L. Mittelstadt 1-0.
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Whipple 2-0.
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Unfortunate because we’re next to each other in the rankings and we’re in their barn. 😂
Irey 1-2.
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With three forwards out including Ziemer and Mooney the D core says no worries we will score.
End of 1, Gophs up 2-1.
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With three forwards out including Ziemer and Mooney the D core says no worries we will score.
They've been active
Henderson 2-2.
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These CCHA broadcasts are always so bush league. Great insights by their commentators such as: “scoring on the PP helps when trying to beat the Gophers”, an exact quote that in real time, took 30 seconds for the guy to stammer then explain halfheartedly.
I’d prefer we play some mid-majors out east instead of doing these meaningless annual charity games for Bemidji’s sole benefit.
Namestnikov 3-2.
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Max Rud haha.
End of 2, Gophs trail 2-3.
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That there is a coverage breakdown.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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These CCHA broadcasts are always so bush league. Great insights by their commentators such as: “scoring on the PP helps when trying to beat the Gophers”, an exact quote that in real time, took 30 seconds for the guy to stammer then explain halfheartedly.
I’d prefer we play some mid-majors out east instead of doing these meaningless annual charity games for Bemidji’s sole benefit.
We are missing our two best forwards and two more due to injury. We dressed 21 to bemidji’s 23 tonight. Who would you like to see us playing right now - someone where the game matters for points??
That there is a coverage breakdown.
That 2nd goal where three players ran into each other and the slot was wide open was truly special.
Ludtke 3-3.
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These CCHA broadcasts are always so bush league. Great insights by their commentators such as: “scoring on the PP helps when trying to beat the Gophers”, an exact quote that in real time, took 30 seconds for the guy to stammer then explain halfheartedly.
I’d prefer we play some mid-majors out east instead of doing these meaningless annual charity games for Bemidji’s sole benefit.
We are missing our two best forwards and two more due to injury. We dressed 21 to bemidji’s 23 tonight. Who would you like to see us playing right now - someone where the game matters for points??
Thought of tDon right away😁
“Good pace, a lot of north and south, or it could be east and west, I’m not sure but either way…” Wooger
Pohlad baseball ⚾️ it’s not arrogance, we really are “that good” #”Hey Siri, play “faithfully” by Journey max volume”
This game is exactly what it needs to be. Support in state programs, knock off the rust after a month off and always gonna have top players at WJC. And the game doesn’t count so everyone gets to play.
End of 3, tied at 3.
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Game over, 3-3 OTT.
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Gophers at least got 3 shots on goal in the SO this time.
BSU wins the shootout 1-0.
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Rust shaken off. Now let’s get back to full strength and make a run here.
Oh and either play McLaughlin or role 5 D. I don’t need to see Rud back there anymore. Begley a little better.
These CCHA broadcasts are always so bush league. Great insights by their commentators such as: “scoring on the PP helps when trying to beat the Gophers”, an exact quote that in real time, took 30 seconds for the guy to stammer then explain halfheartedly.
I’d prefer we play some mid-majors out east instead of doing these meaningless annual charity games for Bemidji’s sole benefit.
We are missing our two best forwards and two more due to injury. We dressed 21 to bemidji’s 23 tonight. Who would you like to see us playing right now - someone where the game matters for points??
In other years this matchup is played at different times of year, for varying stakes, and we never gain anything from it. I’d personally prefer they schedule someone more interesting for exhibitions and/or just sit idle during the WJC, doesn’t really matter to me.
In 2023-24 Bemidji took a run at Nevers (in ~Oct) and he wasn’t back to anything like 100% until maybe ~Feb of 2024. In 2024-25 we laid an egg @ Bemidji and learned nothing from it, as every major L we took for the rest of last season followed basically that same script.
That kind of cheap shot injury to Nevers in an exhibition game is what I’m really bitter about. If Bemidji players can’t control themselves when literally nothing at all is on the line, I feel they don’t deserve our charity.
Bob's coaching job at the World Juniors this go round is worse than anything he's done with the Gophers. The way he's handled the goalies has been bizarre and has hurt the team.
I have to believe he was told all three needed to play in the preliminary round. I'm not going to get an answer to that question very easily though.
Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest with how USA hockey operates lol. Not even gonna get started on some of the Olympic team omissions.Bob's coaching job at the World Juniors this go round is worse than anything he's done with the Gophers. The way he's handled the goalies has been bizarre and has hurt the team.
I have to believe he was told all three needed to play in the preliminary round. I'm not going to get an answer to that question very easily though.
This game is exactly what it needs to be. Support in state programs, knock off the rust after a month off and always gonna have top players at WJC. And the game doesn’t count so everyone gets to play.
