Gophers hope buoyant sophomore class helps team overcome NHL departures

The symmetry didn't dawn on him right away. Until the topic came up in a Wednesday news conference, Gophers coach Bob Motzko hadn't considered that his team will be trying to end its season in exactly the same place where it will start.

That would be Xcel Energy Center, where the No. 2 Gophers launch their regular-season schedule Friday against St. Thomas. The goal is to return in April, when the arena hosts the NCAA Frozen Four. While the Gophers can dream, Motzko is preoccupied with the here and now, knowing his team has a long journey ahead as it seeks to close the circle.

In his sixth season at the U, he has plenty of talent to work with. A core of upperclassmen offers steady leadership, while 10 sophomores are showing a new swagger after helping the Gophers reach the NCAA championship game last season. The six freshmen include first-round NHL draft picks Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel, who should help fill the void left by five players who moved on to pro hockey.

Motzko said he could mix up his lines early in the season, looking for the chemistry that could lead the Gophers to a third consecutive Big Ten regular-season title. While the details are yet to be determined, he's confident he has the right ingredients to make another run at the program's first NCAA championship since 2003.

"We have a real strong base of returning players," Motzko said. "We should be able to produce offense and score like we want. And our defensemen are young, but they're talented.

"We can talk about April all we want, but we have to take care of October first. We've got to get into the battle to get us into the tournament."

The Gophers came agonizingly close to their sixth national title last spring, falling 3-2 in overtime to Quinnipiac in the championship game. Two of their top three scorers, Logan Cooley and Matthew Knies, later signed with NHL teams. Top-four defensemen Jackson LaCombe, Brock Faber and Ryan Johnson also launched their pro careers.

Losing players of that caliber would decimate many teams, but the Gophers are used to that kind of churn. Motzko said his returnees worked to improve over the summer, eager to step into the spaces created by the departures.

He's seen a marked difference in the sophomores. That class — which includes Jimmy Snuggerud, Luke Mittelstadt, Cal Thomas, Brody Lamb, Connor Kurth and Ryan Chesley — began last season as reticent rookies. While Snuggerud piled up 50 points and those six played regularly, they and their classmates needed time to fully mesh with their older teammates.

This fall, they've returned with a new assertiveness, bringing what Motzko called "a dynamic change" to the group.

"Like all freshmen, they were real quiet in practice last year, and they were a third of our team," Motzko said. "Now, they're all dancing to a little quicker beat. Practices are more efficient. Communication is more lively. They're giving us energy."

Three players — forwards Bryce Brodzinski and Jaxon Nelson, and goaltender Justen Close — have returned for their fifth seasons, bringing experience, leadership and continuity in key roles. Close played 37 of the Gophers' 40 games last season, leading the Big Ten with 26 victories, six shutouts and a 2.02 goals-against average. Brodzinski, who scored a career-high 19 goals last season, is among five returnees who reached double digits in goals.

The Gophers took the biggest hits on the blue line, with the departure of LaCombe, Faber and Johnson. The top returning scorer at defense, senior Mike Koster, will miss the start of the season while he recovers from a knee injury.

Six of the remaining seven defensemen are freshmen and sophomores, but Motzko likes what he's seen. He said Chesley is "at another level," demonstrating a toughness and take-charge attitude that resembles Faber. Rinzel, chosen 25th overall by Chicago in the 2022 NHL draft, is developing quickly, while Luke Mittelstadt and Thomas are building on the experience they got last season.

"We relied heavily on [LaCombe, Johnson and Faber] last year," said Carl Fish, the lone senior among the defensemen. "Things are going to be different. But [Chesley] has done a really nice job of stepping into that leadership role, and the freshmen are doing great. I can see from our team's demeanor that everybody wants to fill those roles and play every single night."

Motzko said the freshmen have fit in immediately. Moore, picked 19th overall by Chicago in last summer's NHL draft, scored a pair of goals and flashed his speed in the Gophers' 5-2 exhibition victory over Bemidji State last Sunday. Motzko called him and Rinzel exceptional athletes and expects both to have major impact as rookies.

The Gophers already are developing great camaraderie, Motzko said, between those talented youngsters and older players with a deep commitment to the program. When they begin the season Friday, he won't be thinking about where they might be in April.

Still, he hopes these first steps lead the Gophers right back where they started.

"It's such a long way away," he said. "But I'll use it. It's a good thing to say."