2022 Gophers Hockey

Dumb question, is it the first game of the season for the Gophers tonight? I see they are playing MN State. Any thoughts on how their season will go?

I think they played a different non-conference opponent last weekend. It may have been exhibition though. I don’t remember. Mankato has had a couple of two on ones in this and didn’t convert. Otherwise its been pretty even. I don’t think Kato is quite the juggernaut they’ve been in recent years but they’ll be a top ten ranked team all season. Minnesota should win the big ten. Notre Dame is the other team that could beat them out for it. Mankato plays Minnesota, Duluth, and St Cloud three weekends in a row in non-conference play.

The Gophers opened play last weekend against perennial powerhouse Lindenwood.

Hard Water Fan wrote:

The Gophers opened play last weekend against perennial powerhouse Lindenwood.

Yeah, I was worried when I saw they started out with the Lions!!

I’m not real sure how the college hockey season is structured. But Gophers just swept Michigan. And I think leading the Big10 and #2 in the nation?

Is there still a lack of enthusiasm for Gophers hockey since they aren’t in the WCHA or has that changed?

Depends who you ask..

lindyrig79 wrote:

I’m not real sure how the college hockey season is structured. But Gophers just swept Michigan. And I think leading the Big10 and #2 in the nation?

Penn State is actually leading the big ten.

Michigan is missing 5 players from illness. Apparently one of them is so sick that he’s in the hospital on a ventilator. And it’s not from Covid either.

Gophers are solid though. They have played a relatively tough schedule and put together a respectable record so far.

The past few years the Gophers non-conference schedule has primarily been against the local teams that are in the NCHC (UMD, St Cloud, UND, etc) plus Mankato (WCHA) so they typically have a solid strength of schedule. Mankato lost to Denver in the national championship game last year. For the Big-10, Michigan is commonly in the mix and teams like Penn State & Notre Dame have recently had good seasons as well.

It’s interesting that there are some programs that have fallen by the wayside like CC, Mi State and Wi.

Nice sweep for the Gophers at Michigan.
I saw it last week and this week. A team playing a man up on a delayed penalty and scores. The guy still serves the penalty. Was this a rule change this year? I like it.

Netguy wrote:

Nice sweep for the Gophers at Michigan.
I saw it last week and this week. A team playing a man up on a delayed penalty and scores. The guy still serves the penalty. Was this a rule change this year? I like it.

The rule was added a few years ago, but not sure when. I like it too.

tegg wrote:

plus Mankato (WCHA)

Mankato is now in the CCHA as of 2 years ago. The WCHA is completely disbanded now. The leftover teams in the WCHA started over and kicked the two Alaska teams out, plus Alabama-Huntsville. Then they added St Thomas to make 8 teams which is now what is known as the CCHA. The Commissioner is former long time CC and Gopher head coach, Don Lucia.

gimruis wrote:

Mankato is now in the CCHA as of 2 years ago. The WCHA is completely disbanded now. The leftover teams in the WCHA started over and kicked the two Alaska teams out, plus Alabama-Huntsville. Then they added St Thomas to make 8 teams which is now what is known as the CCHA. The Commissioner is former long time CC and Gopher head coach, Don Lucia.

Did not know that, that is a weird conference. If you asked me what division Ferris St., Augustana, Lake Superior St. and St. Thomas were in for hockey, I wouldn’t have guessed D1!

Michigan was short handed but so where the Gophers. Was fun to see a D man move to forward and score the first goal of the game Friday night.

BigWerm wrote:

Did not know that, that is a weird conference. If you asked me what division Ferris St., Augustana, Lake Superior St. and St. Thomas were in for hockey, I wouldn’t have guessed D1!

Augustana is actually not in it, yet. They are an independent right now but they have been accepted to join it in the future.

Most of the teams in this conference are essentially the “leftover” teams from the major realignment about 10 years ago when the Big Ten and NCHC was formed. Mankato applied to join the NCHC several years ago and they were rejected.