And the in-state program has some motivation playing the Gophers. It doesn't have to be pretty, but better than an intersquad in Austin or Rochester.
This is exactly how I feel.This game is exactly what it needs to be. Support in state programs, knock off the rust after a month off and always gonna have top players at WJC. And the game doesn’t count so everyone gets to play.
And another OT shootout loss
Aloha!
Usually I’m just here to read the comments but calling Bob Motzko the worst coach in the Big Ten just isn’t accurate.
The real question isn’t whether he’s a bad coach. It’s whether he’s still the right coach for Gopher Hockey in today’s landscape.
There’s no question Bob turned the program around from where it was. He stabilized things, improved recruiting, rebuilt credibility, and got Minnesota back to being nationally relevant. That matters and shouldn’t be ignored.
At the same time, college hockey continues to evolve. NIL, the transfer portal, and CHL eligibility have fundamentally changed roster building, player retention, and competitive balance. The job looks very different now than it did even a few years ago.
Lucia was the most successful coach of the modern era, and even his tenure eventually ran its course. That wasn’t a failure. It was the natural cycle of elite programs.
Bob has done a lot of good things. It’s fair to ask whether a new voice or approach might be needed for the next step. Thoughtful critique is fair. Blanket criticism isn’t.
Usually I’m just here to read the comments but calling Bob Motzko the worst coach in the Big Ten just isn’t accurate.
The real question isn’t whether he’s a bad coach. It’s whether he’s still the right coach for Gopher Hockey in today’s landscape.
There’s no question Bob turned the program around from where it was. He stabilized things, improved recruiting, rebuilt credibility, and got Minnesota back to being nationally relevant. That matters and shouldn’t be ignored.
At the same time, college hockey continues to evolve. NIL, the transfer portal, and CHL eligibility have fundamentally changed roster building, player retention, and competitive balance. The job looks very different now than it did even a few years ago.
Lucia was the most successful coach of the modern era, and even his tenure eventually ran its course. That wasn’t a failure. It was the natural cycle of elite programs.
Bob has done a lot of good things. It’s fair to ask whether a new voice or approach might be needed for the next step. Thoughtful critique is fair. Blanket criticism isn’t.
This is the most reasonable take on this I’ve seen. Very well put.
For me it will be very telling what he does with the d core in the offseason. It’s very apparent to anyone watching the games that the d core needs a meaningful addition for next season. Just rolling into 2026-27 with what they have would imply some complacency settling in, in my opinion.
@old-tape-roll Sums up where I am at and you articulated it better than I can. Well said.
Usually I’m just here to read the comments but calling Bob Motzko the worst coach in the Big Ten just isn’t accurate.
The real question isn’t whether he’s a bad coach. It’s whether he’s still the right coach for Gopher Hockey in today’s landscape.
There’s no question Bob turned the program around from where it was. He stabilized things, improved recruiting, rebuilt credibility, and got Minnesota back to being nationally relevant. That matters and shouldn’t be ignored.
At the same time, college hockey continues to evolve. NIL, the transfer portal, and CHL eligibility have fundamentally changed roster building, player retention, and competitive balance. The job looks very different now than it did even a few years ago.
Lucia was the most successful coach of the modern era, and even his tenure eventually ran its course. That wasn’t a failure. It was the natural cycle of elite programs.
Bob has done a lot of good things. It’s fair to ask whether a new voice or approach might be needed for the next step. Thoughtful critique is fair. Blanket criticism isn’t.
This is the most reasonable take on this I’ve seen. Very well put.
For me it will be very telling what he does with the d core in the offseason. It’s very apparent to anyone watching the games that the d core needs a meaningful addition for next season. Just rolling into 2026-27 with what they have would imply some complacency settling in, in my opinion.
don’t know if complacency is word I’d use. We all have blinders. Sometimes you recruit a kid (or employee) and you see the best in them and overlook the warts.
I don’t think Bob doesn’t care or is satisfied with what he’s achieved. But I do think it would be a very fair criticism if he stays with this d core as is next year. I am optimistic as they cut bait with Reid and pushed both Phillips and Kvasnicka out that he has the ability to see they need an addition and doesn’t have fully glaring blind spots.
We all miss on evals at times but they should absolutely be able to pull from the chl and intl pool and if they weren’t using the WJC being here to do that, then there are some major blinders to what college hockey recruiting has become
For me it will be very telling what he does with the d core in the offseason. It’s very apparent to anyone watching the games that the d core needs a meaningful addition for next season.
