A transfer from UConn, Matthew Wood adds more grit to the Gophers men’s hockey team

To offensive-minded hockey players, scoring on a rush up the ice can be exhilarating. After all, players can show off their speed, stickhandling and shooting skills at an elevated pace while bringing the crowd to its feet in anticipation. It’s an example of the pretty side of hockey.

There are other ways to score, such as a player battling for position in front of the net, taking away a goalie’s vision and enduring slashes and cross-checks while looking to pounce on a rebound or deflect the puck into the net. That’s a slice of the gritty side of hockey.

Last Saturday night, Gophers right winger Matthew Wood showed both the pretty and gritty sides of his game by scoring two goals in Minnesota’s 5-3 win at Penn State that clinched a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship.

Wood, a junior transfer from Connecticut, tied the score 1-1 in the second period by showing the sandpaper in his game. He fended off Penn State’s Jimmy Dowd Jr. in front of the net and slammed home the rebound of Oliver Moore’s shot past goalie Arsenii Sergeev, his former UConn teammate.

In the third period, Wood gave the Gophers a rush on a short 2-on-1 rush, depositing a pass from Connor Kurth past Sergeev for a 3-2 Minnesota lead on his 14th goal of the season.

Wood will try to continue that strong play as the Gophers are host to Notre Dame in the best-of-three Big Ten quarterfinals on Friday through Sunday at 3M Arena at Mariucci.

“Over the past year or two, my game has slowly become more well-rounded,” said Wood, a first-round pick (15th overall) of the Nashville Predators in the 2023 NHL draft. “I’m working on all aspects of the game.”

When Gophers coach Bob Motzko landed Wood in the transfer portal, he knew there would be a get-to-know-each-other process for both the player and the coaching staff. He also saw Wood’s frame — 6-4 and 205 pounds — and envisioned what he could do both in front of the net and on the rush.

“I love where he’s taking his game, playing down low more, and with that big body, he’s kind of learning a new toy,” Motzko said. “He’s got so much talent, and he likes to play on the rush. I told him, ‘That’s boring stuff. You don’t want to play in the rush. You go play in bloody-nose alley.’”

Wood, whose hometown is Nanaimo, British Columbia, spent two seasons with the Victoria Grizzlies of the British Columbia Hockey League, amassing 50 goals and 48 assists in 64 games as a 15- and 16-year-old. He joined Connecticut in 2022-23 as a 17-year-old freshman and had 11 goals and 23 assists in 35 games. He added 16 goals and 12 assists as a sophomore before entering the transfer portal.

Picking the Gophers wasn’t his first exposure to Minnesota. He lived here from 2008 to 2010 when his father, Jamie, a former player at Division III Middlebury, was an assistant coach under Brad Frost for the Gophers women’s hockey team.

“Jamie is the most passionate hockey person I’ve ever met,” Frost said. “… Just knowing that Matthew was interested in hockey, I knew that that Jamie was going to be a big part of his development."

Matthew was 5 when his father joined the Gophers women’s program, so he doesn’t remember much from his early days in Minnesota. But when it came time to pick a transfer destination last spring, he felt comfortable with his choice.

“I just felt right,” Wood said. “All the pieces — the staff, the players, everything — just fit."

That’s shown up on the ice, where Wood ranks third on the team with 35 points on 14 goals and 21 assists.

“He’s a big piece of our offense, and you saw it this weekend — he’s blocking shots, hitting guys," Gophers senior forward Mason Nevers said. “He’s a competitor, so he fit right in, right from the beginning.”

Added Moore, “He’s a driven, driven guy, and he makes everyone around him on the ice better.”

Motzko acknowledged that he’s not certain if Wood will be back for the 2025-26 season because few NHL first-round picks stay in college for four years. “I hope he is [back] because I’ve seen tremendous growth in his game,” Motzko said. “There’s even more to come with him.”

Wood will decide on his future when he’s ready. For now, he’s enjoying the ride.

“It’s been a lot of fun, and I love it here,” Wood said. “We’ve got a really good team. Now it’s time to show that.”

Big Ten quarterfinals

7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 6 p.m. Sunday (if necessary), 3M Arena at Mariucci

TV, radio: FOX9, 103.5-FM each night * Stream: BTN+

The Gophers (24-8-4) and Fighting Irish (10-23-1) meet for the fifth time this season, with Minnesota winning three games and losing one in overtime. Notre Dame will try to keep the season going for coach Jeff Jackson, who is stepping down after the season. Justin Janicke (15-18-33) and Danny Nelson (13-13-26) of Maple Grove and Blake Biondi (12-14-26) of Hermantown join Cole Knuble (11-26-37) as top scorers for the Fighting Irish.