2025–26 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season
| 2025–26 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Home ice | 3M Arena at Mariucci |
| Record | |
| Overall | 11–22–3 |
| Conference | 7–15–2 |
| Home | 7–11–2 |
| Road | 3–11–1 |
| Neutral | 1–0–0 |
| Coaches and captains | |
| Head coach | Bob Motzko |
| Assistant coaches | Steve Miller Ben Gordon Brennan Poderzay |
| Captain(s) | Brody Lamb Luke Mittelstadt Cal Thomas |
| Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey seasons « 2024–25 2026–27 » | |
The 2025–26 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season is the 105th season of play for the program and 36th in the Big Ten. The Golden Gophers represent the University of Minnesota in the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, play their home games at 3M Arena at Mariucci and are coached by Bob Motzko in his eighth season.
Departures
| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Bryant | Goaltender | United States | Graduation (retired) |
| Ryan Chesley | Defenseman | United States | Signed professional contract (Washington Capitals) |
| Aaron Huglen | Forward | United States | Graduation (signed with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins) |
| Mike Koster | Defenseman | United States | Graduation (signed with Iowa Heartlanders) |
| Connor Kurth | Forward | United States | Signed professional contract (Tampa Bay Lightning) |
| Nick Michel | Forward | United States | Graduation (retired) |
| Oliver Moore | Forward | United States | Signed professional contract (Chicago Blackhawks) |
| Mason Nevers | Forward | United States | Graduation (signed with Idaho Steelheads) |
| Sam Rinzel | Defenseman | United States | Signed professional contract (Chicago Blackhawks) |
| Jimmy Snuggerud | Forward | United States | Signed professional contract (St. Louis Blues) |
| Liam Soulière | Goaltender | Canada | Graduation (signed with Toledo Walleye) |
| Matthew Wood | Forward | Canada | Signed professional contract (Nashville Predators) |
Recruiting
| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luca Di Pasquo | Goaltender | United States | 21 | Livonia, MI; transfer from Michigan State |
| Graham Harris | Forward | United States | 22 | Excelsior, MN; transfer from Augsburg |
| Tanner Ludtke | Forward | United States | 20 | Elko, MN; transfer from Omaha; selected 81st overall in 2023 |
| Finn McLaughlin | Defenseman | Canada | 19 | Canmore, AB |
| Mason Moe | Forward | United States | 18 | Eden Prairie, MN; selected 90th overall in 2025 |
| L. J. Mooney | Forward | United States | 18 | West Mifflin, PA; selected 113th overall in 2025 |
| Javon Moore | Forward | United States | 19 | Minnetonka, MN; selected 112th overall in 2024 |
| Tate Pritchard | Forward | United States | 20 | Savage, MN |
| Jacob Rombach | Defenseman | United States | 18 | Blaine, MN; selected 35th overall in 2025 |
| Teddy Townsend | Forward | United States | 19 | Eden Prairie, MN |
Roster
As of September 1, 2025.[1]
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Tate Pritchard | Freshman | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | 2004-11-19 | Chanhassen, Minnesota | Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) | — | |
| 4 | John Whipple | Sophomore | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 2006-01-20 | Morristown, New Jersey | USNTDP (USHL) | DET, 144th overall 2024 | |
| 5 | Jacob Rombach | Freshman | D | 6' 6" (1.98 m) | 209 lb (95 kg) | 2007-04-01 | Blaine, Minnesota | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | NSH, 35th overall 2025 | |
| 7 | Beckett Hendrickson | Sophomore | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 2005-06-24 | Minnetonka, Minnesota | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) | BOS, 124th overall 2023 | |
| 9 | August Falloon | Sophomore | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 201 lb (91 kg) | 2004-02-23 | St. Cloud, Minnesota | Tri-City Storm (USHL) | — | |
| 11 | Tanner Ludtke | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2004-11-27 | Elko, Minnesota | Omaha (NCHC) | UTA, 81st overall 2023 | |
| 15 | Max Rud | Junior | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2003-09-17 | St. Cloud, Minnesota | Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) | — | |
| 17 | Brody Lamb (C) | Senior | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2003-08-30 | Byron, Minnesota | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) | NYR, 104th overall 2021 | |
| 18 | L. J. Mooney | Freshman | F | 5' 7" (1.7 m) | 157 lb (71 kg) | 2007-03-08 | West Mifflin, Pennsylvania | USNTDP (USHL) | MTL, 113th overall 2025 | |
| 19 | John Mittelstadt | Senior | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2001-10-27 | Eden Prairie, Minnesota | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) | — | |
| 20 | Luke Mittelstadt (C) | Senior | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2003-01-22 | Eden Prairie, Minnesota | Madison Capitols (USHL) | MTL, 197th overall 2023 | |
| 22 | Cal Thomas (C) | Senior | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2003-05-08 | Maple Grove, Minnesota | Chicago Steel (USHL) | UTA, 171st overall 2021 | |