The most glaring mid/long-term issue with our D, as to the present state of affairs, is Gruba’s stunted development. With his USHL resume, you expected he’d at least be at like, sophomore Chesley level by now and be able to pick up more of the slack as L.Mitts and Thomas move along after this year.
And in a similar vein, Pahlsson’s (+to a lesser extent Hendrickson’s) dominance at the USHL level have been nowhere to be seen since arriving on campus.
Something derailed these guys’ promising trajectories, I have no idea what, and you can’t win em all, but a couple of misses on what looked like sure bets to be impact college players and suddenly we have big gaping roster holes that simply can’t be filled on a quick turnaround due to our approach to recruiting (which does have its merits)
Edit: Before people say “well it took years for Johnson and LaCombe to figure things out at the college level”, my point is that (1) they still did way faster and younger than Gruba; and (2) he’s still way behind compared to all of the recent sorta “2nd-tier” guys like Koster, Chesley, Thomas.
You’re saying Gruba and Pahlsson are misses? That’s a bit much.
Pahlsson is a 7th round pick and Gruba wasn’t drafted as far as I can tell? Hendrickson was a fourth rounder. Lacombe was what a first or second rounder? There’s plenty of people who are competent at the USHL level and it just doesn’t transfer to the NCAA and these guys weren’t exactly sure bets. Picks that late in the draft are more likely to be low end role players than Kloos or Sheehy. All you can hope is they’re slow developers who have good senior seasons and have some higher end talent around to help them and maybe push them down the lineup.For me it will be very telling what he does with the d core in the offseason. It’s very apparent to anyone watching the games that the d core needs a meaningful addition for next season.
The most glaring mid/long-term issue with our D, as to the present state of affairs, is Gruba’s stunted development. With his USHL resume, you expected he’d at least be at like, sophomore Chesley level by now and be able to pick up more of the slack as L.Mitts and Thomas move along after this year.
And in a similar vein, Pahlsson’s (+to a lesser extent Hendrickson’s) dominance at the USHL level have been nowhere to be seen since arriving on campus.
Something derailed these guys’ promising trajectories, I have no idea what, and you can’t win em all, but a couple of misses on what looked like sure bets to be impact college players and suddenly we have big gaping roster holes that simply can’t be filled on a quick turnaround due to our approach to recruiting (which does have its merits)
Edit: Before people say “well it took years for Johnson and LaCombe to figure things out at the college level”, my point is that (1) they still did way faster and younger than Gruba; and (2) he’s still way behind compared to all of the recent sorta “2nd-tier” guys like Koster, Chesley, Thomas.
You’re saying Gruba and Pahlsson are misses? That’s a bit much.
I don’t really know what was expected out of them when they were recruited or what other recruits they might’ve missed on at that time but if they were supposed to be above average top 6 forward and top PP guy respectively then that’s not ideal. Idk if that means they’re a “miss” per se depends how you define that.
I'mma just gonna rain troll sh* on the parade. Tom Brady was a 6th rounder in the NFL. 
I'll see myself out.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Brock Purdy was the last draft choice and seems to being OK.
You’re saying Gruba and Pahlsson are misses?
Gruba led all USHL defensemen in goals and Pahlsson was the USHL points leader or very close to it in their last year of juniors. First, I’m not expecting Gruba to be Makar 2.0 here but I’d expect more than single-digit points by the halfway mark of his sophomore year. Second, NHL draft pedigree mostly reflects perceived NHL potential, basically a crapshoot based on a given pro team’s whims past rounds 2-3. Expectations for a guy’s collegiate career can be reasonably based on junior performance more than the minutiae of their draft stock in their draft year. USHL numbers reflect how a guy stacks up against more-or-less the exact same competitors they’ll be facing in college. On that front, I believe that Pahlsson and Gruba have underperformed relative to their USHL history that showed a lot of promise.
This team kinda needs some 1st/2nd rounders the way they build their roster, they aren’t going all in on older guys and making dudes play in the USHL for three years etc. I wish Gruba panned out more like Ben Marshall or something (I think that’d be realistic to hope for) and ideally he’d score more at this level but an undrafted guy being a big point producer on D at this level isn’t exactly a foregone conclusion either. The guys they face at that level aren’t the exact same competitors as the next level because most don’t make it to the NCAA so that assumption doesn’t really hold imo. I get where you’re coming from but I just think Gruba was ever going to be a first paring guy is all.
I think what hurt more is losing recruits like Eiserman, missing on some of the bigger recruits, and whoever else left early (Chesley, Kurth).
