MINNEAPOLIS – The 12th-ranked Minnesota men’s hockey team is set to host No. 11/10 Boston College for a matchup featuring two of college hockey’s most historic programs from 3M Arena at Mariucci Oct. 9-10.
Coming off a series split last weekend to open the season, the Golden Gophers continue their homestand against a team they have not seen since 2016. The non-conference series gets underway Thursday night at 8 p.m. live on Big Ten Network before continuing Friday evening at 6 p.m. on FOX9+ and streaming on B1G+. Both games will also be broadcast live on the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK.
movie THE PRIDE ON ICE
Minnesota and FOX9 have partnered for a local television broadcast offer for the third-straight year that will air seven home games during the non-conference portion of the 2025-26 campaign presented by Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union. This year’s home broadcasts on FOX9 and FOX9+ will feature a 30-minute Pride on Ice Pre-Game Show presented by M Health Fairview as well as a post-game show recapping the action presented by RBC Wealth Management.
LAST TIME ON THE ICE
The Gophers tallied a series split with Michigan Tech to start the season last weekend, winning the opening contest, 6-3, before falling 5-3 on Saturday. Minnesota erupted for four goals in the third period to claim a come-from-behind win Friday behind Brodie Ziemer’s two-goal night. Tate Pritchard, Brody Lamb, Erik Påhlsson, and Beckett Hendrickson added the other goals for the Maroon and Gold, aided by a 25-slash effort from goaltender Nathan Airey. The following night, the Gophers built an early 3-1 lead with first-period goals from Lamb, LJ Mooney, and Påhlsson, but the Huskies rallied with four unanswered tucks to avoid a sweep at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
EARLY SEASON SPARK
Minnesota spread the offense during its season-opening series, with 13 different players recording points. Returning standouts Jimmy Clark, Brody Lamb, Luke Mittelstadt, and Brodie Ziemer each tallied three points to lead the way. Lamb and Ziemer, joined by Erik Påhlsson, netted two goals apiece, while Clark and Mittelstadt each dished out three assists.
LIGHTS THE LAMP FIRST
Sophomore Brodie Ziemer netted the first goal of the season for the Maroon and Gold on Friday night, a familiar role for the Chaska, Minn., native. Ziemer opened the scoring in four games a season ago and appears to have picked up right where he left off, once again setting the tone early for the Gophers’ offense.
DYNAMIC DEBUTS
Freshmen LJ Mooney and Tate Pritchard each scored their first collegiate goals during opening weekend, with Pritchard striking Friday and Mooney finding the back of the net Saturday. Pritchard, a product of Savage, Minn., tallied a two-point debut, while Mooney added an assist on opening night before his goal in game two against Michigan Tech. Fellow rookies Finn McLaughlin and Javon Moore each contributed an assist in the series, and junior transfer Tanner Ludtke also registered a helper. Three additional newcomers, Luca Di Pasquo, Graham Harris, and Jacob Rombach, made their first appearances in the Maroon and Gold last weekend.
RAISED ANOTHER BANNER
Minnesota raised a championship banner to its rafters last week after securing a share of the Big Ten Conference Championship a year ago, its league-record seventh title in program history and the 30th overall crown for the Gophers. It marked the first shared regular-season championship in the 12-year history of the conference and Minnesota’s third title in the last four seasons. Michigan State joined the Maroon and Gold as the only programs with multiple championships, while every Big Ten school except Michigan has claimed at least one title.
STARTING IN THE WIN COLUMN
The Maroon and Gold have consistently found success when beginning a campaign, holding a 66-37-2 all-time record in the first game of the year following a win over Michigan Tech last Friday. The Gophers have even more success in their home openers, behind a record of 71-31-3, which contains a 23-8-2 mark in home openers at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
AN INSIDE LOOK AT BOSTON COLLEGE
The Eagles come to Dinkytown after dropping their 104th-season opener at home versus No. 13 Quinnipiac last Friday, 4-3. Three goals by the Bobcats built a two-goal cushion that could not be overcome, despite BC going 2-for-3 on the power play. Andre Gasseau assisted on all three goals for the Eagles, while goaltender Jan Korec made the start in net and surrendered four goals on 30 shots faced. BC was picked to finish fifth in the Hockey Easy preseason poll and coming off a 27-win season where it earned a No. 1 seed at the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year.
HISTORY WITH THE EAGLES
Minnesota owns a record of 18-12-3 (.591) all-time against Boston College in a series that dates back to 1954 and have posted a 4-0-1 mark in the past five meetings. The teams have not faced each other since November of 2016 when the No. 8/11 Gophers traveled to battle the No. 4/3 Eagles and thanks to a three-point night, including the game-winning goal, from Vinni Lettieri, earned former head coach Don Lucia his 700th all-time victory. Eric Schierhorn made 31 saves to pick up the win for Minnesota that night. BC is today making its first trip to 3M Arena at Mariucci in more than a decade, having last played in Minneapolis in October 2013.