| 23 | Jimmy Clark | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2004-09-24 | Edina, Minnesota | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) | MIN, 213th overall 2023 | |
| 24 | Finn McLaughlin | Freshman | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 207 lb (94 kg) | 2006-02-28 | Canmore, Alberta | Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) | — | |
| 27 | Javon Moore | Freshman | F | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 203 lb (92 kg) | 2005-12-07 | Minnetonka, Minnesota | Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) | OTT, 112th overall 2024 | |
| 29 | Nathan Airey | Junior | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2003-04-24 | Cochrane, Alberta | Cranbrook Bucks (BCHL) | — | |
| 30 | Zach Wiese | Senior | G | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 2002-01-02 | Owatonna, Minnesota | Rochester Grizzlies (NA3HL) | — | |
| 31 | Luca Di Pasquo | Junior | G | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 201 lb (91 kg) | 2003-09-24 | Livonia, Michigan | Michigan State (Big Ten) | — | |
| 33 | Axel Begley | Junior | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2003-12-16 | Mahtomedi, Minnesota | Wisconsin Windigo (NAHL) | — | |
| 34 | Graham Harris | Sophomore | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2003-06-04 | Excelsior, Minnesota | Augsburg (MIAC) | — | |
| 44 | Teddy Townsend | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 2005-09-02 | Eden Prairie, Minnesota | Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) | — | |
| 55 | Leo Gruba | Sophomore | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 209 lb (95 kg) | 2003-12-14 | Lake Elmo, Minnesota | Fargo Force (USHL) | — | |
| 72 | Erik Påhlsson | Sophomore | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2004-04-09 | Landskrona, Sweden | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) | NSH, 213th overall 2024 | |
| 74 | Brodie Ziemer | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | 2006-02-22 | Carver, Minnesota | USNTDP (USHL) | BUF, 71st overall 2024 | |
| 79 | Mason Moe | Freshman | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | 2007-03-26 | Eden Prairie, Minnesota | USNTDP (USHL) | NJD, 90th overall 2025 |
Standings
| Conference record | Overall record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | 3/SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | |||
| #3 Michigan State † | 24 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 51 | 88 | 54 | 35 | 25 | 8 | 2 | 131 | 74 | ||
| #1 Michigan | 24 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 49 | 96 | 66 | 36 | 28 | 7 | 1 | 162 | 85 | ||
| #10т Penn State | 24 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 41 | 86 | 82 | 36 | 21 | 13 | 2 | 135 | 114 | ||
| #12 Wisconsin | 24 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 95 | 84 | 35 | 21 | 12 | 2 | 130 | 108 | ||
| #19 Ohio State | 24 | 8 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 78 | 100 | 36 | 14 | 20 | 2 | 116 | 127 | ||
| Minnesota | 24 | 7 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 27 | 61 | 79 | 36 | 11 | 22 | 3 | 97 | 125 | ||
| Notre Dame | 24 | 5 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 65 | 104 | 37 | 9 | 23 | 5 | 103 | 151 | ||
| Championship: March 21, 2026 † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll; updated March 14, 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||
Schedule and results
| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | |||||||||||
| October 3 | 7:00 pm | Michigan Tech* | #8 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | Fox9+ | Airey | W 6–3 | 9,580 | 1–0–0 | ||
| October 4 | 7:00 pm | Michigan Tech* | #8 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | Fox9+ | Di Pasquo | L 3–5 | 8,972 | 1–1–0 | ||
| October 9 | 8:00 pm | #11 Boston College* | #12 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | BTN | Airey | L 1–3 | 8,145 | 1–2–0 | ||
| October 10 | 6:00 pm | #11 Boston College* | #12 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | B1G+ | Airey | T 2–2 OT | 9,279 | 1–2–1 | ||
| October 17 | 7:00 pm | at #8 North Dakota* | #13 | Ralph Engelstad Arena • Grand Forks, North Dakota (Rivalry) | Midco | Airey | L 2–5 | 11,634 | 1–3–1 | ||
| October 18 | 6:00 pm | at #8 North Dakota* | #13 | Ralph Engelstad Arena • Grand Forks, North Dakota (Rivalry) | Midco | Di Pasquo | W 5–1 | 11,710 | 2–3–1 | ||
| October 24 | 7:00 pm | #19 Minnesota Duluth* | #12 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota (Rivalry) | My9 | Di Pasquo | L 0–3 | 9,630 | 2–4–1 | ||
| October 25 | 7:00 pm | #19 Minnesota Duluth* | #12 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota (Rivalry) | My9 | Airey | L 1–4 | 9,694 | 2–5–1 | ||
| October 30 | 8:00 pm | at #14 Wisconsin | #19 | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin (Rivalry) | BTN | Di Pasquo | L 2–5 | 7,007 | 2–6–1 (0–1–0) | ||
| November 1 | 6:00 pm | at #14 Wisconsin | #19 | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin (Rivalry) | B1G+ | Airey | L 0–4 | 10,016 | 2–7–1 (0–2–0) | ||
| November 7 | 7:00 pm | Notre Dame | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | B1G+ | Di Pasquo | W 3–0 | 9,529 | 3–7–1 (1–2–0) | |||
