John Mayasich, considered by many to be the greatest American-born hockey player of all time, has been chosen as the recipient of the 2006 Lou Lamoriello Award. The award, named after the former Providence College player and coach — and current New Jersey Devils president and coach — honors a former member of the college … Read more
As the season nears its end, teams talk about wanting to control their own destiny. Minnesota now has just that power in the WCHA.
Minnesota’s men’s hockey team now has two players wearing jerseys with white crosses on them in practice. That addition occurred Tuesday as star junior forward Danny Irmen returned to the ice. Irmen missed last weekend’s series at Michigan Tech after suffering a third-degree separation to his right shoulder in the Gophers’ 3-1 win Jan. 28 … Read more
Over the past month or so, it finally seemed like the line combinations were coming together for Minnesota’s men’s hockey team following much early season juggling. All four lines were producing offensively and the solidity in the combinations was a big part of the Gophers’ recent success. Then came the Jan. 28 contest at Wisconsin. … Read more
No. 2 Wisconsin seeks to clinch its first WCHA title as it hosts No. 5 Minnesota in Saturday’s broadcast.
Five former and current Gophers women’s hockey players will dominate the roster of the 20-member U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team this month in Torino, Italy. The university boasts the greatest number of players on the Olympic team with the presence of Natalie Darwitz, Courtney Kennedy, Kelly Stephens, Lyndsay Wall and Krissy Wendell. All the players … Read more
University of Minnesota women’s hockey player Natalie Darwitz, a key contributor to the Golden Gophers’ back-to-back NCAA Championships, will forgo her senior year of eligibility for the 2006-07 season. Darwitz, who is currently competing with the U.S. Olympic Team in preparation for the 2006 Winter Olympics, completed her junior season with the Golden Gophers in … Read more
Women’s college hockey’s top rivalry between Minnesota and UMD makes its first appearance on the broadcast schedule, come Saturday night.
Don Lucia will be staying at Minnesota for the foreseeable future — and maybe beyond. The Golden Gopher head coach, who led Minnesota to back-to-back NCAA championships in 2002 and 2003, has signed a three-year contract extension, the school announced Tuesday. That would keep Lucia behind the Gopher bench at least until the end of … Read more
In the wake of recent allegations, Mike Volonnino is shocked, shocked to learn that college students drink.
Several Minnesota hockey players under the age of 21 were identified drinking at a Minneapolis bar by Minneapolis/St. Paul television station KMSP, which reported its allegations on its Sunday evening news telecast and on its website. Filmed secretly either buying, possessing or drinking alcohol by KMSP over a two-month period were Gopher players including Kris … Read more
Tyler Hirsch, Minnesota’s leading scorer last season, will apply for a medical hardship waiver for personal reasons and miss the remainder of the 2005-06 season, the school announced Thursday. “This was not an easy decision, but one that I feel was the best decision for both myself and the team,” Hirsch said. “I will use … Read more
Mercyhurst has always been on the cusp of women’s hockey’s elite. The No. 8 Lakers look to prove themselves when they host No. 4 Minnesota in Saturday’s 3 p.m. ET broadcast.
In a clash of the old guard against the new, defending NCAA champion Minnesota hosts preseason No. 1 St. Lawrence in Saturday night’s 8 p.m. ET broadcast.
There’s no way to know for sure how Phil Kessel and the rest of the Minnesota freshman class will fare this season, but if they even come close to matching their potential, the Golden Gophers have a great thing going. And that’s not even mentioning the rest of the scoring punch, a well-stocked defense and … Read more
Team USA took the first strides in the Hilton Family Skate to 2006 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul against a team of WCHA All-Stars. The objectives heading into the game and the reactions after the USA’s 5-1 victory varied greatly, both between the two teams and individual members. The result left national … Read more
Laura Halldorson, coach of the two-time defending NCAA champion Minnesota women’s hockey team, signed a three contract on Tuesday. Halldorson, who just completed her eighth season at the helm of the program, is now committed to Minnesota through the 2007-08 season. “We are excited to have Laura signed through the end of the 2008 season,” … Read more
Alaska-Anchorage head coach John Hill has resigned his position to become an assistant coach at Minnesota, ending a tenure that saw a modest turnaround after the Seawolves hit rock bottom with a one-win season in 2002-03. On Friday it was announced that Hill, 44, has accepted the Gopher assistant’s position which opened up when Bob … Read more
St. Cloud State will announce the hiring of Bob Motkzo as an assistant coach on Tuesday as expected by many. The St. Cloud Times reports that Motzko will be given a two-year deal. Motkzo comes to St. Cloud after spending four seasons with Don Lucia at Minnesota. Motzko played his collegiate hockey at St. Cloud … Read more
Hamline University has tapped Minnesota standout Scott Bell as its next head men’s hockey coach. Bell replaces Chris Brown, who stepped down earlier this month after coaching the Pipers for one season. Bell served as an assistant coach at St. Thomas from 2003-04, where the team won the MIAC playoff championship, and coached high school … Read more