .
^ a b "Boston College, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin lead way with three All-American college hockey players apiece for '20-21 season" . USCHO.com . April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021 .
^ a b c "Hockey Postseason Honors Announced" . Big Ten . March 16, 2021. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021 .
^ "Gophers goalie Jack LaFontaine's whirlwind 24 hours capped with Hobey finalist slot" . Brainard Dispatch . March 17, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021 .
^ "Gophers Take Down Badgers, Win B1G tournament championship" . Big Ten . Retrieved April 1, 2021 .
^ "NCAA player rankings, selections in 2021 NHL Draft" . USCHO.com . Retrieved July 24, 2021 .
External links