| November 8 | 7:00 pm | Notre Dame | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | B1G+ | Di Pasquo | W 4–1 | 8,947 | 4–7–1 (2–2–0) | |||
| November 14 | 7:30 pm | Long Island* | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | Di Pasquo | L 1–5 | 8,708 | 4–8–1 | ||||
| November 15 | 5:00 pm | Long Island* | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | Airey | W 6–3 | 8,704 | 5–8–1 | ||||
| November 21 | 7:00 pm | #5 Penn State | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | FS1, TSN2 | Airey | W 3–2 | 9,094 | 6–8–1 (3–2–0) | |||
| November 22 | 7:00 pm | #5 Penn State | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | BTN+, Fox9+ | Airey | L 1–2 | 9,336 | 6–9–1 (3–3–0) | |||
| November 29 | 8:00 pm | vs. #4 Denver* | Ball Arena • Denver, Colorado (U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game) | Fox9+ | Di Pasquo | W 6–5 OT | 12,228 | 7–9–1 | |||
| December 4 | 6:30 pm | at Ohio State | Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio | BTN | Di Pasquo | W 6–3 | 4,297 | 8–9–1 (4–3–0) | |||
| December 5 | 5:00 pm | at Ohio State | Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio | BTN | Airey | L 5–6 OT | 4,484 | 8–10–1 (4–4–0) | |||
| January 2 | 7:00 pm | at Bemidji State | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota (Exhibition) | Midco Sports+, Fox9+ | Airey | T 3–3 SOL | 4,231 | ||||
| January 9 | 5:00 pm | at #9 Penn State | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN+ | Di Pasquo | L 0–3 | 6,192 | 8–11–1 (4–5–0) | |||
| January 10 | 5:00 pm | at #9 Penn State | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN | Airey | L 2–5 | 6,334 | 8–12–1 (4–6–0) | |||
| January 16 | 7:00 pm | #1 Michigan | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | BTN+, Fox9 | Di Pasquo | L 1–5 | 9,948 | 8–13–1 (4–7–0) | |||
| January 17 | 6:00 pm | #1 Michigan | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | BTN+, Fox9 | Di Pasquo | L 2–3 OT | 9,852 | 8–14–1 (4–8–0) | |||
| January 23 | 6:00 pm | at #2 Michigan State | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, Michigan | BTN+ | Di Pasquo | L 1–3 | 6,555 | 8–15–1 (4–9–0) | |||
| January 24 | 5:00 pm | at #2 Michigan State | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, Michigan | BTN | Di Pasquo | L 2–3 | 6,555 | 8–16–1 (4–10–0) | |||
| January 30 | 7:00 pm | #8 Wisconsin | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota (Rivalry) | BTN+, Fox9 | Di Pasquo | W 4–1 | 10,113 | 9–16–1 (5–10–0) | |||
| January 31 | 6:00 pm | #8 Wisconsin | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota (Rivalry) | BTN+, Fox9 | Di Pasquo | W 8–4 | 10,652 | 10–16–1 (6–10–0) | |||
| February 6 | 7:00 pm | Ohio State | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | BTN+, Fox9 | Di Pasquo | L 2–6 | 9,381 | 10–17–1 (6–11–0) | |||
| February 7 | 8:00 pm | Ohio State | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | BTN | Di Pasquo | L 1–2 | 8,707 | 10–18–1 (6–12–0) | |||
| February 13 | 6:00 pm | at Notre Dame | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, Indiana | Peacock | Di Pasquo | T 2–2 SOW | 5,050 | 10–18–2 (6–12–1) | |||
| February 14 | 5:00 pm | at Notre Dame | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, Indiana | Peacock | Di Pasquo | L 2–3 | 5,120 | 10–19–2 (6–13–1) | |||
| February 26 | 5:30 pm | at #2 Michigan | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, Michigan | BTN | Di Pasquo | W 4–2 | 5,547 | 11–19–2 (7–13–1) | |||
| February 27 | 5:00 pm | at #2 Michigan | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, Michigan | BTN | Di Pasquo | L 2–4 | 5,800 | 11–20–2 (7–14–1) | |||
| March 5 | 7:00 pm | #2 Michigan State | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | BTN+, Fox9 | Di Pasquo | L 1–7 | 8,916 | 11–21–2 (7–15–1) | |||
| March 6 | 7:00 pm | #2 Michigan State | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | BTN+, Fox9+ | Di Pasquo | T 3–3 SOW | 9,265 | 11–21–3 (7–15–2) | |||
| Big Ten Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 11 | 6:00 pm | at #10т Penn State* | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania (Quarterfinal) | BTN+ | Di Pasquo | L 2–6 | 4,938 | 11–22–3 | |||
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Central Time. Source:[2] | |||||||||||
Scoring statistics
Rankings
| Poll | Week | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 (Final) | |
| USCHO.com | 8 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 19 | RV | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | – | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | |||
| USA Hockey | 7 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 18 | RV | RV | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | – | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | |||
Note: USCHO did not release a poll in week 12.[4]
Note: USA Hockey did not release a poll in week 12.
References
- ^ "2025–26 Men's Ice Hockey Roster". Minnesota Golden Gophers. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ "2025-26 Men's Hockey Schedule". Minnesota Golden Gophers. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
- ^ "Univ. of Minnesota 2025-2026 Skater Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.