This team kinda needs some 1st/2nd rounders the way they build their roster, they aren’t going all in on older guys and making dudes play in the USHL for three years etc. I wish Gruba panned out more like Ben Marshall or something (I think that’d be realistic to hope for) and ideally he’d score more at this level but an undrafted guy being a big point producer on D at this level isn’t exactly a foregone conclusion either. The guys they face at that level aren’t the exact same competitors as the next level because most don’t make it to the NCAA so that assumption doesn’t really hold imo. I get where you’re coming from but I just think Gruba was ever going to be a first paring guy is all.
I think what hurt more is losing recruits like Eiserman, missing on some of the bigger recruits, and whoever else left early (Chesley, Kurth).
Yes, no one is a for sure thing as they transition from the USHL, but status and point production usually is a good indicator. Brett Larson is taking a wait and see approach to the CHL because he doesn’t know how they will transition to College Hockey. Yet, he knows how a 1st or 2nd line guy in the USHL will translate to NCAA hockey. His words.
With Gruba there was an excitement and expectation with him since he was coming to the Gophers as the reigning USHL Defenseman of the year. With Påhlsson, at best he’s looked pedestrian this year, and at worst he’s looked lost. In today’s college athletics if you can’t be in the top 6, or be the all important 3rd line center then your roster sport is probably in jeopardy.
Everyone in the USHL would have to move on to college in order for this statement to add up.USHL numbers reflect how a guy stacks up against more-or-less the exact same competitors they’ll be facing in college. On that front, I believe that Pahlsson and Gruba have underperformed relative to their USHL history that showed a lot of promise.You’re saying Gruba and Pahlsson are misses?
This team kinda needs some 1st/2nd rounders the way they build their roster, they aren’t going all in on older guys and making dudes play in the USHL for three years etc. I wish Gruba panned out more like Ben Marshall or something (I think that’d be realistic to hope for) and ideally he’d score more at this level but an undrafted guy being a big point producer on D at this level isn’t exactly a foregone conclusion either. The guys they face at that level aren’t the exact same competitors as the next level because most don’t make it to the NCAA so that assumption doesn’t really hold imo. I get where you’re coming from but I just think Gruba was ever going to be a first paring guy is all.
I think what hurt more is losing recruits like Eiserman, missing on some of the bigger recruits, and whoever else left early (Chesley, Kurth).
Yes, no one is a for sure thing as they transition from the USHL, but status and point production usually is a good indicator. Brett Larson is taking a wait and see approach to the CHL because he doesn’t know how they will transition to College Hockey. Yet, he knows how a 1st or 2nd line guy in the USHL will translate to NCAA hockey. His words.
With Gruba there was an excitement and expectation with him since he was coming to the Gophers as the reigning USHL Defenseman of the year. With Påhlsson, at best he’s looked pedestrian this year, and at worst he’s looked lost. In today’s college athletics if you can’t be in the top 6, or be the all important 3rd line center then your roster sport is probably in jeopardy.
yes they will if you're rolling with the guy who maxed out his eligibility and is going to play SCSU style hockey
Re: Pahlsson, he's looked the exact same production wise as Pritchard with pretty much the exact same arc. Pahlsson is a good set up guy for finishers who got to have better numbers last year playing with an outstanding finisher in Snuggerud (Snuggy scored on 7 of his 18 assists last year) and he's also not playing on the PP like he did for portions of last year.
We've had plenty of offensive guys who haven't really found their games this year (especially relative the their draft status and aren't going to be a team with more than 1-2 guys at a point per game, if that. Just don't the need to call it out like it's just him who's underperforming and the team would somehow be great if he just played better. Pahlsson is going to produce about like Jimmy Clark. that's fine. you need those guys on your roster too.
Re: USHL guys producing. Sure historically that's true. The overall skill level, age, etc of the leagues has now just blown up with adding a massive player pool as college used to be the outlet of the top tier USHL guys so you were getting straight like to like. Of the top 20 scorers last year, just for random sampling, there are always some guys you know will translate because they score and are high draft picks, but if you parse that out to low draft picks and undrafted guys, the story is waaaay muddier. Scoring status listed in order
Martino: now at NE, 13 pts in 17 games
Gunderson: now at OSU, 1 pt in 6 games
Zellers: 3rd rounder at UND, 16 in 19 games
Park: 7th rounder at Mich, 10pt in 20 games
Lee: 1st rounder now at MSU, 13 pts in 16 games
Pechar: now at NE, 2 pt in 17 games
Roed: 7th rounder now at SCSU, 10 pt in 20 games
Long: now at Cornell, 8 in 13
Benak: playing in the OHL and lighting it up
Sluys: now at WMU, 2 pts in 12 games
Schlaine: now at UMD, 6 in 20
Deputy: now at Miami, 11 in 15
Nizameyev: went back to Russia
Cornforth: went to BC, 3 in 18 and left for QMJHL midyear
Oliver: now at ND, 1 in 18
Lawrence: still in USHL and is a projected 1st rounder next year
Hajibi: now at NE, 10 in 17
Mesic: now at Bentley, 15 in 18
Pritchard: at the U, 6 in 19
Kernan: at UND, 9 in 17
For your undrafted or lower drafted guys, it's really just a crap shoot.
