Previewing the 2022 NCAA hockey tournament, Worcester Regional: Western Michigan, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Northeastern

WORCESTER REGIONAL When: Friday, March 25 & Sunday, March 27 Where: DCU Center, Worcester, Mass. Matchups: Western Michigan vs. Northeastern, March 25, noon, ESPNU; Minnesota vs. Massachusetts, March 25, 6 p.m., ESPNU; championship, March 27, 4 p.m./6:30 p.m., ESPN2 1. WESTERN MICHIGAN How they got here: At-large bid Overall season record: 25-11-1 Top players: F … Read more

Michigan scores four straight goals, Wolverines hang on to edge Minnesota for Big Ten tournament crown

Michigan took advantage of Minnesota miscues Saturday night in scoring four straight goals and registering a 4-3 victory to capture its second Big Ten tournament championship before a packed house at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The win moves Michigan to the top seed in next week’s NCAA tournament. Michigan goalie Erik Portillo was named the … Read more

Two players each from Michigan, Minnesota State part of 10 finalists named for 2022 Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Committee announced Wednesday the top 10 candidates for the 2022 award honoring college hockey’s top player. Alphabetically, they are: Matty Beniers, So., F, Michigan Bobby Brink, Jr., F, Denver Brian Halonen, Sr., F, Michigan Tech Luke Hughes, Fr., D, Michigan Devon Levi, So., G, Northeastern Dryden McKay, Sr., G, Minnesota … Read more

Minnesota’s Meyers chosen Big Ten player of year, Gophers’ Faber top defensive player, Ohio State’s Dobeš best goalie, Minnesota’s Motzko gains coaching honors

The Big Ten announced Tuesday the hockey all-Big Ten teams and individual award winners as selected by the conference’s coaches and a media panel. Minnesota’s Ben Meyers was named the Big Ten player of the year, while teammate Brock Faber was tabbed the defensive player of the year, which is awarded to a defenseman or … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Michigan facing stiff test from Notre Dame in conference semifinal; Penn State hoping magic continues against Minnesota

Michigan has lost nine times this season and this weekend it’ll get another crack at the team responsible for 44 percent of those losses. The Wolverines will host Notre Dame on Saturday in the first Big Ten Tournament semifinal. The Irish won consecutive overtime games at Yost Ice Arena in November and wrapped up the … Read more

Notre Dame, Ohio State each have two hockey players named as finalists for 2021-22 Senior CLASS Award

Ten NCAA men’s hockey student-athletes who excel both on and off the ice were selected as finalists today for the 2021-22 Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior or graduate student and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, … Read more

Denver’s Brink named HCA men’s player of month; Minnesota’s Pitlick earns top rookie, Minnesota State’s McKay grabs goalie honors

The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced the men’s players of the month for Feb. 2022. Denver’s Bobby Brink takes home player of the month honors, while Minnesota’s Rhett Pitlick is rookie of the month and Minnesota State netminder Dryden McKay has been named goalie of the month. Brink put up strong numbers against a strong … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Looking at why each Big Ten team will win the postseason tournament, and why each team won’t

The Big Ten playoffs start this weekend, and here are reasons for and against each team winning the championship and getting the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Michigan Why the Wolverines will win the tournament: Michigan failed to take its name off the list of teams to never win a Big Ten regular season … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Minnesota looking ‘to find a way to keep going this weekend’ on road at Penn State

Since opening in 2013, Pegula Ice Arena has been regarded as one of the better home-ice environments in college hockey. Lately, though, Minnesota probably hasn’t been a massive fan of the building. The second-place Gophers, two points behind Michigan, look to keep their momentum rolling this weekend at Penn State and nab a road victory … Read more

Big Ten suspends Minnesota’s Brinkman one game for slew-footing penalty Feb. 12 against Ohio State

