What had been taken for granted in the 1990s and early 2000s is now appreciated given the work it has taken to get back to this point. A record crowd of 10,894 for the second game of the Badgers series on Feb. 1 brought total attendance for the sweep to 21,641.

Connor Kurth and Cal Thomas celebrate a goal against Wisconsin in front of the packed home crowd cheering them on. (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Athletics)

“For all of us who work in the athletic department and on the external side, where we’re not on the ice every day, having a game-day environment like that is what we aspire to,” said Mike Wierzbicki, senior associate athletic director for the Gophers. “Providing an atmosphere that fans can enjoy and that gives you goosebumps.”

Telling the story of attendance and fan interest at what is now known as 3M at Mariucci Arena, isn’t as simple as throwing out a bunch of attendance figures.

That helps — the average of 9,769 tickets distributed this season is the highest it has been since 2015-16 and is up from 7,867 in 2021-22 — but it fails to address the most important thing: The electricity, as Motzko called it, that has returned to the 32-year-old building.

That is what so often had seemed to be missing until the last few seasons. A student section that wasn’t filled, or season tickets that had been sold to corporations or the general public, but weren’t used. The tickets might have been distributed, but that doesn’t mean sections were full or that the building had life.

The Dropoff
Motkzo was part of two NCAA championship teams during his time as an assistant on Gophers coach Don Lucia’s staff from 2001-05 and returned to replace Lucia in 2018 after spending 13 seasons at St. Cloud State. Motzko remembers the importance placed on getting fans back upon his return.

Bob Motzko has coached the Gophers men’s hockey team since 2018-19. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

“It was a major discussion at the administrative level, and they did a lot of things behind the scenes, too, on students and ticket prices,” he said. “It was the perfect storm. I always call it the breakup of the WCHA. That took a decade for people to forgive. I think we’re through that.”

As members of the Big Ten, the Gophers were forced to make the move from the WCHA to the Big Ten when the conference began to sponsor men’s ice hockey in the 2013-14 season. This was triggered by Penn State’s decision to start playing Division I hockey and enabled the Big Ten to have a six-team conference. It resulted in major upheaval for college hockey.

The Gophers had long-established WCHA rivalries with North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State. Throw in Minnesota State Mankato and Wisconsin, and five of Minnesota’s nine conference opponents were within driving distance. The Civic Center and then the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul were the regular hosts of the WCHA Final Five.

Suddenly, all of that was gone, and while tickets were still being sold to Gophers games, the amount of nights on which Mariucci felt like the place to be dwindled. This despite the fact the Gophers finished in first place in the Big Ten each of the conference’s first four seasons and went to the championship game of the 2014 Frozen Four.

Mike Wierzbicki, University of Minnesota senior associate athletic director. (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Athletics)

Wierzbicki, who grew up in Minnesota, arrived at the university as the assistant athletic director of marketing for the 2016-17 season. The Gophers won the Big Ten before losing in the NCAA regional semifinals to Notre Dame. There was an average of 9,595 tickets distributed as the Gophers qualified for the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in six seasons under Lucia.

The figure plummeted to 8,726 in 2017-18 as the Gophers finished fifth in the conference and did not make the NCAA tournament in Lucia’s final season. Motzko was hired to replace Lucia, but the work was just starting.

“There was a lack of WCHA rivalries and some changes there were not the most well-received things,” Wierzbicki said. “We also knew our team success wasn’t where we are nowadays and we didn’t perform on the ice the way we’re accustomed to.”

That wasn’t the only issue. The other was that a season-ticket waiting list that dated to the 1990s was “pretty much exhausted,” by Lucia’s penultimate season. That meant that when season-ticket holders didn’t renew for 2017-18, the athletic department was left with no built-in place to turn to replace them.

That wasn’t going to be easy, especially with the general public and corporations. The Gophers had the hockey market largely to themselves when the new Mariucci opened in 1993, the same year the NHL and North Stars left for Dallas. But by the time the season-ticket waiting list was gone, the NHL had returned with the Wild in St. Paul, the Twins were playing in a new stadium (Target Field) and the Vikings were opening U.S. Bank Stadium.

The sports dollar only goes so far and fans only want to attend so many events. Tickets to Gophers games weren’t cheap and there also was the issue of students no longer packing the place.

The road back
The low point came in March 2019. The Gophers played host to Michigan in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament. Minnesota swept the Wolverines in two games, but the headline was the attendance.

The Gophers’ 3-2 overtime victory in the opener drew an announced crowd of 1,835 fans. Numerous photos from inside the building indicated that figure might have been generous. According to a 2023 Star Tribune story, the Gophers had an average of only 5,325 tickets scanned per game during Motzko’s first season.

The average number of tickets distributed in 2019-20 decreased to 8,100 during the season in which the COVID-19 pandemic caused the season to be canceled before the end of the Big Ten tournament. Fans were not allowed into games the following season, and the low point of 7,867 for ticket distribution came in 2021-22.

The general public season-ticket sales for that season was 3,991 and the student season-ticket figure was 1,498. The Gophers, however, won the Big Ten and made it to the Frozen Four before losing to Minnesota State in the semifinals.

As disappointing as the attendance figures might have been, things were about to get a lot better. Some of it was in the control of Wierzbicki and his team and some of it was timing.

“Once students got through Covid, there was an opportunity to springboard off that and we saw them more interested in coming to games across the board,” Wierzbicki said.

Ticket distribution has been on the upswing for the past three seasons. (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Athletics)

The distribution of tickets has been on the rise the past three seasons: 9,129 in 2022-23 as the Gophers lost the NCAA title game after finishing first in the Big Ten; 9,221 in 2023-24 in which Motzko’s team lost to Boston University in the NCAA regional finals after finishing third in the conference; and 9,769 this season. The non-student season-ticket sales have been over 4,500 for two consecutive years and student season tickets have been over 1,500 for three years in a row.

