This list was so hard to cut down to just 25
We kick off our Top 25 of the last 25 years of Minnesota Golden Gophers athletics with The Top 25 Gopher Hockey Players from 2000-2025. Cutting down this list to just 25 players was insanely hard. You have All-Americans who did not make the final list. You have school record holders who did not make the final list. You have some of the players who had some of the best statistical seasons in Gopher hockey history not make the list. It was incredibly competitive. I’m sure many of you will disagree on both the order of this list, and think some that were left off deserve spots over those that were placed on it. Let us know in the comments how you feel.
A reminder that this list only takes into consideration their Gopher hockey career. No national team or professional results were considered. Additionally if a player played for a different collegiate squad prior or after the Gophers, that was also not considered. Just because the list was so long, here are few honorable mentions that did not quite make the final 25 for one reason or another.
Honorable Mention:
Sammy Walker- C 2018-2022
Walker was great for the Gophers playing in 144 total career games and scoring 48 goals and adding 62 assists in the maroon and gold. He was consistent recording between 26 and 30 points all four seasons, but never had that huge breakout year fans clamored for.
Kellen Briggs- G 2003-2007
Briggs played in the second most games in Gopher history at 132, is the all-time career wins leader with 84, ranks #5 all-time with a 2.45 GAA and is tied for the most shutouts in program history with 13. How did he not make the Top 25 over a few other goalies who did? His save percentage lacked behind some of the others ahead on this list at just .906, and while it may not necessarily be his fault, the furthest Briggs ever took the Gophers was to the Frozen Four semifinals. He was consistently good for four years, but it just wasn;t enough to sneak into the Top 25.
Phil Kessel- F 2005-06
Jordan Schroeder- F 2008-2010
Both Kessel and Schroeder did great things for the Gophers in limited time. But the key here is limited time. Kessel scored 18 goals and recorded 51 points in his lone season with Minnesota while Schroeder averaged a point per game with 73 points in 72 career games as a Gopher. Has they each played one more year at Minnesota, they were on this list, but because the Gophers have so many three and four year players with amazing careers wearing the M, they just won’t quite get into the Top 25. There will be one exception to this as you will see.
Blake Wheeler- F 2005-2008
Nate Schmidt- D 2010-2013
These two would go on to even grater things in the NHL once leaving Minnesota, but both had good Minnesota careers. Both have memorable goals as a Gopher—which is a different list yet to come. Wheeler played 127 games, scored 42 goals, added 54 asists and averaged .75 points per game. Schmidt played just 13 games in freshman season before breaking out with great sophomore and junior years. Again, great Gopher careers, but this list is that stacked that they don’t make the Top 25.
Jackson LaCombe- D 2019-2023
The final cut. LaCombe was #26 on my list and was a painful cut. In four seasons with Minnesota he played 140 games and recorded 99 career points. A second team All-American in 2021 he nearly helped the Gophers to a NCAA title in 2024. Both a decent offensive defenseman and a great defensive defenseman. He’s now showing off in the NHL as well.
The Top 25:
#25 Adam Hauser- G 2000-2002
Hauser was a goalie that was both maligned and loved in Minnesota history. He played four seasons for the Gophers and is their all-time goalie games played leader at 151, but only his junior and senior seasons count for this list.
Luckily for him and for Minnesota fans he got better every single season. He won 49 games his final two years with a 2.41 goals against average which would be 4th best in Gopher history if that was just his career. His senior season he went 23-6-4 with a GAA of 2.40, a save percentage of 9.12, and oh yeah just happened to backstop the Gophers to their first NCAA Championship in 23 seasons. The main reason he sneaks on this list ahead of Kellen Briggs.
#24 Mathew Knies- F 2021-2023
Knies is another what if he had just stuck around one more year. He played two seasons with the Gophers and was electric, especially his sophomore season. For his career he played in 73 games and scored 75 points, split nearly evenly between 36 goals and 39 assists. Nine of his goals were game winners. His sophomore year he was a Hobey Baker finalist scoring 42 points in 40 games and helped Minnesota to the NCAA Championship Game. A great Gopher in just a bit more limited action that kept him from rising further up the list.
#23 Rem Pitlick-F 2016-2019
Pitlick was a player who spanned both the end of the Don Lucia era and the start of the Bob Motzko era, but kept producing for both coaches. In three seasons in the maroon and gold, Pitlick played in 112 games and recorded 108 points on 47 goals and 61 assists. He had four game winning goals in his career. He exploded in a junior season that saw him score 45 points in 38 games and a career high 21 goals and earn a First Team All-American honor.
