Week 20 Hockey Release
Photo by Jamie Squire / Getty Images
OFFICIAL RELEASE
• The penultimate week of conference play finds just one point separating first place Michigan and second place Michigan State in the chase for the Big Ten Championship. No. 2/2 Michigan plays its final conference games this weekend, taking on Minnesota in a series that starts tonight. Michigan has won both meetings against Minnesota this season and is a victory away from setting a program record for Big Ten wins in a season. Minnesota’s last three games have been decided by a goal or less. BTN will provide coverage of both games from Ann Arbor. No. 1/1 Michigan State, winners in nine of its last 10 games, will host Ohio State, which is making its first trip to Munn Ice Arena since last year’s thrilling double overtime Big Ten Championship Game (won by MSU). The teams split a January series in Columbus. Both games of the series will air on BTN. No. 5/5 Penn State, still in the hunt for the Big Ten title, travels to Notre Dame for a pair of games streaming on Peacock. Penn State is on course for its best conference placing since winning the title in 2019-20 while Notre Dame closes out its home schedule. No. 12/13 Wisconsin is idle this week.
• Penn State set a bevy of records in its 11-4 win over Ohio State on Feb. 20. The team’s goal total was the most for a Big Ten Conference game, surpassing the mark of 10 accomplished twice by Michigan. PSU’s Gavin McKenna set a conference game record for assists (7), shattering the old mark of four held by 16 players. The seven assists was also an all-time record, eclipsing the old standard of six shared by six players. McKenna’s eight points surpassed the conference record of five set by 14 players. It was the highest point total for a Division I player in 39 years according to College Hockey News and ranks third-best all-time among Big Ten players. McKenna’s weekend accomplishments, which included an overtime game-winner on Saturday, resulted in Big Ten First Star of the Week honors for the freshman forward.
• Six Big Ten alumni helped the United States Men’s Olympic Hockey Team capture its first gold medal in 46 years with a 2-1 overtime win over Canada Sunday in Milan, Italy. Quinn Hughes (Michigan, 2017-19) led Team USA in points (8) and ice time while Zach Werenski (Michigan, 2014-16) was the team’s co-leader in plus/minus (+8). Dylan Larkin (Michigan, 2014-15) scored two goals and was joined by Kyle Connor (Michigan, 2015-16) as the first group of Wolverines to win hockey gold. Former teammates Brock Faber (Minnesota, 2020-23), who finished a +7, and Jackson LaCombe (Minnesota, 2019-23) are just three seasons removed from their playing days in the Big Ten. Another Golden Gopher, Erik Haula (Minnesota, 2010-13), registered the second-most goals and points for Finland, which won the bronze medal.
• Wisconsin’s 4-1 win over Michigan on Friday improved the Badgers’ status in the NCAA Power Index (NPI). Wisconsin moved up two spots to 13th place over the weekend while Michigan State (first), Michigan (second) and Penn State (fifth) remained entrenched at their current spots. The NPI is a formula-based ranking system that helps determine the NCAA postseason field.