In the summers, Bemidji State's Jackson Jutting and Minnesota's Mike Koster run a hockey camp. They play golf together frequently. So when the two meet on the ice as opponents for the first time since high school on Thursday night, "bragging rights" are on the line.
A small-town hero, a college star who helped the Gophers to a NCAA crown, an Olympic champion and a long-time NHLer whose career culminated with a Stanley Cup, Neal Broten's pace is easy these days.
Limited to just 16 games last season in Arizona due to a serious injury, the former Minnesota Gophers standout is enjoy a chance to skate for the team he idolized as a Twin Cities kid.
Minnesota coach Bob Motzko liked his team's effort, top to bottom, but felt the Gophers deserved a better fate after two potential goals were disallowed before a huge crowd in Madison.
A back-and-forth battle before a huge crowd at Xcel Energy Center needed more than 60 minutes for a decision, as Minnesota came from behind to end St. Thomas hopes of a shocker.
The Gophers star had a change of heart after originally planning to return for another season of college hockey, and will join the NHL team on a three-year pact likely worth around $4 million.
Two from Minnesota and one from Michigan are the trio remaining in contention for college hockey's top individual honor, which will be handed out April 7 in Tampa.
Before he will don a NHL sweater for what all expect will be a lengthy and lucrative pro career, Logan Cooley will skate for the Minnesota Gophers for at least one season. But when he is ready to try hockey for a paycheck, it will be as a member of the Coyotes.
Playing at Xcel Energy Center for the first time since he was a Delano high schooler five years ago, Colorado Avalanche rookie forward Ben Meyers had his own cheering section of former Gophers teammates in his return to Minnesota.
After a decade as an assistant coach with Bob Motzko, first at St. Cloud State and now with the Gophers, Garrett Raboin is getting the opportunity of a lifetime, heading to Sioux Falls to start the new Augustana men's hockey program.
Long before Reggie Lutz was born, his father Danny faced a medical challenge that he has stared down and never let affect what he does as a hockey dad. Also: Gophers forward Schmidt honored for classroom work, and Denver is a surprisingly good seafood town.
Denver played the defensive game it needed to play in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals, limiting powerful Michigan's offense and holding off the Wolverines long enough to win in overtime and advance to the national title game.
Michigan wants to run-and-gun, Minnesota State Mankato wants to do its own thing, and Denver's Bobby Brink wants to advance and maybe play his boyhood heroes for the NCAA title as the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals get underway.