#22 Grant Potulny-C 2000-2004
Potulny was a leader, and of course goes down as the goal scorer of one of the most memorable, if not the most memorable goals in Minnesota history. He was a consistently good player for the Gophers, and was a Grand Forks native. He loved sticking it to his hometown team. In four seasons he played 146 games scoring 116 points on 68 goals and 48 assists. He was a three-time captain for the Gophers and would go onto being a Gopher assistant coach for a long time before getting hired at Northern Michigan. But he is not even the top family member on this list.
#21 Brock Faber- D- 2020-2023
Faber was a shutdown defenseman for the Gophers for three seasons, and finally picked up the offensive portion of his game in an All-American Junior season. In 97 career games Faber scored 53 points and had just seven goals as a Gopher. His junior year in 2023 where he helped the Gophers to the NCAA Championship Game he recorded 27 points and earned First Team All-American honors. He was a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year winner in 21-22 and 22-23. He obviously is now off to great success with the Minnesota Wild and is showing off more offensive prowess than he did as a Gopher.
#20 Justen Close-G 2019-2024
Justen Close is the ultimate underdog story in this list. He came in as the #3 goalie in 2019 and jaw action in just four games in his first two years as a Gopher. Then Jack LaFontaine decided he was going to leave mid-season to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes. Close was thrown into the fire of a Big Ten Championship race in January and responded better than anyone could have expected. Close would go 14-5 with a 1.95 GAA his junior season and heading the Gophers to the Frozen Four. His senior season he got Minnesota to the NCAA Championship Game going 26-10-1 with a 2.02 GAA and a .927 save percentage—the 4th best in program history. He finished his Minnesota career with one more Covid season going 22-10-5 and helped Minnesota to the NCAA Tournament yet again. Close finished his Minnesota career ranked #1 all-time with a 9.24 save percentage, tied for #1 all time with 13 shutouts, and #2 all time with a 2.18 GAA. He just is missing that one biggest win of his career.
#19 Adam Wilcox- G 2012-2015
Wilcox going right after Close is fitting as their stats are nearly identical. He finished his Gopher career with 115 games played in three seasons—third most all time. He won 73 of them—good enough for a tie for third all time with Robb Stauber. His 2.09 GAA is the best in Gopher history. HIs 13 shutouts are the best in Gopher history tied with Briggs and Close. His .922 save percentage third behind Close and Mat Robson. His 1.88 GAA in his sophomore season in 2012-13 is the second best in a single season. Same with his .932 save percentage his junior year—which ended just like Close’s did with a trip to the NCAA Championship game, but no ring. If either one of them had just won that game—they would be top 10 for sure. But instead, they are where they are.
#18 Ben Meyers -C 2019-2022
Meyers came to the Gophers after blowing up in the USHL with Fargo and then he didn’t stop scoring in Minneapolis either. In a three year career he played in 102 games and scored 95 points got a 0.93 points per game average. He scored 39 goals in his career with seven of them being game winners for the Gophers. He earned Big Ten Player of the Year Honors and First Team All-American honors with his junior season in 2021-22 where in 34 games he recorded 40 points and a career high 17 goals to lead the Gophers to the Frozen Four.
#17 Nick Bjugstad- F 2010- 2013
Bjugstad came to the Gophers after a great high school career in Blaine and after a few struggles his freshman year became one of the Gophers best offensive threats in his next two seasons in the maroon and gold. In 109 total games he scored 54 goals and 98 points, good for a .9 points per game average. His sophomore year he broke out and earned Second Team All-American honors scoring 25 goals and 40 points to help Minnesota to the Frozen Four.
#16 Jeff Taffe-F- 2000-2002
Taffe played three seasons as a Gopher, but only his final two count for our list. Luckily for him, they were by far his best two years including a senior season in 2001-02 where he scored 34 goals and recorded 58 points in helping he Gophers win the NCAA Championship. Taffe’s final two years as a Gopher he played in 81 games, scored 46 goals and ended with 93 points. Somehow he did not earn any All-American honors for his blowout junior year, and was only a third team All-WCHA award winner.
