With a roster loaded with NHL talent, the Minnesota Golden Gophers have high expectations this season. On Monday, the bar may have been raised even higher after earning the top spot in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine College Hockey Poll.
The Gophers (3-1-0) earned the top spot in the latest poll, followed by Minnesota State (3-1-0) and Quinnipiac (2-0-2). The University of Denver, who was the top team in the polls before losing to UMass on Saturday night, checked in at No. 4 and Michigan (2-2) rounded out the top five.
The SCSU Huskies are in 8th, one spot behind UND, with the UMD Bulldogs in 10th.
Minnesota has already been tested this season, splitting a home-and-home with Minnesota State last weekend, but they are a team with plenty of upside thanks to an insane level of talent.
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Logan Cooley, who was the third overall pick by the Arizona Coyotes in this past June’s NHL Draft, is tied for the team lead with five points (2 G, 3 A). Co-leader Ryan Johnson was the 31st overall pick by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2019 NHL Draft and has five assists in the first four games.
Jimmy Snuggerud, who was drafted by the St. Louis Blues with the 23rd overall pick in this year’s draft, has the team lead with four goals and Brock Faber, who was acquired by the Minnesota Wild in the Kevin Fiala trade last summer, has one goal and two assists.
Despite the early accolades, Gopher hockey fans are hoping they can find success as the season goes along. Minnesota hasn’t finished the regular season as the No. 1 team in the country since 2004 and hasn’t won the national title since 2003.
The Gophers will look to validate their top ranking when they host No. 7 North Dakota in a two-game series at 3M Arena at Marricci this weekend.