“You have felt it ever since Covid with the students,” Motzko said. “If you remember, right before Covid, student attendance was falling all over the country in every sport. Then, the craziest thing is now we’ve got this uptick going on. For us, there’s no question. Our student section brings our building to life. We have such great diehard fans. They love that young energy. You can’t fool our fans, they want good hockey. But when you get that electricity in this building, I think it’s the greatest atmosphere in one of the greatest college sports.”

Wierzbicki points to the work done by the marketing, digital and social teams in the athletic department.

“We had to make it fun, right?” he said. “A cool and fun thing to do. So that played into giveaways, free food and creating demand and interest. All of those things need to come together. … But it all goes back to the post-Covid buzz and once there was reinvigorated energy to springboard off of that.”

Both season- and single-game ticket prices were dropped in different areas of the arena and a strategy was devised to get more fans into the building. One of those has been moving the faceoff time for Saturday home games to 5 p.m. That has helped the Gophers get more groups, such as youth hockey teams, and families to come to games and get home at a decent hour.

Giveaways also have helped.

“Our marketing team has done a good job of thinking outside the box,” Wierzbicki said. “We’ve done more unique things that students found value in. It might be a scarf giveaway or a unique stocking cap.”

Of course, “it doesn’t move the needle unless the team is successful,” Wierzbicki said.

The Gophers will enter their weekend series at Michigan in second place in the Big Ten, five points behind Michigan State with six games remaining. Their final regular-season home series will be Feb. 21-22 against Ohio State. The Gophers are a Big Ten-best 12-2-2 at home this season.

It feels like old times at Mariucci.

“You go back to (the Doug) Woog days and Lucia days, it’s been that before,” Motzko said. “We’re not creating anything new. Things go in cycles. We’ve always said, ‘Our fans haven’t gone anywhere, we’ve got to give them a reason to come back.’”

Both the team and the marketing department have done just that.

The post ‘Electric’ Crowds Are Back appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

For 50 years, the St. Paul Capitals Hockey Association has provided generations of players – from mini-mites to Bantams – the opportunity to learn, compete and enjoy the sport on hometown rinks in their own community.

The organization has evolved from its inception as the Highland Hockey Association, which, in 1973, was one of many organizations supporting neighborhood and local park teams.

Highland joined forces with the Midway neighborhood of St. Paul in 1987, eventually becoming the Highland Central Capitals. In 2014, its current incarnation, the St. Paul Capitals as it is known today, became permanent.

Much has changed since the early days of the organization, but much has stayed the same, according to Capitals board president Julie Bustos, who’s been involved for years as a board member as well as a parent, having three kids participate in the program.

In the buildup to the 50th anniversary celebration, Bustos connected with a number of people involved in the early years of the association and heard first-hand how their shared experiences forged lasting bonds.

“There’s a lot of pride built into that,” Bustos said. “It was amazing to hear their stories about how much hockey meant to players both on the ice, as well as skills and things that they applied in their life off the ice, the friendships that they made that they still have.”

Matt Funk is the athletic director and boys hockey coach at Cretin-Derham Hall and knows the value the Capitals provide not just the community, but his program as well. Funk’s grandfather, Bill, coached at the University of St. Thomas, and in 1973, was one of the founders of the association, creating opportunities for three generations of Funks who went to play and coach in St. Paul high schools and colleges.

The St. Paul Capitals Hockey Association started as the Highland Hockey Association. (Photo courtesy of St. Paul Capitals Hockey Association)

“We’re rooted in St. Paul hockey. It’s not just a game. It’s about the lifelong skills you learn and the memories and friends you make,” Funk said. “The history here is remarkable and we need to keep that going for generations to come.”

Mike Vannelli also knows all about hockey friendships and lasting traditions. The Vannelli family is synonymous with hockey in St. Paul. Mike’s father, Tom Vannelli, played for Herb Brooks at the University of Minnesota, and was a freshman in 1974 when the Gophers won their first national championship. As a sophomore, the elder Vannelli was second in scoring for the WCHA champion Gophers.

Tom was head coach at Cretin-Derham Hall and co-head coach with his brother, Greg, at St. Thomas Academy. Mike played his high school hockey for his father at Cretin; and he played four years for the Gophers under Don Lucia, where he won a national championship before several seasons in Europe.

But prior to skating at Mariucci – or for the perennially powerful Raiders – Mike Vannelli came of age with the Highland Central Capitals.

“There’s a phenomenal sense of community,” Mike Vannelli said. “There’s a lot of kids that are playing in the association that are second, third, some are even fourth generation. And so, it’s pretty special in that regard. And it’s a very tight knit community.”

Today, Mike Vannelli’s son and daughter play in the Capitals program, where he is doing double time as vice president of boys hockey, as well as coach of his son’s squirt team.

“There’s so many things that as a parent and coach that you see that they’re able to get out of it,” Mike Vannelli said. “First and foremost, it seems like they’ve built some amazing friendships that they’ll be able to carry with them the rest of their lives.”

Mike Vannelli points to the fun he sees his kids having with teammates – in practices and in games, both structured and unstructured, inside arenas and outdoors in parks – as invaluable experiences, providing not just enjoyment, but lifetime lessons.

“The qualities that they begin to get instilled in them through competition, accountability, just learning to be a good teammate; what that means, essentially translates to being a good person on and off the ice,” he said.

How can the Capitals keep moving forward? 
After decades of creating those experiences for thousands of St. Paul kids, the Capitals are now faced with an existential challenge: how to keep the organization vital and thriving for the next 50 years and beyond. Ice time has grown scarce, and expensive, while participation costs continue to increase.

During the 2023-24 season, fees for squirt and 10U were $1,220; and that number only rises for older players.

The Capitals are working to keep the program viable for future generations. (Photo courtesy of St. Paul Capitals Hockey Association)

“We’re challenged with finding ways to try and keep that cost as manageable as possible,” Mike Vannelli said. “And there’s some folks within our association that have done an amazing job with some fundraising efforts that they’ve kicked off.”

With rising costs and dwindling numbers already having claimed most of St. Paul’s youth programs, the Capitals are working in-season and out to keep their program viable for future generations.

“It’s a little bittersweet to be honest with you,” said Jim Runyon, director of fundraising for the Capitals and a lifelong St. Paul resident who grew up playing in the Central Hockey Association.