#15 Paul Martin- D 2000-2003
Martin was a three sport star from Elk River in a time where Minnesota high school sports was loaded with them—see Mauer, Joe. Bu he came to the U to play hockey and that seemed to work out will for him. In three seasons Martin played 127 games and recorded 97 points with 20 of them being goals. He made one of the biggest saves by a non-goalie in the 2003 Frozen Four semifinal to keep the Gophers alive. His junior season in 2002-2003 he was a Second Team All-American and had his best offensive season with 9 goals and 39 points. He had a pretty good NHL career too before becoming a Gopher assistant coach the past four seasons.
#14 Justin Kloos- C 2013-2017
Kloos was a scoring machine in the final years of the Don Lucia era. In four seasons he played in 155 games and recorded 150 points, a .97 points per game average. His 63 career goals place him 7th in the most goals scored by a Gopher in the last 25 years. Kloos put up matching 43 point seasons his final two years as a Gopher earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors in one season and First Team in the other.
#13 Tyler Sheehy- F 2015-2019
Sheehy was a four year star for the Gophers. He played in 149 career games scoring 49 goals and recording 149 career points. He ended up with eight game winning goals. His sophomore season in 2016-17 would go down in the record books as he earned Big Ten Player of the Year and First Team All-American honors after recording 53 points in 38 games Unfortunately it would end with a phantom hooking call against Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament which would result in the Irish ending Minnesota’s season.
#12 Troy Riddle- F 2000-2004
Riddle does not get the same heralds like several other Gophers on the two NCAA Championship teams from 2002 and 2003, but he was as productive if not more so that many on this list—even some ahead of him on this list. In four seasons as a Gopher Riddle played in 171 games, scored 82 goals—the most in the last 25 years and finished with 178 points for his Minnesota career. He is the Gophers #13 scorer all-time in program history and is tied for the #10 goal scorer in Minnesota history. He earned WCHA Third Team honors in 2002-03, but no other awards. But he does have two rings.
#11 Logan Cooley -C 2022-23
Why is Cooley so high many of you are now asking, especially after I penalized Kessel and Schroeder for their short Gopher careers. Because Logan Cooley had one of the best single seasons in a Gopher uniform the past 25 years, and the best since the mid-2000’s. Cooley scored 22 goals and recorded 60 points playing on a line with Knies and Jimmy Snuggerud his one season with the Gophers. That 60 point total is the most in a season for a Gopher since 2005-06. The next closest in the last 20 years was 53 by Tyler Sheehy in 2016-17. He dominated and earned First Team All-American honors and was a Hobey Baker Finalist, and the only reason he lost to Michigan’s Adam Fantilli is that he and Knies split votes. Unfortunately Cooley’s lone season as a Gopher ended on a low note in the NCAA Championship game loss to Quinnipiac. But, his season up to that game still can not be ignored on this list.
And Now for the Top 10
#10 Keith Ballard-D 2001-2004
Ballard was a defensive stalwart on the blue line for the Gophers two NCAA Champions in 2002 and 2003. In three seasons Ballard played in 123 games, and as a defenseman averaged 0.81 points per game. He earned 36 points in 37 games, and First Team All-American honors his junior season but was even better his sophomore year in helping the Gophers win their second of back to back NCAA titles. Ballard put up 41 points in 45 games that season and earned Second Team All-WCHA honors.
#9 Alex Goligoski- D 2004-2007
As Ballard left, Goligoski stepped right into his shoes and was a very similar player. The Grand Rapids, MN native played in 117 career games and averaged 0.83 points per game. He scored 39 points in both his sophomore and junior seasons and earned First Team All-American Honors and was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year after his junior season in 2006-07.
#8 Erik Haula- F 2010-2013
Minnesota went to Finland and struck gold in getting Haula to come to Minneapolis. In three seasons as a Gopher Haula played in 114 games scoring 42 goals and finishing with 124 career points for a 1.09 point per game total. He exploded his sophomore and junior seasons scoring 49 and 51 points respectively. He earned Second Team All-WCHA honors his sophomore year where he scored 20 goals in helping the Gophers to the Frozen Four.
#7 Kyle Rau- C 2011-2015
Rau came in with high expectations after helping his Eden Prairie team to a Minnesota High School State Championship, and did not disappoint. In four seasons as a Gopher he payed in 160 games scoring 67 goals and 164 career points. Rau’s 67 goals are the 5th most in Gopher history between 2000-2025 and he holds the 18th highest point total in Gopher hockey history. Rau was incredibly consistent as he scored between 40-43 points all four seasons in the maroon and gold. He was named to the All-WCHA Rookie team and then was named All-Big Ten second team twice, and a Second Team All-American his junior season in helping the Gophers to the NCAA Championship Game.
