Minnesota's five NCAA hockey tournament teams at a glance
Site: West Regional, Loveland, Colo.
First-round matchup: No. 1 seed Gophers vs. No. 4 Nebraska Omaha, 9 p.m. Saturday (ESPNU)
Gophers at glance: Minnesota (23-6) earned an automatic bid by winning the Big Ten tournament. The Gophers are making their first NCAA appearance since 2017, their first under coach Bob Motzko.
Key player: G Jack LaFontaine leads the nation with 21 wins and ranks third in goals-against average (1.74). He's a finalist for both the Hobey Baker Award (top player) and Mike Richter Award (top goalie).
Key stat: The Gophers are 20-1 when scoring first.
Minnesota connection: Twenty on roster, most of any team. Motzko is from Austin.
Minnesota State Mankato
Site: West Regional, Loveland, Colo.
First-round matchup: No. 2 MSU Mankato vs. No. 3 Quinnipiac, 4 p.m. Saturday (ESPN3 streaming)
Mavericks at a glance: MSU Mankato (20-4-1) won the WCHA regular-season title for the fourth consecutive year. The Mavericks are making their sixth NCAA D-I tournament appearance under coach Mike Hastings and seventh overall, seeking their first win.
Key player: G Dryden McKay is a finalist for both the Hobey Baker and Mike Richter awards for the second consecutive year. His 1.40 GAA and nine shutouts lead the nation.
Key stat: The Mavericks have won an NCAA-best 112 games over the past four seasons.
Minnesota connection: Eleven on roster. Hastings is from Crookston.
Bemidji State
Site: East Regional, Bridgeport, Conn.
First-round matchup: No. 4 Bemidji State vs. No. 1 Wisconsin, noon Friday (ESPN2)
Beavers at a glance: Bemidji State (15-9-3) is making its fifth appearance in the Division I tournament and first since 2010. The 2009 Beavers advanced to the Frozen Four, upsetting Notre Dame and Cornell in the regionals before falling to Miami (Ohio).
Key player: D Elias Rosen (4-10-14) is the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year.
Key stat: The Beavers rank first nationally on the penalty kill, going 70-for-75 (93.3%).
Minnesota connection: Eleven on roster. Coach Tom Serratore is from Coleraine.
Minnesota Duluth
Site: Midwest Regional, Fargo
First-round matchup: No. 3 Minnesota Duluth vs. No. 2 Michigan, 3 p.m. Friday (ESPNU)
Bulldogs at a glance: Minnesota Duluth (14-10-2) is the two-time defending NCAA champion, and its chance for a three-peat last year ended when the pandemic wiped out the tournament.
Key player: Wild draft pick Nick Swaney (13-14-27) leads the Bulldogs in scoring.
Minnesota connection: Seventeen on roster. Coach Scott Sandelin is from Hibbing.
St. Cloud State
Site: Northeast Regional, Albany, N.Y.
First-round matchup: No. 2 St. Cloud State vs. No. 3 Boston University, noon Saturday (ESPNews)
Huskies at a glance: St. Cloud State (17-10) advanced to the Frozen Four in 2013. The Huskies were upset as No. 1 regional seeds in 2016, 2018 and 2019.
Key player: Freshman F Veeti Miettinen (10-13-23) leads the Huskies in points and is tied for second in goals.
Key stat: The Huskies were 7-5 against NCAA tournament teams this season.
Minnesota connection: Fourteen on roster. Coach Brett Larson is from Duluth.
Randy Johnson
about the writer
Two offensive linemen from Lakeville, Bryce Benhart and Riley Mahlman, are standouts for Big Ten rivals of Minnesota.