Runyon can’t help but think of the thriving programs in the parks and recreation system when he was growing up. Associations like Battle Creek, Phalen and Conway, among numerous others, no longer exist.

“There were probably 25 organizations in St. Paul that offered really good, quality competitive hockey,” Runyon said. “So, to celebrate our 50th was great because you feel like ‘Wow, this is a long time that kids have been playing hockey here,’ but you also look at who’s still around and it’s kind of sad to see.”

But Runyon is quick to call out the silver lining the Capitals have sought: New fundraising efforts which are now the lifeblood of the program.

Kelly Rand, the association’s gambling coordinator, has set the course for the Capitals to raise funds as suburban programs like Woodbury, White Bear Lake, Eagan and Edina have through legalized gambling or, more specifically, pull-tabs and Bingo, through exclusive agreements with local establishments.

“A year and a half ago, we became licensed. We started with one bar, and a bar and restaurant,” Runyon said. “We now have two up and running and we’re trying to play catch up.”

Creating financial stability as hockey costs rise
The goal is to generate more than just fast funding – which is needed – but to create generational stability for the association.

“The costs of hockey are going up too fast,” Runyon said. “And in order to sustain it, we had to put on the brakes, and the only way to do that was to set up some sort of endowment.”

The growing need inspired the St. Paul Capital’s Legacy Fund, which will maintain proceeds for investment, with a small percentage coming out each year to fund the program.

“We have to work a little bit harder, but more importantly, we have to be smarter about what we do with our money,” Runyon said. ‘That money is dedicated and restricted so that for the next 50 years, kids in St. Paul will have an opportunity to play hockey.”

The results are encouraging for coaches, parents and their kids. And for leaders like Bustos, who’s seen hockey evolve since her playing days, before girls hockey was ever a thought.

Bustos competed exclusively with boys in the Tartan Area youth league until Bantams. So for her, the focus is always about providing opportunities for kids to participate – now and well into the future.

“How do we keep this association and the service that it brings to the community alive and vibrant?” she asked, rhetorically. “We want to produce the same kind of emotional connections and life connections and athletic development that we’ve been providing for the last 50 years.

“My dad coached me and now I’m coaching my kid and I want to make sure that my kid has a chance to coach their kids.”

The post 50 Years And Counting appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

The University of Minnesota announced on Tuesday, March 27, that Bob Motzko will be the next head coach of the Gopher men’s hockey team. Motzko, who was an assistant with the U of M from 2001-05, has been bench boss for the St. Cloud State Huskies for the past 13 years.

Motzko replaces Don Lucia, who stepped down after 19 years where he led the Gophers to back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003. During his 13 seasons at St. Cloud State, Motzko compiled a career record of 276-192-49, and led the Huskies to NCAA Tournament berths in eight of the past eleven seasons.

The Huskies season ended earlier than expected last week at the NCAA Tournament when they were upset by the Air Force Falcons. St. Cloud was the top seed in this year’s tournament field and it was the second time in three years the Huskies went one-and-done in NCAA tournament play.

In 2013, Motzko guided St. Cloud State to its first Frozen Four appearance. That Huskies squad was led by Hobey Baker winner Drew LeBlanc. He twice led the U.S. National Junior team at the IIHF World Junior Championship, which included a gold medal in 2017.

The Austin, Minnesota native has won his fair share of personal accolades, as he’s won conference coach of the year four times: twice in the NCHC (2014 and 2018) and twice when St. Cloud was in the WCHA (2006 and 2007).

“I am excited and honored for the opportunity to lead Golden Gopher Hockey,” according to a University of Minnesota press release. “The rich history and tradition of this program is honored by so many in our state and around the country. We will work tirelessly to make those people proud.”

The Gophers missed the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years this season. Motzko will be tasked with getting the program back to tournament; while competing in a rugged Big Ten conference, which features three teams in this year’s Frozen Four, which will be held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

The post Gophers Land Motzko appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Lucia, 59, had one season remaining on a contract that was scheduled to pay him $612,500 next season.

A native of Grand Rapids, Minn., who played hockey at Notre Dame University, Lucia has overseen a program with declining success both in wins-losses and gate receipts over  the past few years.

Home attendance was announced at 8,724 per game this season — more than 1,200 short of a sellout — and crowds frequently numbered fewer than that because of no-shows.

Lucia’s teams won NCAA championships in 2003 and 2004 and he posted a record of 457-248-73 at Minnesota, including 11 regular-season conference titles, four league playoff titles and five appearances in the NCAA Frozen Four.

The 457 wins rank first in Gophers’ history.

This season, however, his team went 19-17-2, lost its final four Big Ten games to Penn State and was knocked out of the NCAA field because of the success of other teams after that.

Lucia issued the following statement through the University of Minnesota: 

“I am proud of the 14 banners that have been added to the rafters of 3M Arena at Mariucci. I am forever grateful to all the coaches, staff and most importantly the players who have worked so hard to accomplish this over the years.

“Most importantly to me, we did it the right way. Our players all graduate and have always represented themselves to the high standards of Gopher hockey on and off the ice. It has been a tremendous honor and privilege to be the head hockey coach at the University of Minnesota.”

The big question is who will follow Lucia to try to resurrect a program that formerly was considered one of the best — if not the best — men’s hockey programs in the United States. Among the expected candidates will be Gophers assistants Mike Guentzel and Scott Bell and Northern Michigan coach Grant Potulny, all former players in the system.

The post Lucia steps down appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Minnesota finally gets the best of St. Cloud State

It had been awhile since the Gopher men’s hockey team bested their inner-state rival the St. Cloud State Huskies.

No. 10 Minnesota manufactured a split against No. 1 St. Cloud after a 2-0 win on Jan. 7. It was their first win over SCSU since Nov. 1 2014; snapping a five-game losing streak.

“In the time that I’ve been here, we haven’t been too great in our state,” Gophers sophomore Darian Romanko said after Sunday’s win. “So it feels good to get a Minnesota win.”

