Olympian Matthew Knies returning to Gophers men's hockey for another season

When it comes to Olympians returning to the Gophers men's hockey team for the 2022-23 season, two out of three ain't bad.

Freshman forward Matthew Knies, a second-round draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, will return to the Gophers next season, the university's athletic department announced Thursday. He joins Olympic and Gophers teammate Brock Faber, a sophomore defenseman, in committing to play at the U next season instead of starting his professional career. A third Olympian, center and Gophers leading scorer Ben Meyers, agreed to a two-year free-agent deal with the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

Knies, of Phoenix, tied for second on the Gophers with 33 points on 15 goals and 18 assists in 33 games in 2021-22. The 6-3, 210-pounder was especially effective in the postseason, collecting five goals and one assist in Minnesota's final four playoff games. He scored the only goal in the Gophers' 5-1 loss to Minnesota State Mankato in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals.

After the Gophers season ended last week in Boston, Knies looked back on an eventful year.

"Yeah, honestly, I haven't really wrapped my head around it. This one stings right now,'' he said. "This is what's stuck in my head. But I think it will settle in later in the future that this was the best year of my life. Honestly, this was the most fun group I've been a part of."

Also Thursday, Gophers senior defenseman Matt Denman, who played in two games in 2021-22, entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal. Senior forward Grant Cruikshank, who entered the portal earlier in the week, committed to St. Cloud State for his fifth year.