The Minnesota men’s hockey team got its summer started with exciting news as it announced the return of a core group of players, including fifth-year seniors Bryce Brodzinski, Justen Close and Jaxon Nelson along with upcoming sophomores Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud.
In addition to the already impressive list of student-athletes back for the Golden Gophers, the trio of Brodzinski, Close and Nelson provides a valuable leadership element utilizing their extra year of eligibility. They join other veteran letterwinners entering their senior seasons in Carl Fish, Mike Koster and Mason Nevers on the roster. The group of fifth-year seniors will don the Maroon and Gold for one more season after a heartbreaking finish to the 2022-23 campaign in the national championship game.
After beginning their collegiate careers with blazing starts, Cooley and Snuggerud made the decision to come back to campus. They were the highest-scoring freshmen teammates in the 102-year history of Gopher men’s hockey, combining for 110 points behind 60 and 50, respectively. The 2022 first-round picks were the team’s top two scorers last year and look to continue that trend with another talented lineup.
Under Head Coach Bob Motzko, Minnesota has made back-to-back NCAA Frozen Four appearances and is in search of its sixth national title heading into the 2023-24 season. The Gophers are coming off three-straight Big Ten Conference titles with consecutive regular season championships and a tournament win in 2020-21.
(info courtesy of Gopher Sports)