Minnesota coach Don Lucia called the Huskies the best team they’ve faced all year following the series-opening 5-2 loss the evening before. Lucia’s not the only one who shares that opinion, as the Huskies entered the weekend as the No. 1 team in the nation, according to USCHO.com, and has been on top, or near the top of the polls for the majority of the season.

Traditionally, college hockey games are played on Friday and Saturday, but both teams accommodated one another in the preseason to switch the games to Saturday-Sunday series, as each had ties to the World Junior Championships in Buffalo, New York. Team USA was coached by St. Cloud State bench boss Bob Motzko while SCSU’s Ryan Poehling and Minnesota’s Ryan Lindgren and Casey Mittelstadt were also on the team.

As Team USA captured the bronze medal at the tournament on Jan. 5, both Mittelstadt and Lindgren’s equipment was lost on the flight back, which meant the Gophers were without both players for Saturday’s game. Despite the Gophers netting the first goal in the series opener, their lead didn’t last long as St. Cloud State junior Mikey Eyssimont scored twice and Jeff Smith made 21 saves in a 5-2 win.

However both teams made changes in net for the Sunday’s game. Usual Gopher mainstay, Eric Schierhorn, sat on the bench, as sophomore Mat Robson made his fourth start of the season. Meanwhile, freshman David Hrenak got the call for St. Cloud State. The Huskies have rotated both Smith and Hrenak for the majority of the season. Despite two power plays in the first twenty minutes, the U of M could not convert on the man advantage, adding to their special team woes. Over their last five games, Minnesota is a shocking 0-27 on the power play. By the end of the first period, neither team lit the lamp.

It was another slow start in the second period and as the game reached its halfway point, neither team was on the scoreboard. And towards the end of the period, there was some controversy as it appeared Eyssimont scored his third goal of the series for St. Cloud.

There was an official review for a man in the crease, but the goal still stood. Lucia then challenged that St. Cloud State had too many men on the ice and another review ensued which confirmed Lucia’s assertion and the goal was overturned. Coach’s challenges are now allowed in the regular season, outside of the last two minutes of the regulation, to determine if a play that led to a goal was offsides or if the attacking team had too many men on the ice.

“We had too many men,” Motzko said. “You know my guys were mad. I said, ‘Hey I don’t want to lose a game at the end of the year on that play,’ so I’m ok with the call. I don’t know if they got to it the right way, but I don’t want to lose a game like that late. That’s a good call.”

The Gophers netted the game’s first goal on Romanko’s second of the season 3:10 into the final period. The goal was unassisted, but you could give an unofficial assist to St. Cloud freshman Luke Jaycox, who thought he was clearing the zone, but he put the rubber right on the tape of Romanko’s stick.

St. Cloud had their chances though as they drew a power play with seven-minutes remaining and put on 15 shots in the final period. They also outshot their opponent 25-11 over the final two periods. But even with the extra-attacker on the ice, the Huskies weren’t able to convert and Gophers senior Mike Szmatula iced the game with an empty-net goal.

“I’m happy with the response,” Lucia said. “We were disappointed in some of the aspects of our game. But you’re still going to be playing a really good team, so they can expose you at times. But I thought our energy, our battle level and our wall play was much better tonight.”

The win was big for the Gophers, and will definitely help them out in the Pairwise ranking for getting into the NCAA Tournament in March. Now the team will close out their regular season against conference opponents in the Big Ten. They’ll also have to be a much better team on the road as the Gophers have just one win in 10 road games this season.

Up next for the U of M is the Michigan Wolverines on Jan. 12 and both games will be played at 3M Arena at Mariucci, where Minnesota is 11-2 on the season.

On the flip side, St. Cloud State will host Western Michigan University next weekend.

The post Gophers snap skid appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Former Gopher captain and assistant takes over at Northern Michigan

The University of Minnesota suffered a blow to its coaching staff on Tuesday morning with the announcement that Gopher assistant coach Grant Potulny has accepted the head coaching position at Northern Michigan University.

“My family and I are very excited to be joining the Northern Michigan community,” Potulny said in a statement released by Northern Michigan. “The hockey team has been a great source of pride for alumni, fans and students for the past 41 years. This is a wonderful opportunity, and I look forward to adding to the tradition and success of Wildcat hockey.”

Potulny, who spent the past eight years on the Minnesota bench, helped guide his alma mater to an NCAA record six-straight regular-season conference titles along with four NCAA tournament berths and pair of Frozen Four appearances.

The school’s only three-year captain since 1947, Potulny led the Gophers to back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003, scoring the game winner in overtime against Maine in 2002 at Xcel Energy Center.

The Grand Forks, ND native recorded 116 points (68 goals, 48 assists) in a Maroon & Gold sweater before playing professionally from 2004-09. Potulny and his wife, Melissa, have three children: Jack, Owen and Charlotte.

“Grant is very deserving of the opportunity to be the next head coach at Northern Michigan University,” Minnesota head coach Don Lucia said in a statement released by the school’s communications office. “He’s had a tremendous career at the ‘U’ as a player and as a coach, and it’s been enjoyable to watch him grow. There’s no question in my mind that he’s ready to be a head coach. Grant’s a great family man, and he and his family will be a tremendous asset in their move to Marquette.”

In the February 2017 issue of Minnesota Hockey Magazine, Potulny expressed to writer Eric Vegoe how thankful he was for the opportunity Lucia gad given him over the last eight years.

“He took a chance on me,” Potulny said of Lucia. “There were a lot of people that were way more qualified for this position than I was, and I think Don saw something that he thought he could help groom and grow, for that I’m grateful.”

Potulny replaces former Wildcats’ coach Walt Kyle who was informed last month his contract would not be renewed by the school following a 13-22-4 season. Kyle compiled an overall record of 265-263-68 during 15 seasons at the helm of the program. 

“Grant impressed everyone throughout the interview process and truly earned this opportunity,” said Director of Athletics Forrest Karr. “He is a tremendous leader committed to excellence and has achieved success at each level as a player and as a coach. Grant has had quality mentors throughout his career, and it shows in his attention to detail and plan for Northern Michigan hockey. This is Grant’s time to lead and continue the program’s rich history.”