DEPARTED FIREPOWER
Losing its leading five scorers via early departure to the National Hockey League, Jimmy Snuggerud (51 pts), Connor Kurth (39 pts), Matthew Wood (39 pts), Oliver Moore (33 pts), and Sam Rinzel (32 pts), leaves a massive void in Minnesota’s offensive production heading into the 2025-26 season. Those five skaters combined for 194 of the team’s 415 points, nearly 47 percent of the total. Their departure also strips out a wealth of experience, as all were among the most consistent producers in goals, assists, and special teams contributions. The Gophers will turn to their younger players to step into primary roles and increase secondary scoring.
GAUNTLET RUN FROM START TO FINISH
Minnesota’s 2025-26 regular-season slate will once again be among the nation’s toughest. Of the Gophers’ 35 scheduled games, 25 come against teams ranked in the USCHO preseason poll, while eight more are against unranked opponents that still received votes. Seventeen matchups will be against opponents ranked inside the leading 12, including a heavy dose of Big Ten play. The conference is again stacked, with six Big Ten programs ranked in the preseason leading 20. Minnesota is no stranger to difficult schedules, having battled the nation’s No. 4 strength of schedule in 2023-24 and the No. 2 schedule the year before. Even last year’s “dip” to the No. 19 toughest schedule still placed the Gophers among the most battle-tested teams in the country.
LUCKY 13 VIA THE NHL DRAFT
Minnesota begins the campaign with 13 NHL-drafted players on its roster, the fourth-most of any NCAA program, but will take the ice without a first-round draft pick for the first time since the 2018-19 season. After being selected in the second round over the summer, Jacob Rombach is the highest-drafted prospect for the Gophers this season, while Mason Moe (2025), Brodie Ziemer (2024), and Tanner Ludtke (2023) were all picked in the third round of their respective draft class. The Maroon and Gold lead all NCAA men’s hockey programs with 248 total draft selections, a number boosted by five more in June 2025, including two future signed prospects. Dating back to 1974, at least one Gopher has been chosen in 51 of the last 52 NHL Entry Drafts, with 2001 standing as the lone exception.
DEFENSEMAN ‘U’
Minnesota was the lone college hockey program in the country with more than 10 blue liners in the NHL last season. A total of 12 former Gopher defensemen took the ice in the NHL during the 2024-25 campaign, accounting for more than 600 games played. Highlighted in that group was Erik Johnson becoming the ninth former Minnesota skater to reach the 1,000-game milestone when he anthem the mark last November and capped by Nate Schmidt’s Stanley Cup victory with the Florida Panthers. At the collegiate level, Minnesota has dominated the Big Ten Conference’s postseason awards dedicated to defensive play, winning six of the 12 Defensive Player of the Year awards distributed, including three of the last four.
Coming off a series split last weekend to open the season, the Golden Gophers continue their homestand against a team they have not seen since 2016. The non-conference series gets underway Thursday night at 8 p.m. live on Big Ten Network before continuing Friday evening at 6 p.m. on FOX9+ and streaming on B1G+. Both games will also be broadcast live on the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK.
movie THE PRIDE ON ICE
Minnesota and FOX9 have partnered for a local television broadcast offer for the third-straight year that will air seven home games during the non-conference portion of the 2025-26 campaign presented by Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union. This year’s home broadcasts on FOX9 and FOX9+ will feature a 30-minute Pride on Ice Pre-Game Show presented by M Health Fairview as well as a post-game show recapping the action presented by RBC Wealth Management.
LAST TIME ON THE ICE
The Gophers tallied a series split with Michigan Tech to start the season last weekend, winning the opening contest, 6-3, before falling 5-3 on Saturday. Minnesota erupted for four goals in the third period to claim a come-from-behind win Friday behind Brodie Ziemer’s two-goal night. Tate Pritchard, Brody Lamb, Erik Påhlsson, and Beckett Hendrickson added the other goals for the Maroon and Gold, aided by a 25-slash effort from goaltender Nathan Airey. The following night, the Gophers built an early 3-1 lead with first-period goals from Lamb, LJ Mooney, and Påhlsson, but the Huskies rallied with four unanswered tucks to avoid a sweep at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
EARLY SEASON SPARK
Minnesota spread the offense during its season-opening series, with 13 different players recording points. Returning standouts Jimmy Clark, Brody Lamb, Luke Mittelstadt, and Brodie Ziemer each tallied three points to lead the way. Lamb and Ziemer, joined by Erik Påhlsson, netted two goals apiece, while Clark and Mittelstadt each dished out three assists.
LIGHTS THE LAMP FIRST
Sophomore Brodie Ziemer netted the first goal of the season for the Maroon and Gold on Friday night, a familiar role for the Chaska, Minn., native. Ziemer opened the scoring in four games a season ago and appears to have picked up right where he left off, once again setting the tone early for the Gophers’ offense.
