Men’s D-I: Big Ten

Taffe Leaves Minnesota for NHL

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Jeff Taffe, who finished fifth in the nation in scoring for the national champion Minnesota Gophers this past season, has signed a three-year contract with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes.

Johnson, Leopold, Miller Join Team USA

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Former Wisconsin assistant Mark Johnson was named an assistant coach for Team USA for this year’s world championships, taking place April 26-May 11 in Sweden. Among the 19 players selected to play on the team were recent Hobey Baker Award winner Jordan Leopold, defenseman for Minnesota, and last year’s Hobey winner, Michigan State goalie Ryan … Read more

Violence Mars Minnesota Students’ Victory Celebration

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A victory celebration on the University of Minnesota campus late Saturday night, escalated into violence and led to 25 arrests after the Gophers’ defeated Maine for the NCAA championship. Separate groups of celebrating students gathered near Northrop Memorial Auditorium, the area known as Dinkytown, and at the end of the school’s fraternity row. As police … Read more

Showdown In St. Paul: Minnesota

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A few hours before they played in their first Frozen Four, members of the 2002 Minnesota team watched a video that tied their purpose this weekend at the Xcel Energy Center to another, larger one. As much as the Golden Gophers are playing for those that skate on the ice now, they’re also playing Saturday … Read more

Commentary: It’s Their Time

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Most of them come from a land with 10,000 lakes, 10,000 rinks and hundreds of thousands of young players who dream of a golden moment like the one Saturday night for someone who isn’t even a Minnesotan, but is as close now as any foreigner. Pulling the M-emblazoned sweater over their heads, then pushing an … Read more

Favorite Son

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Grant Potulny is Minnesota’s first out-of-state player in over a decade. That didn’t seem to mean much Saturday night.

The Leap

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Johnny Pohl knows a thing or two about jumping after a big goal. He paid tribute to his brother Mark’s signature move last season by duplicating the “Pohl Vault,” a jump and turn into the Plexiglas. Matt Koalska’s last-minute goal sent the title game into overtime (photo: Pedro Cancel) So Pohl was pumped when he … Read more

Gophers’ Leopold Named 2002 Hobey Baker Winner

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Minnesota defenseman Jordan Leopold was named Friday as the winner of the 2002 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, given annually to college hockey’s most outstanding player. Minnesota captain Jordan Leopold is the fourth defenseman to win the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. Leopold was selected over fellow “Hobey Hat Trick” finalists Darren Haydar of New Hampshire and … Read more

Leo Leads The Way

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After a disappointing overtime loss to Maine in last year’s NCAA East Regional, then-junior Minnesota defenseman Jordan Leopold had a difficult decision to make. The WCHA’s top defensive player of 2000-2001, whose NHL rights are held by the Calgary Flames, could have left school early for a pro career. Minnesota’s Jordan Leopold, the 2002 Hobey … Read more

Come Together

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Head coach Don Lucia has instilled a sense of unity in Minnesota, one reason the Gophers play for the championship Saturday.

The Border Barrier

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In the pantheon of sports-led societal advances, it’s not quite in the class of Jackie Robinson signing with the Dodgers. But, to many a Gopher fan, the recruitment of North Dakota native Grant Potulny to play at the University of Minnesota required accepting a major change that many fought. Of course, a few more two-goal … Read more

Frozen Four Preview: Michigan

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“It seems like Michigan goes every year, but the rest of us don’t.” That’s Minnesota head coach Don Lucia on the only repeat team in this year’s Frozen Four. It does seem as though the Wolverines are in the postseason mix yearly, so to those outside the CCHA, Michigan’s appearance in St. Paul may have … Read more

Frozen Four Notebook: Questions Between The Pipes

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The Frozen Four opening game on Thursday featuring Maine and New Hampshire is a battle of two teams that, despite solid goaltending, have question marks between the pipes. UNH has alternated much of the season between Michael Ayers and Matt Carney. Maine rode Mike Morrison much of the season, but has turned to seasoned Matt … Read more

Frozen Four Preview: Minnesota

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Don Lucia has trouble coming up with high points from a season in which his Minnesota Golden Gophers are 30-8-4, got a first-round bye in the NCAA tournament and have advanced to the Frozen Four. But that’s just fine to the Minnesota coach. He hasn’t found any low points, either. One of the things Lucia … Read more

End Of An Era

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Michigan State’s loss at the West Regional sent Ron Mason out a loser in his last game. But Paula C. Weston says the new MSU AD is able to focus elsewhere — and there’s plenty to see.

Coming Around Again

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Rick Comley’s life, he says, has intermingled with Ron Mason’s for 35 years — no surprise, then, when Mason tapped Comley to succeed him at MSU. Frequent contributor Steve Klein gives his thoughts.