#6 Jimmy Snuggerud- F 2022-2025
Snuggerud just finished his three year Gopher career and rockets up the list. In 119 career games Snuggy scored 66 goals and 69 assists for a career total of 135 points. That averages out to 1.13 points per game. Of his 66 goals 11 were game winners. His 66 goals rank him 6th in goal scoring in the past 25 years. He formed one of the best lines in Gopher history with Knies and Cooley as a freshman in Minnesota’s run to the NCAA Championship game scoring 20 goals and adding 29 assists. Despite not playing with Knies and Cooley the next two years, his performance did not drop off as he scored 21 goals again his sophomore year and a career high 24 in his final season last year. He earned Second Team All-American honors in 2025. and was First Team All-Big Ten the past two seasons, and Second Team All-Big Ten his freshman year.
#5 Ryan Potulny -C 2003-2006
The second Potulny on this list, but the better scorer. Ryan played 99 games in a Gopher uniform and scored 68 goals and added 50 assists for a 1.19 points per game average. His 68 goals puts him tied with his brother for the third most in the past 25 years. He played only 15 games his freshman season before jumping up to score 24 goals his sophomore season. His junior season was one of the best as a Gopher the past 25 years as he played 41 games and scored 38 goals and added 25 assists. He led the nation in goals and was tied for the national points lead. His 38 goals are the most in a season in the past 25 years and you need to go back to 1986 to find a total that matches it. He earned First Team All-American honors and First Team WCHA for that season and added a Third Team All-WCHA for his sophomore season. Incredibly Potulny wasn’t even a Hobey Baker finalist that season.
#4 Mike Reilly- D 2012-2015
Reilly will go down as one of the most dominant defensemen in Gopher history. In 117 career games over three seasons Reilly recorded 89 points. Reilly was a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a two time First Team All-American. Reilly was one of just two Gophers to earn two First Team All-American nods in the past 25 years. He helped Minnesota to the NCAA Championship Game his sophomore season where he set a career high in goals with nine. His junior year he was a Hobey Baker Finalist and led the Gophers in points with 42.
#3 Thomas Vanek- F 2002-2004
The Austrian played for Sioux Falls in the USHL under Bob Motzko, and when Motzko became a Gopher assistant coach he joined him in Minneapolis—-and it was magic. Vanek played just two seasons for the Gophers but in 83 career games scored 57 goals and recoded 113 points, good for a 1.36 point per game average. He was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team and Second Team All-WCHA his freshman year in helping the Gophers win their second of back to back NCAA Championships scoring 31 goals and recording 60 points. He scored the OT winner in the Frozen Four Semifinal against Michigan to get the Gophers back to the title game. His sophomore season was slightly less productive at 26 goals and 51 points but he earned Second Team All-WCHA and Second Team All-American honors that season in helping the Gophers back to the Frozen Four.
#2 Johnny Pohl -C 2000-2002
The pride of Red Wing got off to a slow start as a Gopher but then watch out. Only Pohl’s final two years count for our list, but what years they were. In 82 games his junior and senior seasons Pohl scored 46 goals and added 78 assists for 124 points and a 1.21 point per game average. He finished his Minnesota career ranked #5 all-time in assists, #9 all-time in points and #10 all-time in goals. His senior season in 2001-02 he helped the Gophers to their first NCAA Championship in 23 years and scored 27 goals and added 79 points—the 13th highest total in a single season in Minnesota history and the only one in the past 25 years. He would be named a First Team All-American but not a Hobey Baker Finalist. And as good as he was, he might not even be the best Gopher hockey legend in the family…as we will find out on a later list.
#1 Jordan Leopold- D 2000-2002
Our number One Gopher of the past 25 seasons is the only one in the past 25 seasons to win a Hobey Baker Award. Leopold would play 86 games his junior and senior seasons as a Gopher scoring 32 goals and 97 total points. He would finish his career with the 5th and 6th best scoring season by a defenseman in Gopher history, and in total would be the #3 ranked scoring defenseman in program history. Leopold was a First Team All-American in both 2000-2001 and 2001-2002, just one of two Gophers to do that in the last 25 years. He was a two-time WCHA Defensive Player of the Year as well. His senior season in 2001-02 Leopold would become the 4th Gopher to win the Hobey Baker Award by scoring 48 points in 44 games including a career high 20 goals—the most ever by a Gopher defenseman in a season. He helped the Gophers win a NCAA Championship in St. Paul.