Northern Michigan forward Zach Diamantoni said the team is looking forward to starting a new chapter of Wildcat hockey with Potulny.

“My initial impression of Coach Potulny was he’s a winner,” Diamantoni said. “During our meeting, he demonstrated a calm, confident presence with a clear vision for success. Coach Potulny brings tremendous leadership and a winning attitude that will have a positive impact on the Northern Michigan University hockey program and community.”

In addition to his coaching accomplishments at Minnesota, Potulny has been integral part of USA Hockey’s success at the international level. He has served as an assistant coach on two gold medal-winning U.S. National Junior Teams at the IIHF World Junior Championships (2013, 2017). His most recent outing in 2017 saw the U.S. squad go unbeaten in tournament action to claim its fourth gold medal and 10th overall medal.

“You don’t get picked to be on a couple World Junior staffs if you don’t have the ability to coach,” Lucia told Vegoe in the aforementioned February article. “I think he’s a good recruiter, I think his coaching has really improved and grown over the years like you’d expect when you start with no experience.”

The post Potulny Moving On appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Minnesota / North Dakota rivalry picks up where it left off

It’s highly doubtful that another series on Minnesota’s schedule was circled, highlighted or anticipated more than a visit from North Dakota in the first weekend in November.

No matchup moves the meter more for either team’s following, historically, and add in the fact that the Gophers and Fighting Hawks haven’t been on one another’s schedule since 2013, the last season both teams were members of the WCHA.

But conference realignment, a term that became profane for the die-hards of many college hockey fans in the west, moved Minnesota and UND to the newly-formed Big Ten and National Collegiate Hockey Conferences, respectively.

Minnesota and UND collided, by chance, in the 2014 Frozen Four where the Gophers won on a goal with less than a second remaining in the third period of a tie game.

But the first three seasons of college hockey’s ‘new world’ went by without a scheduled game between the schools and the fans were ready.

But would the excitement for the rivalry find its way from each fan base to the players, most of whom had never tasted the rivalry?

“The players understand,” Minnesota coach Don Lucia said. “I made the comment, ‘just YouTube it.’ There’s plenty of action there. You can find whatever you want.

“There was an early scrum and you knew, ‘we’re back.’”

Well, it only took a little more than two minutes for the first coincidental roughing penalties. Four minutes later, UND captain Gage Ausmus and Minnesota’s Ryan Lindgren engaged in a one-on-one tangle away from the play near the boards that resulted in double roughing minors and 10-minute misconducts for each player

“No one here has really experienced the rivalry firsthand,” Ausmus said after Friday’s game.

“But we’re all aware of the history and tradition of this series, what the teams bring to the table and how the games end up.

“We talked about it during the week, how intense this series was going to be and how it’s one of the biggest of the year for us.”

The rivalry was put on hold while the University of North Dakota and the state of North Dakota worked to resolve the Fighting Sioux nickname issue. The University of Minnesota established a policy that prevented its teams from scheduling opponents with Native American nicknames in nonconference competition in any sport.

“We had the chance to schedule Boston College and Northeastern or we could wait around and see what would happen (with the UND nickname),” Lucia said in a Jan. 2013 radio interview. “How long was that going to take? That had gone on for years and there was no end in sight. We don’t have a lot of room on the schedule.”

Friday’s reunion game had everything except for a lead change, but every time the Fighting Hawks broke the tie, the Gophers answered the call.

(MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

Tucker Poolman, one of four East Grand Forks natives on UND’s roster, seemingly plugged the game-winning goal with 1:59 left in the third period, but Tommy Novak’s second goal of the game tied it 5-5 and that’s how it ended.

It was very similar to the final regularly-scheduled Minnesota-UND game of the WCHA rivalry in Jan. 2013 at Mariucci that saw the Gophers battle back from a two-goal deficit in the third period and Nate Condon tie the game late in the third. That also ended with a tie.

Minnesota skated away from the weekend on top with a 2-0 win on the back of goaltender Eric Schierhorn’s 33 saves.

The bi-partisan crowd made plenty of noise as expected, but surprising was the amount of empty seats throughout Friday’s game. Fans trickled in slowly after puck drop but the golden ‘M’ on each side was still visible all game and Friday’s announced attendance was 61 short of the 10,000-person capacity.

Saturday’s announced attendance exceeded capacity at 10,310 fans.

Perhaps it a lot to do with the fact that standing-room tickets were sold for $49 and if you wanted a set, you had to pay at least $80 on up to $115. Judging by the amount of green in the arena bowl, North Dakota fans are more willing to pay a higher price to see their team play.

“I think it has something to do with the team not being as good as it used to be and the ticket prices,” said Scott Thorsen, North St. Paul, whose family has had Gophers season tickets since 1986 when Minnesota played across the street in the old Mariucci.

“I’m frustrated too. A lot of people give their tickets away or let them burn. There’s no way that happens at UND.”

Thorsen, donning a vintage Gophers jersey, was at Friday’s game with his childhood friend Andrew Schmitt of Eagan, who wore a UND jersey with “Sioux” spelled across the chest.

“The atmosphere is great. It’s absolutely expected, but I was kind of taken aback by all of the empty seats,” Schmitt said.  But it’s such a good rivalry, it’s always going to be a good game.”

The resurrection of Minnesota’s rivalry with UND was a need that’s thankfully been fulfilled, because fans need things to remain engaged with in their team and the sport. Hatred-filled rivalries certainly help with that.

“It’s elite players making plays and that makes the rivalry what it is,” Lucia said. “The games are usually hard fought. Someone might win, but there’s usually a bounce-back and that’s what the fans love about it.”

News broke in July that the series is here to stay for the next six seasons. A weekend series to be played next season in Grand Forks was already known, but the schools announced they will face off in the 2018 Hall of Fame Game in Las Vegas. That’s in addition to a four-year agreement to play one series each season starting in 2019-20, alternating campuses each year.

“I don’t think it really matters that we haven’t played (North Dakota) in a while,” Novak said Friday. “It’s historic. We all grew up watching it.”

