Funny how the significance of the national championship trophy flips, just as the calendar flips into October. Starting one Saturday night in April and continuing through September, it’s a celebration and a sigh of relief — no use for lingering regrets from the last season. It’s the sign that you’re the tops in college hockey. … Read more
Former Minnesota coach Doug Woog, former Hobey Baker Award winners Mark and Scott Fusco, Joe Riley have been inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, located in Eveleth, Minn. The formal induction ceremony will take place Wednesday, Dec. 4. In his 14-year coaching career with the Golden Gophers, Woog guided Minnesota to an … Read more
After no hockey players won the honor in its first 19 years, Minnesota defenseman Jordan Leopold became the second straight to capture the Jesse Owens Award as The Big Ten Conference’s Male Athlete of the Year. Leopold, the 2002 Hobey Baker Award winner as college hockey’s top player, follows Michigan State goalie Ryan Miller, who … Read more
Jordan Leopold, fresh off a senior season at Minnesota that included a national championship and a Hobey Baker Award, signed with the Calgary Flames yesterday. According to the Calgary Herald, the deal was for two years for a total of $1.825 million. The breakdown of the deal includes a $625,000 signing bonus, $500,000 salary in … Read more
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.
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
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
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
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
Grant Potulny is Minnesota’s first out-of-state player in over a decade. That didn’t seem to mean much Saturday night.
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
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
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
Minnesota, playing in its first Frozen Four since 1995, was largely nerve-free, even in the face of a Michigan rally late.
Head coach Don Lucia has instilled a sense of unity in Minnesota, one reason the Gophers play for the championship Saturday.
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
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
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
Minnesota’s seniors have come a long way since a sub-.500 freshman season, as Todd D. Milewski notes.
The Hobey Baker Committee announced the top three finalists for this year’s Award: Mark Hartigan of St. Cloud, Darren Haydar of UNH and Jordan Leopold of Minnesota.