The Big Ten announced Monday that Minnesota senior defenseman Ben Brinkman has been suspended for one game as a result of an incident that occurred in a game against Ohio State on February 12, 2022. The action was taken by the conference after a review of a slew-footing incident that occurred near the 19:33 mark … Read more

Miami grad Miele chosen U.S. men’s hockey captain for 2022 Winter Olympics; Ness (Minnesota), Kampfer (Michigan), Cates (Minnesota Duluth) named alternates

Former Miami forward Andy Miele has been named captain of the 2022 U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team, with defensemen Steven Kampfer (Michigan) and Aaron Ness (Minnesota) and forward Noah Cates (Minnesota Duluth) tabbed as alternate captains. “We have a great leadership group with Andy, Aaron, Steven and Noah,” said Team USA coach David Quinn in … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Entering final month of regular season, conference standings ‘have a dog fight up top right now’

With first-place Michigan sitting idle this weekend, the Big Ten schedule is setup for some movement heading into the final month of the regular season. Though games in hand for Minnesota and Notre Dame don’t make it a perfect storm, the docket for this weekend could see some shuffling in the standings with three teams … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Losing LaFontaine now in the past, Minnesota readjusting goalie situation for rest of 2021-22 season

It’s not exactly like an injury, but that’s how Bob Motzko wants to treat it. After opening up the second half of the season with exhibition wins over the U.S Under-18 Team and St. Thomas and a road sweep at Michigan State, Minnesota lost starting goaltender Jack LaFontaine on Sunday, not to an injury, but … Read more

Minnesota goalie, 2021 Richter Award winner LaFontaine leaves Gophers, signs NHL deal with Carolina

Minnesota fifth-year goaltender Jack LaFontaine has left the Gophers to sign a one-year contract with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes through the end of the 2021-22 season. “As the reigning Mike Richter Award recipient, Jack has proven he’s ready to take the next steps in his career,” said Carolina GM Don Waddell in a statement. “We … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Michigan readying for defending NCAA champion UMass, Michigan State prepping for Minnesota

The game it didn’t play to end the year garnered most of the attention for Michigan last week, but with the defending national champion coming to town this weekend, it’ll be important for the Wolverines to turn the page into the new year quickly. Michigan and the Minutemen will play a Saturday-Sunday series at Yost … Read more

Sanderson selected captain of 2022 U.S. World Junior Team; Faber, Beniers, Slaggert alternates

North Dakota sophomore defenseman Jake Sanderson has been named captain of the 2022 U.S. National Junior Team. In addition, Minnesota sophomore defenseman Brock Faber, Michigan sophomore forward Matty Beniers and Notre Dame sophomore forward Landon Slaggert were named alternate captains of the squad. All four players were members of the gold-medal winning 2021 U.S. National … Read more

Postponed October Alaska-Minnesota men’s hockey series rescheduled for Jan. 14-15 in Minneapolis

Alaska and Minnesota have announced the details for their January series in Minneapolis at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The Nanooks and Gophers will play on Friday, Jan. 14 and Saturday, Jan. 15, with both games set for 6 p.m. CST. Originally scheduled for Oct. 2-3, the series was postponed as mutually agreed by both teams … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Coming off weekend sweep over Niagara, Michigan looks ‘to get it to the net’ against Minnesota

As preseason favorites Michigan and Minnesota meet for the first time this season, we were correct about at least one thing from the preseason. The two teams are in first and second place, Michigan leads Minnesota by a point, but both have also played two more contests than everyone except Wisconsin. “We know what kind … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: ‘One of the great rivalries in college hockey’ coming back this weekend as Minnesota visits NCHC’s North Dakota

For Minnesota fans, the next chapter of a popular rivalry is one thing to be thankful for this weekend. The No. 11 Gophers will travel to Ralph Engelstad Arena to play No. 6 North Dakota on Friday and Saturday. “This is probably one of the great rivalries in college hockey, North Dakota and Minnesota,” Gophers … Read more