The post Just Like Old Times appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Rivalry games raise excitement, expectations, and when it comes to Minnesota college hockey, bragging rights for best program in the state of hockey. The University of Minnesota is riding a streak of five regular season conference titles, but after getting swept by St. Cloud State in October, the Gophers also are riding a streak of losses to in-state schools.

The Gophers led both nights against the Huskies during the latest rivalry series, but St. Cloud State rallied for a series sweep, handing Minnesota their 14th loss in their last 15 games against in-state rivals. The only Gopher victory in that span was a 4-0 win over Minnesota State on Nov. 13, 2015.

“I want to believe it has nothing to do with the in-state games or anything, we can’t finish,” Leon Bristedt said. “It’s all about executing; it’s all about finishing and winning games. Unfortunately, we haven’t found a way of really doing that with in-state rivalries, but we can only look forward to new games coming up. We can look back and learn, but what’s happened, it’s in the past.”

The past is hard to ignore with this group.

Minnesota has sustained six of their 14 losses in the third period. The 2016 North Star College Cup saw the Gophers take a 2-1 lead against Bemidji State and lose 4-2, and the next day tie Minnesota State in the third period only to lose in overtime. Minnesota played the Huskies close in their Nov. 27, 2015 series opener, but gave up two late goals to lose 3-2 and then lost a turnover filled affair 7-4 in the second game of the series. The Gophers also took a 2-0 lead on Minnesota State Nov. 14, 2015 only to give up two goals in the third period and lose in overtime 3-2.

“It’s not like we take these games easier, or lighter than other games, we have these marked on our calendar as I assume they do too,” Justin Kloos said after North Star Cup last year. “But for some reason we’ve just came up short of the last almost year and a half now.”

Photo by Brent Cizek for Minnesota Hockey Magazine

The recipe for disappointment in many of the in-state games has been turnovers and poor special teams. In-state schools have outshot the Gophers 507-425 in this stretch and only twice did Minnesota have a shots-on-goal advantage. The power play scored on 10 of 50 chances during this stretch, but their penalty kill allowed 23 goals on 68 opportunities—killing penalties at just 64 percent.

Steve Johnson admitted that the recent record against in-state team is in their heads.

“Minnesota should be the best, it’s unacceptable. We’ve got to learn to play our game, get pucks deep, go to work, and play the game the right way” Johnson said.

Gopher coach Don Lucia decided after the Huskies series that he would have to change the way they practice to change the way Minnesota performs in these rivalry games.

“That’s obviously been a focus, and we talked to guys that we just have to change the way we practice,” Lucia said. “We have to be better along the walls, we have to be better below the circles on each end of the rink. We’re not getting enough in-zone offensive time for possession.”

The emphasis was more five-on-five drills and small area drills in practice to change the mindset so players realize if they lose the puck, they’ve got to work to get it back.

“The practices here have been way harder, not as much skating, but way more battling. Some guys have been almost on the edge of fighting, and I think that’s how practices should be,” Bristedt said. “Looking back at practice before we’ve done a lot of rushes and things, and you can see that’s where we score our goals off the rush and on the power play, but I think working down low and battling more is the recipe for winning more games.”

Minnesota will get a chance against Minnesota State Nov. 18 and 19 for a home and home series, and then against Minnesota Duluth and either Bemidji State or St. Cloud State in the North Star College Cup Jan. 27 and 28 for a chance to redeem themselves.

“I don’t feel any different when it comes to pressure. I notice the attention, I notice like, ‘Hey that this is a bigger game’ but as a player this is something you love and you want to be out there in these kind of games,” Bristedt said.

“I think we’ve been passive a couple times and that’s where we get caught. If we can stay on the hunt, if we can act instead of react, I think that’s where we’re going to have success.”

Story originally published in the November, 2016 issue of our digital magazine. For more stories like this, click HERE to view the November issue and subscribe to have future issues delivered directly to your email inbox. 

The post The ‘U’ Lagging in Bragging appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Mike Guentzel nearing two decades of forging NHL defensemen

Northern Minnesota’s Mesabi Range was not on anyone’s radar during negotiations determining the demarcation between the United States and Canada. The land could just have easily ended up as part of Ontario instead of Minnesota, but the arrowhead was allocated to the USA and ended up producing over 3 billion tons of iron ore. That stroke of fortune sparked a mining boom and families took root as Minnesotans in Duluth, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, Two Harbors, Eveleth, Virginia, Colerain, and Marble.

Many of these Minnesotans endured their Iron Range winters by playing hockey, and for one hockey player from Marble, it sparked the opportunity to wear the ‘M’ playing college hockey at the University of Minnesota.

“I’m a Northern Minnesota kid who graduated in 1981 from high school and there were two Division I programs in Minnesota,” said Mike Guentzel. “I’d never seen a Gopher game, but I wanted to play for the Gophers.”

Fellow Iron Ranger Alex Goligoski of the Dallas Stars benefited from Guentzel’s training from 2004-2007. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

Guentzel was a three-sport athlete who made his mark at Greenway-Coleraine High School playing quarterback for the football team, as a first-team all-state defenseman for the hockey team, and on three baseball teams that finished third in the state tournament. The Iron Range’s second-leading scorer in 1981 was selected in the seventh round by the New York Rangers in the NHL Draft and then headed to Minneapolis to play for Brad Buetow that fall.

The adjustment to college hockey wasn’t an easy one for Guentzel, who scored 43 high-school goals, as he didn’t see the ice for the first 20 games of his freshman season.

“It was everybody from my high school coach, to my parents, to the coaching staff, to whoever else. It was their fault I wasn’t playing,” Guentzel said. “And realistically after a while, I realized it was my fault. I’m not prepared for this. I’m not ready for this. I have to make adjustments in my game.”

The freshman learned that season the benefit of finding a ‘B’ game and attached himself to roles less glamorous than quarterbacking the power play. Focusing on defending, penalty killing, shot blocking, and complementing his defensive partner’s game became his emphasis and allowed him to develop from there.