Nice to see that the Star Tribune wrote an article about Gopher Hockey.
https://www.startribune.com/patrick-reusse-world-juniors-bob-motzko-gophers-hockey-big-ten/601558446
Reusse certainly did not hold back. Can’t say I completely disagree with him either.
Reusse certainly did not hold back. Can’t say I completely disagree with him either.
Pretty well written and agree with much of what was said. The fan base is impressively arrogant and fickle. The arena has emptied impressively quickly anf the atmosphere drags. People have been booing Bob at the intros (grow up). It is the razor thin margin here where so many still live in the fantasy era that Gopher hockey is the only show anyone could ever want to play for and if a kid goes elsewhere, we missed or were asleep as why would they ever want to go to Denver, und, Wisconsin, Michigan or god forbid Duluth. It’s a fan base that’s incredibly plugged in when they want to be, but obtuse when not.
I don’t envy bobs spot and feel for him as anyone who’s played knows how much this game can hurt you with puck luck even when you have the advantage and that this is truly a change of the tide time in terms of recruiting where either our pocketbooks or willingness to use them does not match some of our rivals or recruiting interests. I will always be thankful to him for refilling the seats of Mariucci and I do hope he can get one before he’s done.
here’s to ongoing growth the second half, hopefully sneaking into the tournament where anything can happen, and building to something more next year.
if you don’t think he can coach, you clearly cannot be helped. awful lot of outstanding coaches don’t have a national title in many sports. It’s the joy of sport and a finite career
Re reusse: I do enjoy when he does these pieces as it’s pretty rare he’s wrong and it’s refreshing when he’s not only a curmudgeon. You know he cares, even if at times it’s only as the miser
I hope we go on a tear and make some magic happen in the second half of the season. Wishful thinking? Probably. Realistic? Probably not.
I had to listen to a bunch of umtp and whioux fans constantly complain about Motzko during the world juniors championship game. It got old real quick.
Kinda like blaming the state of Minnesota for the WJ tourney numbers. It is a group effort so putting all the blame on one entity is unfair.
Here’s to a great second half of the season!
Go Gophers! 
Reusse certainly did not hold back. Can’t say I completely disagree with him either.
Pretty well written and agree with much of what was said. The fan base is impressively arrogant and fickle. The arena has emptied impressively quickly anf the atmosphere drags. People have been booing Bob at the intros (grow up). It is the razor thin margin here where so many still live in the fantasy era that Gopher hockey is the only show anyone could ever want to play for and if a kid goes elsewhere, we missed or were asleep as why would they ever want to go to Denver, und, Wisconsin, Michigan or god forbid Duluth. It’s a fan base that’s incredibly plugged in when they want to be, but obtuse when not.
I don’t envy bobs spot and feel for him as anyone who’s played knows how much this game can hurt you with puck luck even when you have the advantage and that this is truly a change of the tide time in terms of recruiting where either our pocketbooks or willingness to use them does not match some of our rivals or recruiting interests. I will always be thankful to him for refilling the seats of Mariucci and I do hope he can get one before he’s done.
here’s to ongoing growth the second half, hopefully sneaking into the tournament where anything can happen, and building to something more next year.
if you don’t think he can coach, you clearly cannot be helped. awful lot of outstanding coaches don’t have a national title in many sports. It’s the joy of sport and a finite career
Re reusse: I do enjoy when he does these pieces as it’s pretty rare he’s wrong and it’s refreshing when he’s not only a curmudgeon. You know he cares, even if at times it’s only as the miser
On a much lesser scale, we are as fickle for college hockey as NY is for the major pro sports. We feel like we DESERVE the title. Total tArrogance. I like the confidence and swagger, however, we also have to be realistic. I think a big difference is, we can joke about it, and NYers can't.
/2cents
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Nice to see that the Star Tribune wrote an article about Gopher Hockey.
https://www.startribune.com/patrick-reusse-world-juniors-bob-motzko-gophers-hockey-big-ten/601558446
It is a bit funny that he essentially says in the article to stop whining about the 2023 champ game and half the comments are whining about the 2023 champ game.