DYNAMIC DEBUTS
Freshmen LJ Mooney and Tate Pritchard each scored their first collegiate goals during opening weekend, with Pritchard striking Friday and Mooney finding the back of the net Saturday. Pritchard, a product of Savage, Minn., tallied a two-point debut, while Mooney added an assist on opening night before his goal in game two against Michigan Tech. Fellow rookies Finn McLaughlin and Javon Moore each contributed an assist in the series, and junior transfer Tanner Ludtke also registered a helper. Three additional newcomers, Luca Di Pasquo, Graham Harris, and Jacob Rombach, made their first appearances in the Maroon and Gold last weekend.
RAISED ANOTHER BANNER
Minnesota raised a championship banner to its rafters last week after securing a share of the Big Ten Conference Championship a year ago, its league-record seventh title in program history and the 30th overall crown for the Gophers. It marked the first shared regular-season championship in the 12-year history of the conference and Minnesota’s third title in the last four seasons. Michigan State joined the Maroon and Gold as the only programs with multiple championships, while every Big Ten school except Michigan has claimed at least one title.
STARTING IN THE WIN COLUMN
The Maroon and Gold have consistently found success when beginning a campaign, holding a 66-37-2 all-time record in the first game of the year following a win over Michigan Tech last Friday. The Gophers have even more success in their home openers, behind a record of 71-31-3, which contains a 23-8-2 mark in home openers at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
AN INSIDE LOOK AT BOSTON COLLEGE
The Eagles come to Dinkytown after dropping their 104th-season opener at home versus No. 13 Quinnipiac last Friday, 4-3. Three goals by the Bobcats built a two-goal cushion that could not be overcome, despite BC going 2-for-3 on the power play. Andre Gasseau assisted on all three goals for the Eagles, while goaltender Jan Korec made the start in net and surrendered four goals on 30 shots faced. BC was picked to finish fifth in the Hockey Easy preseason poll and coming off a 27-win season where it earned a No. 1 seed at the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year.
HISTORY WITH THE EAGLES
Minnesota owns a record of 18-12-3 (.591) all-time against Boston College in a series that dates back to 1954 and have posted a 4-0-1 mark in the past five meetings. The teams have not faced each other since November of 2016 when the No. 8/11 Gophers traveled to battle the No. 4/3 Eagles and thanks to a three-point night, including the game-winning goal, from Vinni Lettieri, earned former head coach Don Lucia his 700th all-time victory. Eric Schierhorn made 31 saves to pick up the win for Minnesota that night. BC is today making its first trip to 3M Arena at Mariucci in more than a decade, having last played in Minneapolis in October 2013.
DEPARTED FIREPOWER
Losing its leading five scorers via early departure to the National Hockey League, Jimmy Snuggerud (51 pts), Connor Kurth (39 pts), Matthew Wood (39 pts), Oliver Moore (33 pts), and Sam Rinzel (32 pts), leaves a massive void in Minnesota’s offensive production heading into the 2025-26 season. Those five skaters combined for 194 of the team’s 415 points, nearly 47 percent of the total. Their departure also strips out a wealth of experience, as all were among the most consistent producers in goals, assists, and special teams contributions. The Gophers will turn to their younger players to step into primary roles and increase secondary scoring.
GAUNTLET RUN FROM START TO FINISH
Minnesota’s 2025-26 regular-season slate will once again be among the nation’s toughest. Of the Gophers’ 35 scheduled games, 25 come against teams ranked in the USCHO preseason poll, while eight more are against unranked opponents that still received votes. Seventeen matchups will be against opponents ranked inside the leading 12, including a heavy dose of Big Ten play. The conference is again stacked, with six Big Ten programs ranked in the preseason leading 20. Minnesota is no stranger to difficult schedules, having battled the nation’s No. 4 strength of schedule in 2023-24 and the No. 2 schedule the year before. Even last year’s “dip” to the No. 19 toughest schedule still placed the Gophers among the most battle-tested teams in the country.
LUCKY 13 VIA THE NHL DRAFT
Minnesota begins the campaign with 13 NHL-drafted players on its roster, the fourth-most of any NCAA program, but will take the ice without a first-round draft pick for the first time since the 2018-19 season. After being selected in the second round over the summer, Jacob Rombach is the highest-drafted prospect for the Gophers this season, while Mason Moe (2025), Brodie Ziemer (2024), and Tanner Ludtke (2023) were all picked in the third round of their respective draft class. The Maroon and Gold lead all NCAA men’s hockey programs with 248 total draft selections, a number boosted by five more in June 2025, including two future signed prospects. Dating back to 1974, at least one Gopher has been chosen in 51 of the last 52 NHL Entry Drafts, with 2001 standing as the lone exception.
DEFENSEMAN ‘U’
Minnesota was the lone college hockey program in the country with more than 10 blue liners in the NHL last season. A total of 12 former Gopher defensemen took the ice in the NHL during the 2024-25 campaign, accounting for more than 600 games played. Highlighted in that group was Erik Johnson becoming the ninth former Minnesota skater to reach the 1,000-game milestone when he anthem the mark last November and capped by Nate Schmidt’s Stanley Cup victory with the Florida Panthers. At the collegiate level, Minnesota has dominated the Big Ten Conference’s postseason awards dedicated to defensive play, winning six of the 12 Defensive Player of the Year awards distributed, including three of the last four.
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