Guentzel persevered through the crucible of his first season, eventually captained the Gophers in 1984-85, and graduated with his degree in business and human relations. He had brief professional stints in the IHL with the Salt Lake City Golden Eagles and in the AHL with the New Haven Night Hawks, but knew he wanted to coach more than play professional hockey.

Guentzel spent six seasons coaching in the USHL and landed back at Minnesota as an assistant with head coach Doug Woog and coaching Mike Crowley in 1994. Starting the next season the Gophers went on a run of 12 consecutive NCAA appearances, and each team featured puck moving defensemen who could skate, flash stick skill, and get involved in the rush.

Minnesota Land of 50,000 Hockey Players

Last winter, Minnesota USA Hockey Registrations hit 55,450 with over 7,000 bantams actively playing association hockey. Recruiting season starts earlier every year as college coaches work to identify the 100 Minnesota players from each age group that will eventually earn spots on a Division I hockey roster.

Guentzel certainly has a good idea about what it takes, his three sons all earned opportunities to play Division I hockey. Ryan Guentzel was a forward for Notre Dame, Gabe Guentzel a defensemen at Colorado College and Jake Guentzel played forward for Nebraska-Omaha. He also knows what it takes because the University of Minnesota has had nine players represent them in the NHL this season. The nine Gopher defensemen (Paul Martin SJS, Nate Schmidt WSH, Alex Goligoski DAL, Seth Helgeson NJD, Erik Johnson COL, Nick Leddy NYI, Aaron Ness WSH, Mike Reilly MIN, and Brady Skjei NYR) is the most among all NCAA hockey programs this season.

“Our youth coaches put kids who have good ability on the back end,” Guentzel said. “Historically I think we’ve done a better job in our state of developing elite skating, puck-moving defensmen, than we have goal scoring true bona fide forwards. We’ve always embraced a style of puck movers, mobile defense, active defense on the rush. It kind of goes hand in hand with the way we want to play.”

While Paul Martin didn’t start getting recruiting letters until his sophomore year of high school, most elite talents these days are getting recruited and committing as bantam hockey players. Guentzel likes to get as many looks at these young players in competitive situations as he can, whether it’s USA Hockey Festivals or State Bantam Championships to see how players defend, and take pressure against a forecheck. Gopher assistant coach Grant Potulny is also on the road a lot ‘fox scoping’ players for the staff, looking for agility in their foot speed, how they turn, and stick skill.

Washington Capitals D Nate Schmidt blossomed under Guentzel between 2010 and 2013. (Minnesota Wild / Bruce Kluckhohn)

“For whatever reason Minnesota develops a lot of defensemen, so you have a big pool,” Potulny said. “Now you get a chance to work some of the guys at the top of that pool and Mike does a really good job with them.”

Guentzel had his eye on Nate Schmidt during his sophomore season at St. Cloud Cathedral, and Guentzel was the main recruiter for Schmidt.

“I wasn’t the biggest U of M fan growing up, I can say that now, my family had season tickets to Husky games…” Schmidt said. “But one of the coolest things he did was he slid a piece of paper across from me after we got done talking about what his plan was for me. The piece of paper had all the guys names on that he had ever coached, whether they were playing or not, wherever they were. Here are all the guys that have made it, here are the guys that are playing pro at some level, and here’s the guys that didn’t make it, but are out doing other things.”

That moment was huge for Nate deciding his future, but like most recruits, he had no idea exactly what he was in for.

Steel Sharpens Steel

While iron ore is the raw resource extracted from Iron Range, it is brittle until forged into steel. And it isn’t steel until after it’s mixed with cooked coal, limestone and blasted with temperatures up to 1600 degrees. Defensemen don’t get blasted with quite the same temperatures at the University of Minnesota, but the pressure of playing the blue line at Mariucci Arena is still intense.

“We allow our defensemen to be very active from an offensive standpoint, that’s the expectation,” Gophers head coach Don Lucia said. “And Coach Guentzel, I don’t think there’s a better coach as far as developing the defensemen than what he does. He’s very demanding, he pushes the guys, whether it’s video or practice–he’s very honest and blunt with them. I think they respect that. He pushes them to be the best they can be.”

Guentzel knows that every time players jump a level it’s a step, and no one can tell how many games it will take for players to adjust to the speed, quickness, and strength. He just knows it will take time–especially in the modern game putting more emphasis into structure, defense and goaltending than ever before.

Current Gopher Jake Bischoff says his position coach is huge on the details that might go unnoticed, but making sure to shoulder check on retrievals to find your wingers, and taking quick strides after getting the puck to see your options are big points of emphasis.

“Every little detail in practice he’s on you about it, and if you don’t do it, you’ll hear from him,” Bischoff said. “I think then when it comes to game time, it’s automatic, you do all that kind of stuff. It definitely makes it easier out there.”

And practice isn’t the only place Guentzel lets his players know how they’re doing.

“Video Sessions… I remember those quite well actually,” said Schmidt.

Guentzel tutored the Minnesota Wild’s Mike Reilly from 2013-2015. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

Mike Reilly said the defensemen gather for position video review weekly for about half-hour to 45-minutes, just after practice early on in the week. Reilly specifically remembers coming into the session after what he felt was a pretty good weekend and then popping up on the screen five or six plays, the most out of any other d-man for miscues.

“He came in, just wanted more of me, and demanded more, Reilly said. That’s how he is and how he goes about his business. He’s really good communication-wise, he’ll let you know if you’re playing well or not. He’s not going to go around the corner to try to BS something about you, why you wouldn’t be playing. He’s going to tell you straight up.”

Research and Facilities

After World War II, the high grade ore in Minnesota was nearly gone and it looked like lean times ahead for the Iron Range. However, University of Minnesota professor Edward Davis had been researching a way to make taconite pellets out of waste rock. His research rejuvenated mining in Minnesota and gave the economy another boost through the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

The Minnesota hockey program has relied on boosts for their program as well. The move across the street from old Mariucci Arena to new Mariucci Arena in 1993 expanded the seating capacity from 7,000 to 10,000. The move also put the Pride on Ice on a 200’ x 100’ Olympic Ice sheet. The ‘big ice’ has drawn the ire of more than one NHL scout because its extra size compared to the 85’ wide NHL rink changes the evaluation process.

“In my opinion you have the puck more on your stick, you can make more decisions, you have a better chance to skate, you have a better chance to be more involved in the offense, and you have to learn to take away time and space on a [bigger] rink,” Guentzel said.

Even with the extra time and space, it takes some players a while to realize the difference and when they finally do it’s a game changer for them.

“I never really realized how much time I had until I was almost gone,” Schmidt said. Until about my junior year of Christmas I finally realized if you beat the first forechecker and get the net, the rink is so big it’s hard for the next layer to get to you. Now, if you do that on the smaller rinks, it actually draws the second guy away from his check. And if you can draw another guy away and make a play, that just opens up a lot more space for somebody else.”

The next boost for Gopher Hockey will be a renovation to their locker room, team areas, and training facilities at Mariucci Arena. The process starts April 11, nearly $5 million of donated funds will be invested into the effort, and the team’s strength and conditioning coach Cal Dietz is excited about all the new toys coming.

“We’ll have equipment coming from all over the world, scientific equipment, to make this the best facility that I’ve ever known,” Dietz said. “There won’t be another facility like it, and it will be 10 years ahead of anybody else who builds anything.”

Dietz is well respected by the coaching staff as a major factor in developing athletes and he utilizes data from blood tests, gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometer, and brain waves to help maximize performance. The data he gathers helps him develop the measurable athletic ability of the players and provides feedback to the coaching staff on the proper training load. Schmidt said that Dietz is so well respected in NHL circles that when the Washington Capitals training staff learned he was going to be working out with Dietz over the summer, they said it’d be okay if he didn’t use the program they gave him.

“College hockey is a man’s game, everyone out here is big and strong, and so working with Cal is really nice,” Michael Brodzinski said. “We get two or three times a week in the weight room with him during the season, and I think it’s really paid off getting us faster and stronger.”

Mr. Gopher

Paul Martin honed his skills under Guentzel and won two national titles while a Gopher from 2000 to 2003. (Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports)

While Guentzel takes a lot of pride in the program, he did step away for a three-year period from 2008 to 2011 spending a year as an assistant at Colorado College, a year as a head coach in the USHL for Des Moines, and then a year as an assistant at Nebraska-Omaha. At the time he told the Minneapolis Star Tribune, ”it was a time and place where maybe he should step away.“

Then in 2011, the two Iron Rangers came to an understanding.

“We’ve worked together a long time,” Lucia said. He’s kind of Mr. Gopher around here, and nobody has more passion and bleeds it more than he does. That was one of the things when I came, I wanted him to stay and with him coming back, just the confidence in him, and his ability and what he means to the program.

“Since Mike has been around with program, before me and with me, there’s been a whole lot of winning going on.”

The players are also grateful to have worked with a coach that just finished his 19th season at the University.

“He wants the program to do well as well as the players they bring in,” Martin said. “He teaches you the right way to carry yourself and how to play hard. He’ll yell at you, but at the same time then he’ll tell you what you need to work on and work with your game, he’ll stay after. He has high expectations, which he should when you come into that program it has a lot of history and tradition that you need to uphold.“

The post Gopher Goldsmith appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Minneapolis — Hudson Fasching’s overtime one-timer propelled Minnesota to a 3-2 win over Michigan and kept the Gophers ahead of the Wolverines in the Big Ten Standings. Minnesota (12-4-0-0, 17-14-0) had a one point lead over Michigan (10-3-3-2, 20-5-5) in the conference coming into the weekend and the series split maintained their lead.

“Just like when we were in Ann Arbor, the goal was to stay ahead of Michigan at the end of the weekend,” said Minnesota Coach Don Lucia. “They’re a good team, there’s no question. There’s a reason they’ve lost two overtime games the second half of the season, they’re dangerous, and we had to play a complete game.”

Michigan comes out of the weekend still behind the Gophers by a point in the standings and will need help from the Spartans and Badgers. They finish the season with two series against a swift skating fifth place Ohio State (4-8-3-1, 9-17-3) for a home and home series, and then a offensively focused third place Penn State (9-6-1-1, 19-9-4) squad at Yost Arena for two games.

“We like where we are, we wanted to get more than a split when we came here,” said Michigan Coach Red Berenson. “I think Minnesota is probably pretty happy with a split right now. We’ve got to take advantage of our remaining games and see what happens.”

Penn State still has an outside chance to get into the top two of the conference with 29 points, six behind Michigan and seven behind Minnesota, and get a bye for the first night of the Big Ten Tournament at Xcel Energy Center. The Nittany Lions have their series left at Michigan, but also have to travel to Madison.

The Gophers control their destiny as they seek a third consecutive Big Ten regular season title and fifth consecutive conference title. Minnesota has the easier road remaining in the Big Ten with a road trip to face fourth pace Michigan State (5-10-1-0, 9-20-3) and then finishing their regular season with sixth place Wisconsin (1-10-4-2, 6-15-8) at Mariucci Arena.

“There’s no question if we want to try and defend the crown we had to win today,” said Lucia. “There’s no way you’re going to fall back four points with four games to go and think you’re going to have a chance to win.”

Minnesota fell to No. 18 in the PairWise Rankings after the loss Friday night, but the split pushed them back to #16 in the ranking determining at-large bids for the NCAA Tournament. The teams ahead of Minnesota, include No. 12 Nebraska-Omaha, No.13 Massachusetts-Lowell, No. 14 Penn State, and No. 5 Cornell.

The Gophers can secure a post-season automatic bid by winning the Big Ten Tournament, but the win on Saturday kept their chance of an at-large bid alive. Although for Minnesota to get an at-large bid they’ll need help from the teams ahead of them.

Nebraska-Omaha is fourth in the NCHC, but has a brutal finish with North Dakota and a trip to Denver. Massachusetts-Lowell is fourth in Hockey East, but finishes their regular season with Boston College. Cornell is seventh in the ECAC, plays Union and Rensselaer before their conference tournament. Miami is sixth in the NCHC and plays Colorado College and at University of Minnesota-Duluth to enits regular season.

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